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Introduction
This article is an in depth guide to cardboard boxes and how they are made.
You will learn more about topics such as:
What is a Cardboard Box?
How Cardboard Boxes are Made
Types of Cardboard Boxes
Materials Used to Make Cardboard Boxes
And Much More …
Chapter One – What is a Cardboard Box?
A cardboard box is a shipping container made of thick heavy duty paper known as paperboard, which is more than 0.01 inch or 0.25 mm thick. The term cardboard is used as a generic descriptor for various types of solid firm papers used to produce boxes. Included in the general term cardboard are corrugated fiberboard boxes made with multiple plies of paper.
Designed and constructed to serve as protection for materials during shipping and transport, cardboard boxes come in a wide variety of sizes, shapes, and forms to meet specific shipping needs. They can be found as containers for products, pizza boxes, storage boxes, and other industrial and commercial uses.
A major factor in the wide use of cardboard boxes is their ability to be recycled, which makes them less costly than other forms of containers. The layers of paper used to produce cardboard boxes can be shredded, chemically treated, and formed into rolls.
Ninety percent of all materials purchased are shipped using cardboard boxes, with over 88 percent being made from recycled raw materials. Making cardboard boxes from scratch requires a great deal of energy and several trees. Cardboard boxes made from recycled raw materials require drastically less energy and eliminate them from being added to a landfill where they can release harmful toxins.
Chapter Two – How Cardboard Boxes are Made
Cardboard boxes come in all sorts of shapes, sizes, configurations, and forms designed to fit the specific shipping needs of a product or piece of equipment. The standard cardboard box is made of plies of paper that come from the pulp of trees or recycled boxes. The final paperboard consists of layers of pulp that have been treated, shaped, and pressed together.
When discussing cardboard boxes, it is necessary to understand that there are two distinct types of boxes. The difference between the two is the types of materials used to create the sides of the box, which are paperboard and corrugated board. To the general public, paperboard boxes and corrugated boxes are the same but are viewed as two forms of boxes by box manufacturers.
While cardboard boxes are made of layers of pulp, corrugated boxes are layers of paper with a middle layer taking a waving form that is referred to as fluting. Flutes and liners, when glued together, creates a stiff firm sheet that is referred to as corrugated board, which is the structural component of corrugated boxes. Whether a box is paperboard or corrugated, each form begins with pulp from trees that is processed into paper.
Making Paperboard
Pulping Process
Pulping is the process that is used to manufacture the paper for paperboard. It is a method for dispersing raw materials into single fibers referred to as paper pulp. The purpose of pulping is to dissolve the lignin of fiber materials without the loss of fibers. The method used to complete the pulping process varies between manufacturers and includes chemical, mechanical, and bio forms. The critical element in all pulping processes is water 100 L, which is necessary to produce one kilogram of paper.
Mechanical pulping is an aggressive physical method used to separate the fibers and does not include any chemicals. Wood chips ground by stones are bathed in water to form a pulp. The advantages of mechanical pulping include high yield and no pollution. The downside of the process is the low strength of the pulp that is produced.
Chemical pulping is a chemical and mechanical process where wood chips are cooked and then ground to produce cellulose fibers. It is a better separation process that is used to produce high quality paper.
The presence of lignin in virgin pulp gives it a very dark brown natural color. In order for it to be used for paperboard, the pulp has to be bleached to purify it and change its color. Whether pulp is being used or recycled cardboard, the bleaching process is necessary to purify the raw materials. In the case of recycled cardboard, bleaching removes any chemicals from the cardboard.
Different bleaching methods are used depending on the color of the pulp, types of chemicals used, and the types of treatment. The three categories of bleaching are delignification, oxidation, and reduction, each of which is a chemical process.
The pulp is passed through a series of blades that are designed to flatten the fibers and create the fibrillated ends to assist in the bonding process to make the paper stronger. Fillers are added to increase the density of the pulp and make it opaque. At this stage, the pulp is ready to be processed by the paper machine.
The paper machine consists of a set of different machines that dries the pulp by forcing it through rotating wires and belts to remove the water. Pressure and temperature are used to extract any remaining moisture before being placed on giant paper rolls.
