Corrugated boxes are commonly used in our daily life and business applications. Whether in e-commerce packages, logistics and transportation, or product storage and other situations, we can frequently see its figure. So what is corrugated box? Why is it so indispensable in the field of packaging? Next, let’s explore the mystery of corrugated boxes.
1. What Is a Corrugated Box?
Corrugated boxes, also known as corrugated cardboard boxes or cardboard boxes, are made of corrugated paper or glued together, and are mainly used for packaging and transportation. It’s main ingredient is corrugated cardboard, which is a multiple-layer binder. It is usually made up of a wavy core paper sandwich ( corrugated paper) and one or more layers of cardboard (boxboard).
Corrugated cardboard has a unique construction, with the outer layer being referred to as the face paper, the wavy layer being the core paper or corrugated paper, and the bottom layer being the linerboard. This ingenious construction gives corrugated boxes excellent mechanical strength, enabling them to withstand collisions and falls during handling and providing reliable protection for the contents inside. With this characteristic, corrugated boxes occupy an important position in the packaging industry.
2. Differences Between Corrugated and Cardboard
After understanding the basic definition of corrugated boxes, many people may wonder how corrugated cardboard differs from ordinary cardboard.
Plain cardboard is generally made from paper pulp or heavy stock. It is often used to make folding cartons for small products, as well as acting as a structural support within the carton to help keep it from being crushed and deformed during transportation. However, plain cardboard has limited protection on its own.
In contrast, corrugated cardboard is unique. It consists of three layers of fiberboard, a structure that greatly enhances its durability, protection an versatility. Whether a business is shipping a large package or a small amount of product, corrugated cardboard is an excellent choice, as it resists bending and protects the goods.
3. Corrugated Box Production Process
In order to have a deeper understanding of corrugated boxes, you need to first understand the process of making them. Corrugated packaging materials are mainly derived from trees, which, as a renewable resource, make corrugated packaging one of the packaging materials with the highest recycling rate in the world. It has seen its industry recycling rate stabilize at around 90% over the past eight years, and was as high as 96% in 2018.
When recycling corrugated cardboard, old corrugated cartons (OCC) are collected, categorized, pressed and bundled for efficient storage. The paper bundles are then transported to paper mills. At the paper mill, they are broken down and the corrugated paper is put into a pulper, which acts as a large mixer. In the pulper, the raw material is blended into a pulp mixture of fibers and water.
Next, the remaining impurities are removed and the remaining fiber solution is dumped onto a moving screen, where the water is gradually drained off to form a continuous fiber mat. The fiber mats are then subjected to drum extrusion to further remove the water.
The wet, continuous fibers pass through the dryer, where their tops and bottoms contact the heated surface of the drying drum, completely removing any remaining water from the paper. Once this process is complete, the paper is wound on large rollers, which are then cut and rewound into individual rolls, completing the recycling process. These rolls are then transported to a paper feeder or corrugator, where they are processed into corrugated cardboard and ultimately into environmentally friendly corrugated boxes.
4. What are the main corrugated materials?
Corrugated materials are available in a wide selection of thicknesses and strengths. Most corrugated materials consist of two or more face layers with flute fluting sandwiched in between. However, single-faced corrugated board is a simple corrugated material consisting of one layer of boxboard face and one layer of fluting, and is mainly used for protective wrapping or packaging.
The most widely used materials that make up the body of a corrugated box are single-layer, double-layer, and triple-layer corrugated materials.
Single wall corrugated material: consists of two layers of boxboard face pasted on both sides of the flute layer.
Double wall corrugated: It is stronger than single wall corrugated because it has an additional layer of fluting and a layer of board facing. Double-wall corrugated is ideally suited for mounding heavy goods.
Triple wall corrugated: This is a heavy-duty material consisting of three layers of flute sandwiched between four layers. Triple wall corrugated is strong, durable and crush-resistant, making it ideal for transportation and stacking storage.
5. What are corrugated flutes?
Corrugated flute is the folded material that sits between the liners and provides stabilization and cushioning for the liners.. Depending on the number of folds or flutes per foot, corrugated fluting varies in size and shape, resulting in several standard sizes.
A flute: This flute profile is the thickest size, meaning the fewest number of folds per foot.
Its excellent cushioning and stacking performance makes it suitable for a wide range of customer needs.
B flute: B flute has excellent resistance to compression and provides a flat, hard surface suitable for high quality printing and die-cutting.
C flute:C-flute is now the most popular flute type because of its excellent cushioning properties, stability and print quality.
E flute: E flute is thin and rigid, ideal for applications where space is limited.
F flute: F flute is the thinnest of the common corrugated sizes and was originally developed to reduce fiber usage.
In general, larger flute profiles provide better cushioning and vertical strength, while smaller flutes provide higher structural integrity and better print quality. At the same time different flute types can be combined in one laminate, like our double corrugated boards, which can use a combination of B – C flute types to help the carton to be better impact resistant.
