Cardboard boxes are one of the most used consumables in the packaging industry. They are mainly used for shipping, storage, removals, and decoration. You can buy cardboard boxes from packaging firms online, along with other packaging consumables like shatter envelopes packaging.
Why are we discussing cardboard boxes? The main objective is to provide the maximum information about this packaging material, its different types, and the uses of cardboard boxes in the packaging industry.
Buy cardboard boxes
The secret of cardboard boxes is undoubtedly corrugated or corrugated cardboard. Corrugated cardboard consists of the union of several compact sheets of paper, separated by the corrugations. It gives the cardboard good mechanical properties of resistance that make the difference when buying some cardboard boxes or others.
Cardboard cycle
A picture is worth a thousand words. Before delving into the cardboard manufacturing process, we need to understand the cycle of obtaining it.
Cardboard manufacturing process
Before proceeding to the properties of cardboard, it is convenient to delve into its manufacturing process. There is a whole process behind what we see when we buy cardboard boxes. Let’s take a look at the manufacturing process. For this, we recommend reading the following article, from which we have extracted a summary:
The manufacturing process of corrugated cardboard to obtain cardboard boxes will start from the paper reel. The paper stretched from the reel goes through a corrugator that provides the corrugated cardboard. This corrugated cardboard is the one that goes between two flat sheets of cardboard. Finally, several sheets with or without printing are joined to form the cardboard box. These are important steps to buy quality cardboard boxes.
Cardboard Properties
To understand the important role that cardboard boxes play in the packaging industry, you need to look at their physical and mechanical properties. We need to consider these properties when buying cardboard boxes to get the most out of them.
Cardboard is like paper but thicker than a layer of paper. It is a material made from cellulose or wood fiber. Cellulose or fiber is the constituent element of wood. From a chemical point of view, cellulose is a natural polymer made up of glucose units. The fibers are found in the wood bound, and we gather it by a complex chemical compound called lignin that gives it rigidity.
Durability and resistance
Although the tendency is to think that cardboard is not a particularly strong or resistant material, the wood fibers that make it up are sturdy and resistant. The cardboard does not break easily and is resistant to punctures.
This resistance allows the cardboard to withstand the stresses during its transformation and use.
Rigidity
As a material, cardboard can offer high stiffness per unit weight. This characteristic allows cardboard boxes to protect the contents of the container.
Sustainability
The percentage of corrugated boxes made from recycled fibers is 43 percent. Cardboard is also the most recycled material, and almost all recycled cardboard is made into new cardboard products. Cardboard is sustainable because the raw material comes from trees, a renewable source.
Isolation
As is known, wood fibers conduct energy and heat poorly, so they are good insulators. In addition, corrugated cardboard (a type of cardboard made from a corrugated piece of thick paper glued between two thick paper pieces) has an insulation bonus because the corrugation traps air between two layers.
Adaptability
Cardboard can be easily cut and folded to make different containers and packaging. It is also convenient to print company information and logo. Also, we can apply treatments too, for example, make it fire-resistant. Currently, you would be surprised by the things done with cardboard. There is even furniture made of this material.
Thermal stability
The cardboard can resist temperatures between -40 to 120 degrees centigrade. More interestingly, it is also resistant to boiling water.
Types of cardboard boxes
We cannot talk about the types of cardboard boxes that exist on the market without talking about FEFCO (European Federation of Corrugated Cardboard Manufacturers). It is responsible for code creation for a better understanding and standardization when differentiating said cardboard boxes. The FEFCO code defines the measurements and characteristics of each cardboard box model visually, with the representation of the assembled box and its development displayed. It allows anyone from anywhere in the world to identify each box model regardless of the language they speak.
Classification of standard cardboard boxes
Cardboard boxes are a very versatile element, so it is difficult to establish a general classification of the different types of boxes that exist on the market. There are multiple parameters to enter into the equation, such as use, content, weight. For this reason, we need to be guided by a standard criterion as we can find in the FEFCO. However, we try to make it easier for the consumer by showing the most common cardboard boxes usually found on the market. For this, we will make a classification:
Cardboard boxes according to composition
We find different cardboard boxes on the market depending on their composition, or in this case, paper. Other parameters can go hand in hand, such as the type of fiber and the weight of the paper.
Kraft Paper: Provides mechanical characteristics such as rigidity, resistance, moisture protection. It appears on the outside of almost all boxes. Many packaging store offers high quality of custom boxes for CBD products boxes at competitive prices with multiple finishing options.
Liner paper: Made with virgin fiber, it presents intermediate qualities suitable for almost all needs.
Biclase paper: It is the material for faces that are used with corrugated cardboard. This paper, made up of two or more layers, is produced up to 80% recycled material. It is used more for the inner faces.
Fluting paper: It is usually used for the inner sides.