Paperboard Construction
Paperboard is formed in layers of pulp that are sprayed in water onto a mesh screen to form a mat. The spraying of the pulp slurry onto the mat builds up the fibers of the pulp to increase and solidify the strength of the paperboard. Each type or grade of paperboard is carefully mixed to match the requirements to meet its grade standards.
Once the mat is formed, the accumulated water has to be removed. Initially, the mat passes over a foundation screen where 20% of the water drips out by gravity. For further processing, the mat moves through sponge rollers that press and squeeze the water out of the mat. After being squeezed, the mat has sufficient strength to be stretched and heated as the final step in the drying process and water removal. The moisture content is at 5% after drying.
The fully formed paperboard is cut to various widths and rolled into huge rolls to be sent on to box manufacturing. The different widths allow manufacturers to produce different size boxes in shapes, configurations, and forms to meet customer specifications.
Coating Paperboard
The dried and finished paperboard may be sent on for further processing, where it will be coated with a polymer, which consists of melted pellets that are extruded onto the surface of the paperboard in an extremely thin layer. In preparation for the coating process, a starch solution is added to bind the fibers to the surface and add strength to the board.
Before applying the coating, the paperboard is pressed between steel rolls to even its surface, increase its strength, and equalize the board’s thickness and density. The coating is applied on one or both sides of the board and smoothed over its surface. It is then dried and reeled onto a steel core after which the long reel is cut into different widths. To meet customer specifications, the paperboard may be wrapped and bound as rolls or trimmed into sheets of varying sizes.
The finished paperboard has a smooth waxy texture that is similar to the consistency found on a milk or juice carton.
Making Boxes
The finished paperboard is delivered to box manufacturers where it is formed into several types of boxes depending on the needs of the customer. During the processing of the paperboard, handles, flaps, and slits are added and the paperboard is scored such that it can be folded into different box shapes.
The process of converting paperboard into lightweight cardboard boxes varies depending on the manufacturer. The key parts of the process are similar to the process used to manufacture corrugated cardboard boxes.
Corrugated Board
The process for the manufacture of corrugated boxes also involves the use of layers of paper placed on top of each other. With paperboard boxes, the layers of pulp are pressed tightly together and flattened to form a firm solid board like material, which is unlike the process used to produce corrugated cardboard boxes.
Corrugated cardboard boxes have three or more layers of sheets of paper or liners that are produced from recycled or virgin paper. In the middle of the sheets of paper are sheets of fluted or wavy paper that serve as separators of the sheets and cushioning. The process of manufacturing corrugated cardboard begins with rolls of paper from the pulping factory.
Paper Rolls
Huge rolls of paper are delivered to the box making factory. The width of the rolls comes in various sizes to fit the sizes of the boxes to be made. The paper from the rolls is fed into a corrugator that presses the paper between two ridged rollers and blasts the paper with hot steam. The process shapes the waves of the flutes. After the flutes are shaped, starch glue is applied in order to attach one of the liners. This is the initial stage in corrugated board formation.
Kraft Paper
Kraft, German for strength, paper is made from softwood trees that have long fibers, such as pine, spruce, or fir trees. The tension of the long fibers makes Kraft paper tear and burst resistant. The brown or yellowish color of Kraft paper differs depending on the trees from which it was crafted with spruce, pine, and silver birch trees producing a very dark brown Kraft paper while other trees produce yellowish Kraft paper. In addition to the different types of trees, the quality and color of Kraft paper varies depending on where in the world the trees are located.
Once the first liner is glued in place, Kraft paper is glued to the other side of the flutes. This configuration is the simplest form of corrugated board and is referred to as a single wall corrugated board, which can be seen in the image on the left below. Other forms can have two flutes and two liners with Kraft paper, pictured on the right below. Additionally, the width of the curves of the flutes vary depending on the design of the box.
There are several classes of flutes, with each capable of constructing sturdier and more durable boxes. The type of flutes determines how a box will be used and how durable it will be with special flute designs for boxes that need to have printing.
