Corrugated Boxes are a versatile packaging material, available in a range of different materials, sizes and strengths. Corrugated Boxes are made of corrugated fiberboard, which is also known as corrugated cardboard. They are lightweight, strong and inexpensive when compared to other packaging materials such as crates and shipping boxes. This article describes corrugated boxes and their various uses.
Specifications of corrugated boxes:
Corrugated Boxes come in various different forms and specifications, depending on their function and application. Corrugated Boxes Corrosion and shrinkage: All corrugated boxes have a core made of paper which is surrounded by a layer of corrugated fiberboard material which provides protection against moisture and helps in preventing dimensional errors. Corrugated Boxes with Tongue: The top layer of corrugated boxes has a tongue which can be pulled to open the box. However, to prevent overeating during shipping, the corrugated box may have a lip around the edge for additional protection.
Features of corrugated boxes:
Various features of corrugated boxes, which makes them suitable for varied purposes is listed as follows. Low cost, long term use, high performance, good insulation, long shelf life, good compressive strength, long service life, low odor, high dimensional stability, stackable, easy handling, long term storage, increased pallet space. All these features make corrugated boxes a popular packaging material. Boxes are available in various thicknesses and can be purchased in various packaging types.
Corrugated cardboard is highly useful in the areas of construction, demolition, home improvement, packaging, insurance, automotive, medical, grocery, and other vertical applications. With advancements in technology, it has now become possible to manufacture corrugated boxes from a variety of materials like fiberboard, corrugated fiberglass, corrugated plastic, corrugated aluminum and corrugated wood. The advantages of using corrugated boxes in vertical applications are that they offer better dimensional stability than solid cardboard and foam and they can be easily utilized in various packaging applications. These benefits are attributed to the following unique characteristics of corrugated boxes:
Higher dimensional stability. All the foams, plastics and corrugated boards have low level of dering. In addition to this, they all have a very good cross sectional strength, tensile strength and compressive strength. Due to their superior strength, the foams and plastics are used in different applications where weight is an important factor, like corrugated boxes and packing peanuts. They do not get crushed easily and last for a longer period of time when compared to the wooden and cardboard packing materials.
Specification of cardboard boxes:
More flexible. Unlike the cardboard boxes, corrugated board is flexible enough to be sliced to the required shape while keeping its original size. Due to this property, corrugated board is extensively used for food packaging and has emerged as a preferred packaging choice. It is also used in making corrugated board covers for various household items like CD sleeves and DVD sleeves.
Features of cardboard boxes:
No dust-absorbent property. In case of traditional packaging, one would find the cardboard sheets exposed to dust particles and other dust attractants during shipment. However, corrugated boxes and corrugated boards remain dust free even during transportation. This helps reduce costs and improve profitability for companies involved in the manufacturing and logistics of packaging and warehousing goods.
Use corrugated boxes for lighter goods. A common tendency is for manufacturers to use corrugated board as the packing material for light sized goods to save cost. They think that corrugated boxes are not heavy enough and it may result in a burden on the shoulders of the operators. However, if the weight of the goods being shipped is less than the minimum load line for that particular container, then it can be treated as corrugated board. At the same time, one can use corrugated boxes to ship heavier goods, like wood or metal, without any fear of causing any additional costs.