If you’re in business today, you can almost certainly look around that business and see cardboard in one form or another and it almost certainly plays a role in the business you run, the products you buy or sell, the supplies you use and many more places. Because cardboard is all around us on a daily basis for most people, it is often easy to overlook what goes into producing that cardboard and how it came to be turned into a certain type of box for a certain type of product. For many businesses though, a simple introduction into understanding that process can often be highly beneficial when the time comes for that business to use or purchase cardboard boxes and cardboard packaging of their own.
Making Raw Corrugated Cardboard Sheets
The first step in the construction of a corrugated cardboard box or container is to make the plain cardboard sheets. This process begins with large rolls of either ‘kraft’ which means new, or recycled paper. While kraft and recycled cardboard paper is a thicker type of paper than typical A4 sheets used in your home or office, it is still not sturdy enough on its own to package and protect a product and would provide very little protection for anything that is wrapped inside of it. This is why it must undergo a manufacturing process and transformation to become a corrugated cardboard sheet.
Firstly, a large layer of kraft or recycled paper is rolled out across a specialist corrugator machine. A second layer is then crimped and folded in that same corrugator unit. That layer is then glued to or sealed against the first layer of paper. Once those layers are all secured and connected in place, a third layer is then put on top to hold everything firmly in place and this all takes place in the same specialised piece of equipment called a corrgator. The final result of this process produces a plain or raw piece of cardboard sheet that is both strong and durable and able to easily be cut into various shapes to manufacture into boxes.
Once this process is complete, it is then possible depending on the requirements of that particular sheet of cardboard to add to and enhance the overall strength and durability of the cardboard by adding a special layer of sealant to the top layer of the cardboard. This specialised sealant can reinforce the strength of the box and also help to protect the contents inside by making the box more water resistant and less likely to tear during shipping and handling.
Turning Raw Cardboard Sheets Into Complete Cardboard Boxes
Whilst sheets of corrugated cardboard are the raw material that most businesses use for shipping products across Sydney, Australia and the world, they first must undergo a crucial transformation from plain corrugated cardboard sheet into fully converted corrugated cardboard boxes and this is where the specialist cardboard box manufacturer becomes involved. This process begins by carefully cutting a pattern within the corrugated cardboard sheet. By cutting this pattern, it will allow the cardboard box manufacturer to ensure this piece of corrugated cardboard can be easily folded and formed into the shape of the box they are manufacturing. The shape, style and dimensions of the box can of course vary enormously depending on what is needed by the customer who is purchasing the boxes. After the corrugated cardboard sheet has been cut, scored, folded and shaped into a box, the bottom and the top will then be sealed and this can be sealing can be done through the use of industrial strength tapes, glues or in some cases heavy duty stitching.
For many businesses in today’s market, they will then choose an additional step which can greatly enhance the level of professionalism and polish to their corrugated cardboard boxes and that step is the addition of custom printing or custom graphics to the finished cardboard box. This printing can often be used as a branding or marketing exercise as it could identify the brand of the company that is putting the products into the box. This custom printing can also be used as a way to include important information including safety or regulatory notices, shipping information or other important instructions for the customer or end user. This use of custom printing and customised graphics on corrugated cardboard can turn a basic corrugated cardboard box into something that is more professional and polished and can be used as a powerful tool to engage customers and users.
If you would like to learn more about how we manufacture custom boxes at our production facility and factory in Emu Plain in Sydney’s West, feel free to https://www.expresspackaging.com.au/contact-us/ at Express Packaging and we’d be glad to show you through the process and show you some ways that custom boxes can be used within your business to help package your products more effectively and better engage your customers through customised cardboard packaging.