Paper Liners
Unlike Kraft paper, liner papers are made from hardwood trees that have short fibers. The majority of modern box manufacturers use recycled paper, which is less expensive and has an abrasive texture. Hardwood trees include sycamore, birch, chestnut, and oak.
Referred to as test liners, paper liners are used extensively in the manufacture of boxes and are an essential part of the fluting process since both Kraft and test liners are used to create flutes.
Trimming Corrugated Board
As the corrugated board sheets leave the corrugator, they pass through the slitter scorer that trims the sheets and cuts them into large sheets or box blanks. The trimmed sheets rapidly leave the slitter scorer at approximately 8000 boards per hour and slide into an automatic stacker. The finished corrugated boards are stacked and ready to be formed into boxes.
Making of Boxes
Flaps and Handles
Flaps and handles are cut into the paperboard or corrugated sheets by a trimmer or die cutters that perforate the sheets and score them. The cutters are made from half cylinders with different cylinders for every type of box. They have sharp blades and rubber padding, which prevents the cutters from cutting too deeply into the sheets.
The sharp blades of the die cutters or trimmers cut out the shapes of the flaps and score the sheets for folding. Although the trimmers and cylinder die cutters are the most efficient method for shaping the flaps and scoring, simple die cutters that are similar to those used in a die press are also used for shorter production runs. They operate much like a stamping machine and cut the flaps and scoring with force and pressure.
A press condenses overlapping panels during the cutting and scoring process to level out their thickness. The sheets feed through the mechanism at 8 kilometers an hour or 5 miles an hour, processing over 90 boxes per minute. Any trimmed material is collected and recycled.
Bending or Folding
The bending or folding machine folds the boxes along the score lines. Glue or stitching connects the sections to form the completed box. The glue that is used is hygienic, an important feature for boxes used for the food industry. Staples are used for stitching boxes destined for heavy duty applications and forming a tighter seal.
After the glue and stitching are applied, the completed boxes are piled and banded together.
Flexographic Printing
In certain cases, boxes may need information printed on them to identify products, advertising, or other pertinent information regarding the box’s function and contents. Printing on boxes is a precision process that has to be carefully completed to avoid crushing the paperboard or the flutes of corrugated board.
Feed rolls that send the boxes into the flexographic printing machine are made of soft material spaced properly for the depth of the sheets. The flexographic machine has printing plates for every color to be applied to the box. The plates are made of flexible photopolymer materials that are wound around a rotating cylinder. The process is very similar to that used by letterpress.
Flexographic printing can apply a wide variety of colors, which are precision mixed and blended to meet the needs of the application or customer. Maintaining paperboard and corrugated board caliper or thickness is an essential part of ensuring the strength of the boxes. The image below is a diagram of flexographic printing on corrugated cardboard boxes.
Inspection of Boxes
The final step in the process is the inspection of the boxes before being shipped to customers. Special instrumentation is used to monitor glue placement and gap measurement. The system checks the amount and thickness of glue that has been applied and the size of the slots of the flaps. Each box is compared to the template used to produce the box.
All manufacturers pay close attention to their final products to ensure that the boxes live up to the organization’s standards and the high quality materials they use. Although boxes are common types of containers that are found in manufacturing, retail, and homes, their assembly and construction require precision craftsmanship and close attention to detail.
Paperboard is one of the most popular forms of materials used for retail packaging due to the fact that it can be easily shaped, designed, configured, and engineered to offer a positive and aesthetic appearance to a product. Properly made paperboard is the first impression that customers get of a product or brand and is the method for presenting and displaying a product.
The many benefits of paperboard are further divided between the different grades of paperboard, which vary depending on the manufacturer. Understanding paperboard grades is an essential part for selecting the correct paperboard to fit the needs of a product and company. The various grades fluctuate widely in quality and price.
Paperboard Grades
Solid Bleached Sulfate (SBS)
SBS is a brilliant white premium grade of paperboard that has the top ply of both sides of the board coated with clay, which allows for clear, crisp, and brilliant printing. The high quality of SBS comes from the hardwood fibers from which it is made. The internal plies of SBS are made of softwoods or blends of soft and hard wood fibers.