6. Types of Corrugated Boxes
Half-Slotted Boxes: made from a single piece of cardboard with manufacturer’s joints glued, sewn or taped together, with top and bottom folding panels. They are shipped as flat sheets and are closed in use only by means of a folding plate.
Slotted Boxes: Similar to Half-Slotted Boxes, they are made from a single piece of cardboard with the same joint treatments, also with top and bottom folding panels, and are also shipped flat and closed using folding panels.
Sleeve Boxes: Made up of several parts, characterized by a lid and/or a bottom that can be slipped over the body of the carton.
Folding boxes and trays: It is usually made from a single piece of cardboard, with the bottom of the box hinged to form the side walls and lid. Locking tabs, handles, display boards, etc. can also be added according to customer needs and application scenarios.
Sliding box: Consist of several liners and sleeves that slide over each other in different directions. This category also includes external sleeves for other boxes.
Rigid Cartons: Consisting of two separate end pieces and a box body, they require sewn or glued fiberboard or wood panels.
Divider panels: Used as internal fittings such as liners, cushions, dividers, partitions, etc., either in connection with the design of the box or as separate items. The number of panels may be increased or decreased as required.
Folding mats: Also as internal fittings, similar to dividers, the number of panels can be adjusted according to actual requirements.
7. Advantages of corrugated cardboard packaging
- Strong protection: Corrugated cardboard’s wavy, fluted, three-dimensional structure is compact and lightweight, providing an extra layer of protection. Single-layer cardboard, like that used for cereal boxes, offers little protection and is unsuitable for transport, which is fraught with risk. In contrast, the cushioning paper pads inside corrugated cardboard boxes provide greater protection for items against the elements.
- Good customization:Flat boxboard made from paperboard is a cost-effective material for custom printing. Custom printing is a common job on cardboard boxes used globally for products that are shipped, stored, stacked, sold, reused, repurposed and recycled. The double function of the corrugated board’s inner wave layer for protection and the outer flat layer for structural support and printing makes it an ideal bridge between marketing and logistics in the process of bringing a product to market.
- Cost-effective: Corrugated board is more cost-effective than other materials, easily accessible and versatile. Its ability to be customized to most shapes and sizes reduces material waste and optimizes corporate packaging efficiency.
- Sustainable: Corrugated board is made from renewable or biodegradable materials (such as wood pulp paper fibers) and is highly recyclable. It can be easily converted into new paper products, reducing its environmental impact. This material is the largest single recycled paper product.
- Lightweight: Even though corrugated board is one of the strongest paperboards on the market, it is lightweight. It is easy to handle during storage, packaging and transportation, reducing overall package weight and transportation costs.
8. How to choose the right corrugated packaging for your business needs
Choosing the right corrugated packaging for your business needs requires consideration of a number of factors, including product types, transportation requirements, storage needs and budget. Here are some tips for choosing the right corrugated packaging.
Consider the types of product packaging: Different products have different packaging requirements. For instance, fragile items may require extra cushioning, while heavy items may need sturdier boxes. For fragile items, solid fiberboard sheets are a good choice. Making fiberboard shipping boxes is the best solution for protecting products during transportation. If the item is less fragile, you can choose a cardboard box design to meet your shipping needs.
Evaluate shipping material requirements: If you are going to ship products over long distances or in harsh conditions, you need packaging that can provide adequate protection. When it comes to transporting products, corrugated boxes are the best option. Whether the item is fragile or not, corrugated boxes offer the right solution for packaging needs.
When using corrugated boxes, items remain safe at all times, no matter how far they are transported.
Evaluating storage needs: If the products are to be stored in a corrugated box for an extended period of time, containers that can withstand a variety of environmental factors and maintain structural integrity are needed. It is vital to have corrugated boxes that meet specific requirements, and it is important to insist on evaluating specific storage needs before choosing any corrugated box design. Corrugated boxes used for storage must be solid and durable to ensure that they are well utilized.
Consider the budget: Corrugated packaging comes in a variety of styles and materials at different prices. It is important to control the choice of packaging within your budget while meeting your needs.
Corrugated paper has come a long way since it was first introduced in 1856 and used as a liner for high top hats. It’s hard to imagine that a material that originated in the 19th century is still in widespread use today. Some improvements have been made to the material during that time, but there’s a reason why corrugated boxes have endured. Regardless of the type of business, corrugated boxes offer a multitude of options. They protect merchandise, are easy to transport and store, are affordable, help with brand awareness, and are one of the better packaging options when it comes to the environment. It is likely that these cardboard boxes will continue to be tasked with storing and shipping items for a long time to come. For now, why not embark on a custom corrugated box journey to find the best packaging solution for your business? Contact us for more solutions.
Post time: 5 月-16-2025