In the manufacture of SBS paperboard, sulfate is used in the pulping of virgin hardwood. It is approved for use with food, has excellent foldability, is strong, and can be used in frozen applications. The many benefits of the SBS paperboard make it the most expensive of the paperboard grades.
Coated Unbleached Kraft (CUK)
CUK is made from unbleached virgin Kraft fibers that give it its brown color. It is made from soft woods such as pine with some hardwood fibers included in the top ply that is clay coated to create a smooth printable surface. The pine fibers are long and large, giving the paperboard excellent strength and tear resistance. The superior strength of CUK makes it ideal for beverage containers and heavy duty packaging of tools and laundry detergents.
The strength and durability of CUK make it resistant to moisture. CUK is the strongest of all of the paperboard grades, is the most popular, and is less expensive than SBS.
Uncoated Unbleached Kraft (UUK)
UUK is a natural grade of brown paperboard made from a blend of softwood and hardwood. Recycled fibers are also blended with the tree fibers. It is a high strength paperboard at a lower cost. The texture of UUK does not provide a surface for crisp printing or complex designs. It is ideal for storage of hardware in moist conditions where heavy duty use is required.
Coated Recycled Board (CRB)
CRB is made of recycled fibers with a top ply of white fibers finished with a clay coating. There are many variations of this grade, which include CCN, WLC, Duplex, GB, and CCNB. It is a very low strength grade of paper board and is ideal for lightweight items such as chips, crackers, cereal, or snacks.
Uncoated Recycled Board (URB)
URB is made from recycled newsprint and corrugated board and is a thick grade of paperboard that is used as a set up box or dividers. It is the least expensive paperboard grade and provides the highest value for the money spent.
Folding Box Board (FBB)
FBB is a multilayer paperboard made from chemical and mechanical pulp with mechanical pulp placed between layers of chemical pulp. The top ply is bleached chemical pulp, which is a low density material with high stiffness. FBB is a virgin fiber paperboard that has purity for product safety. The combination of mechanical layers and chemical layers creates strong stiff sheets. When it is fully coated, it is printable with crispness and high resolution.
Regardless of the many positive qualities of FBB, it has the lowest strength of the grades of paperboard. By using variations in coatings and treatments, the strength of FBB can vary and be somewhat competitive with SBS. The amazing thing about FBB is its foldability. Boxes with attached lids open and close easily without any damage to the box’s scores.
Chapter Four – Grades of Corrugated Board
The grading of corrugated boards is made up of different elements that define each of the components that go into the manufacture of the board. The grade of liners, Kraft paper, and flutes are the major factors that determine a corrugated board’s grade.
In essence, the grading system for corrugated boards provides a concise description of each part of the board and its quality. The weight of the paper’s liners or their GSM, flute type, and weight of its Kraft paper or GSM are the three pieces of data used to grade corrugated boards.
Types of Paper
The type of paper used to manufacture corrugated boards is the major defining factor regarding its grading. There are two papers generally used in the manufacture of corrugated board: Kraft paper and test liners.
Kraft paper is made from softwood trees and has virgin fibers that are strong and printable. For corrugated boards, it is used as the outside liner. Test paper is similar to paperboard since it has two layers or is duplex paper. It is made from recycled paper, is not printable, and is used as the inside liner.
Paper Weights and Grams per Square Meter (GSM)
All papers are measured by their weight and GSM, with weights varying from 115 GSM up to 300 GSM. The GSM system is the metric equivalent of the point system where the point system indicates the thickness of paper, with each point being 1/1000th of an inch. There isn’t any convenient method for converting GSM to points, and the GSM is found on all types of paper and points of the paper.
Most paper manufacturers use the GSM system in regard to the production of corrugated boards since it is an indication of the weight of the paper and not its thickness.
Wall Types
The wall types reference the type of fluting, which vary from a test liner, Kraft liner, and single flute up to multiple flutes, multiple liners, and a Kraft liner. Flutes are classified by letters: A, B, C, E, F, BC, and EB. The designation of the flutes from A to EB is not an indication of their quality or effectiveness but the order in which they were developed is. These particular categories are very general and do not indicate fluting types that individual manufacturers have developed.
Flutes are made from the same papers used to make the liners and include both test liners and Kraft liners. Aside from the different paper GSMs, flutes also vary according to how close the waves are to each other, determining the corrugated board’s thickness and its sturdiness.
Grading Corrugated Board
The flute, type of paper, and GSM are used as the method to grade corrugated boards. Abbreviations indicate whether the paper is Kraft (K) or test (T), which are preceded by their GSM number or weight. The types of flutes are shown as the letters of the flute placed between the GSM of the papers.
If the grade has 125 gsm Kraft outer liner, 125 gsm test lining, and B fluting, it would be written 125K/B/125T for the grade of the corrugated board. This type of descriptor has been developed such that it can be easily understood by any manufacturer or producer.
Technical Terms for Corrugated Board
Across Flute – The unit of measure for corrugated board
Backing Liner – A compressible paper provides a better appearance, water resistance, and strength for corrugated boards.
Blank – Flat piece of corrugated board ready to make a box.
Board grade – The grade given to a corrugated board using the three elements.
Burst – The point at which a corrugated board bursts or is damaged.
Carton Board – Can be referred to as paperboard since it is cardboard that is not fluted.
Chop edge – The length of the board.
Clay Coat – Applied to improve corrugated board’s printability.
Corrugated – Shaped using parallel ridges and grooves.
Crush – Corrugated boards are resistant to being crushed.
Deckle – The width of corrugated board
Double wall board – Two layers of corrugated material.
Duplex – Two layers of corrugated material.
Edge crush test – Vertical crush resistance
Enhanced Fluting – Unique fluting substituted for standard fluting.
FEFCO – The European Federation Of Corrugated Board Manufacturers that develops codes for the corrugated industry.
Fiber – Pulp material used to manufacture cardboard material
Flute – Wavy central layer of corrugated board.
Fluting profile – The shape of the fluting.
Grammage – GSM of paper – Grams per Square Meter
Kraft –Brown paper produced from virgin wood.
Light-weighting – Reducing cost, environmental effects, weight, and material.
Liner – One of the components of corrugated board is glued to one side of the fluting.
Mottled – White paper liner.
Single face – Fluting glued to one liner.
Single wall – Corrugated board with two liners and one flute.
Test liner – Liner made of recycled material with similar fibers.
Tri wall – Three fluted corrugated boards.
Virgin Material – Material processed from its original form
Weight – The GSM of the paper material
Chapter Five – Other Types of Cardboard
Paperboard and corrugated board are two of the most common types of cardboard but are not the only types. Cardboard is a highly versatile material that comes in a wide variety of forms and can be structured to meet specific and specialized needs. The flexibility of cardboard allows it to be adjusted and adapted to different strengths, weights, widths, and endless functions.
Honeycomb Cardboard
Honeycomb cardboard is lightweight but durable. It has two outside panels that give it stability and strength as well as an expansive surface area. The strength of honeycomb cardboard makes it an ideal replacement for wood or plastic pallets. It can be manufactured in different strengths and sizes with an exceptional strength to weight ratio. In door manufacturing, honeycomb cardboard is used as filler for the door cavity.
The many thicknesses of honeycomb cardboard make it adaptable enough to be formed into resilient and durable boxes with corners secured with multi-ply cardboard. Honeycomb cardboard’s structure makes it possible for it to be impact resistant.
The variations in honeycomb cardboard include different sizes of the honeycombs as well as different cell sizes that range from 8 mm or 0.32 inches up to 22 mm or 0.86 inches. The heights of honeycombs can be from 6 mm or 0.23 inches up to 104 mm or 4.1 inches.
Gray Paperboard
Gray paperboard is a thick paperboard made from recycled paper pulp and gets its name from its color. It is widely used due to its stiffness. The surface of the gray paperboard is gray while its other layers can be brown or gray. Gray paperboard is used for pad backing, rigid boxes, cartons, and bookbinding.
The strength of gray paperboard is due to the process used to manufacture it, which does not involve the use of glues or adhesive. The layers or plies of gray paperboard are connected by the board’s long fibers that are pressed together by heavy steel rollers.
Gray Cardboard
Gray cardboard, like gray paperboard, is made using recycled paper and cardboard. It is smooth with good stiffness and slightly thicker than gray paperboard.
Chapter Six – Types of Cardboard Boxes
Cardboard boxes are the main choice for shipping, packaging, storage, and product display. Their flexibility makes them ideal for the protection and security of products while affording a pleasant appearance. In heavy industry and manufacturing, cardboard boxes have the strength and endurance, enabling them to endure the brutality and stress of production processing.
For every packing application, there is a cardboard box that easily and conveniently fits into the process. It is this characteristic of cardboard boxes that has led to new innovations in packaging and shipping operations.
Slotted Container (RSC)
RSCs are typical shipping containers with flaps of equal size that meet when closed such that they can be taped and secured. The flaps at the end of the box bend inward and do not meet while the flaps along the length of the box fold inward in such a fashion that their edges meet to be taped and secured.
Full Overlap Slotted Container (FOL)
FOL cardboard boxes follow the same pattern as RSC boxes with one slight adjustment. Unlike RSCs, the long outer flaps of a FOL cardboard box overlap when bent inward. This design provides for additional strength when the boxes are stacked and extra edge protection, which makes the box able to withstand rough handling.
Full Telescope Box (FTD)
The FTD designed box has separate sections where one section fits inside the other section. The cover of an FTD completely covers the body of the box. The flaps on FTD boxes are stapled or taped. Their design provides compression strength when stacking heavy and large items.
Snap Bottom Box
The upper structure of a snap bottom box is similar to that of the RSC box. The flaps of the bottom of the box are cut and shaped such that they fold over each other. When the flaps are folded, they snap into slots and lock together. The design of snap bottom boxes makes them easy to assemble quickly.
One Piece Folder
A one piece folder cardboard box is a single unit that folds along score lines to form a box. The bottom of the box is a flat cardboard piece with four sides and flaps attached. When the flaps are closed, they raise the sides of the box to make its rectangular shape. As with the RSC box, the end flaps are short and do not touch while the side flaps can overlap or meet at their edges, depending on the design of the box.
One piece folder cardboard boxes are designed for shipping single items such as iPads, books, video games, and other flat profiled items. The flat surface of one piece folder cardboard boxes is ideal for printing logos, images, and instructions.
Self Locking Cardboard Box or Relf Die Cut Cardboard Box
The self-locking cardboard box is very similar to the one piece folder. It is a single unit of cardboard that has been scored to fold into a box. The sides of the box have flaps attached at their long ends while the ends of the box are double width of equally scored sections.
To form a self-locking box, the sides of the box are folded upward with their flaps placed along the scoring of the ends of the box. The double width ends are brought upward such that one portion of the end folds over the extended flaps and is locked in place by a slot in the bottom of the box and tabs on the extended end piece.
The lids for self-locking boxes are formed using the same method and take the form of telescoping boxes where the folded lid fits over the folded box. The unique nature of self locking boxes eliminates the need for taping or gluing the sides. Tape is only used to seal the box.
Another form of self locking box or relf die cut cardboard box has a lid attached to one of the long sides with the extended flaps. The box is assembled like other self locking boxes. The lid on one of the long sides folds up with flaps that slide inside the box and flaps that slide into the self locked edges, as can be seen below.
Large Cardboard Boxes
There is an endless number of large sized cardboard boxes that range from a few feet square up to ones that are several feet and capable of holding a group of people. The majority of large sized cardboard boxes are made using corrugated board, which has the strength and stability to endure the stress a large box must endure. Additionally, large boxes are made of honeycomb cardboard with the same endurance as a corrugated board.
Large cardboard boxes can be folded for storage and assembled using tape or staples. They have a similar design as that of slotted container cardboard boxes with short flaps on the ends and long flaps on the sides such that the edges of the flaps meet in the middle of the box.
As with smaller cardboard boxes, large cardboard boxes have several designs that include snap bottoms and tops, overlapping flaps, and self locking lids.
Types of Boxes Summary
The few boxes described here are only a sampling of the many boxes that are a vital part of the supply chain and shipping. Cardboard manufacturers constantly develop and create new designs for unique and unusual applications. Additionally, all manufacturers are ready and prepared to help their customers design boxes that perfectly fit their requirements.
Chapter Seven – The Benefits of Cardboard Boxes
The introduction of the cardboard box during the first industrial revolution radically changed the nature of the shipping and packaging industries. Sir Malcolm Thornhill introduced the first cardboard box in 1817. They first appeared in the United States in 1895, where they took off and became common packaging containers.
Small cardboard boxes of lighter paperboard became popular at the beginning of the 20th century to store and sell breakfast cereal. This use of cardboard boxes has grown rapidly to the point that most products are sold using some form of a cardboard box.
Cardboard Box Benefits
Versatile Applications
Even though it’s just paper and starch, cardboard boxes are strong, pliable, and moisture resistant. They are the ideal method for shipping, protecting, promoting, and storing items of all shapes, sizes, configurations, and forms. With the proper surface finish, they can have an endless number of images and displays printed on them, including colorful graphics, creative designs, and entertaining pictures.
Cost-Effective Benefit
The main reason for the rapid rise of cardboard boxes is their cost, which is far lower than their predecessors. Cardboard boxes can be manufactured to fit the budget of any company regardless of its size. They are a perfect cost effective way of getting a brand noticed. The low cost of cardboard boxes is related to the low cost of labor and materials in their production. Additionally, over 80% of all cardboard is recyclable and reusable, which further lowers its cost.
Boxes are Sustainable
Sustainability has become a major push in 21st century industry and manufacturing with the goal of preserving our environment for future generations. Cardboard boxes smoothly fit into the goals and focus of sustainability since at the end of their life cycle, they can be reprocessed to make more boxes.
Home Grown
The cardboard box industry is one of the largest industries in the United States, with a value of over $60 billion. The industry takes pride in the fact that all of its products are made from raw materials found in the United States and use American workers.
Customizable Boxes
Over the years, engineers and designers have continued to expand the use of cardboard boxes by creating innovative and practical designs. Using the many types of paperboard, cardboard, and corrugated board, manufacturers have been able to produce cardboard boxes to fit any shipping, packaging, and storage application.
Recyclable Material
The main reason that cardboard has achieved increasing popularity is due to the fact that it does not end up in a landfill or garbage dump. Trash collection companies have developed special procedures to segregate cardboard materials such that they can be bundled and shipped to producers for reprocessing.
Environmentally Friendly
Of the many things that are consumed and used every day, cardboard boxes are the most environmentally friendly tool. Over 80% of all cardboard produced can be reused without any restrictions. Box manufacturers can take any form of cardboard and reprocess it to make products that are comparable to virgin products. The fact that cardboard can be reused endlessly without any degradation makes it the ideal product for preserving and saving the environment.
Conclusion
There is a difference between cardboard and corrugated board even though they are manufactured using similar processes.
A cardboard box is a shipping container made of thick heavy duty paper known as paperboard, which is more than 0.01 inch or 0.25 mm thick. The term cardboard is used as a generic descriptor for various types of solid firm papers used to produce boxes. Included in the general term cardboard are corrugated fiberboard boxes made with multiple plies of paper.
Paperboard is one of the most popular forms of materials used for retail packaging due to the fact that it can be easily shaped, designed, configured, and engineered to offer a positive and aesthetic appearance for a product. Properly made paperboard is the first impression that customers get of a product or brand and is the method for presenting and displaying a product.
Paperboard and corrugated board are two of the most common types of cardboard but are not the only types. Cardboard is a highly versatile material that comes in a wide variety of forms and can be structured to meet specific and specialized needs. The flexibility of cardboard allows it to be adjusted and adapted to different strengths, weights, widths, and endless functions.
The introduction of the cardboard box during the first industrial revolution radically changed the nature of the shipping and packaging industries. The first cardboard box was introduced by Sir Malcolm Thornhill in 1817. They first appeared in the United States in 1895 where they took off and became common packaging containers.
A corrugated box is a disposable container whose sides are made up of layers of material that include an inside layer, outer layer, and middle layer. The middle layer, between the outer and inner layers, is fluted, which are rigid wave shaped arches that provide cushioning...
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