Corrugated boxes are some of the most popular packaging present today. Most business owners consider them ideal as they do not bend or bust easily. Learn more below.

People often misuse the word cardboard box when describing a corrugated box. The applicable term for the box is a corrugated fibreboard carton. The Cardboard boxes are chipboard boxes that people use to store, carry, ship, or move lightweight products, like board games.

Most people use corrugated fibreboard boxes for product displays, shipping cartons, retail packaging, and several other applications that need a sturdy and lightweight material.

Corrugated Composition

Corrugated fibreboard consists of a heavy paper medium and linerboard. The linerboard is the outer, flat surface that sticks to the medium. The medium is a fluted and wavy paper that manufacturers position between the liners. 

Manufacturers make the linerboard and medium from a heavy paper known as containerboard. The board’s strength depends on the various medium and linerboard combination. Here are some of the combinations available;

• Single Wall: The medium is pasted between the linerboard’s two sheets. It is also referred to as a double-face.
• Single Face: One medium is pasted to one linerboard’s flat sheet; the flutes, in this case, are exposed.
• Triple Wall: Four-linerboard sheets with three mediums.
• Double Wall: Three-linerboard sheets with two mediums.

Flute Facts of Corrugated Boxes

Manufacturers create corrugated boards with varying flute profiles. The larger flute offers higher vertical cushioning and strength than the smaller one. The small flute profiles provide enhanced graphics and structural capabilities for retail packaging. The most common flute types include; 

• A-Flute: It has approximately 33 flutes on every foot. The A-flute is the original corrugate design.
• B-Flute: It has approximately 47 flutes on every foot. The flute measures 1/8 inch thick. It is perfect for canned goods.
• C-flute: It has approximately 39 flutes on every foot. It is ideal for shipping cartons and measures 5/32 inches thick.
• E-flute: It has approximately 90 flutes on every foot. It is 1/16 inches thick.
• F-flute: It has approximately 125 flutes on every foot. It is ideal for small retail packaging and measures 1/32 inches thick.

Manufacturers often combine various flute types in one combined board piece. For instance, triple wallboard may consist of one S-flute medium layer with two C-flute medium layers. Mixing the flute types ensures that manufacturers can adjust the combined board’s total thickness, cushioning strength, and compression strength.

How To Measure Corrugated Boxes

The best way of measuring the box involves dimensions. The dimensions follow the order of length, width, and depth. The exception includes dividers, bin boxes, and book folds, where the order is width, length, and depth. 

The length refers to the longer area, while the width is the shortest area. 

One can measure the dimensions from the box opening. The depth refers to the distance between the pan and opening.

Most designers measure the boxes from the inside, with the dimensions describing an assembled box’s opening. Inside dimensions measure the corrugated board thickness, which is different in all boxes. A box that manufacturers make using the B-flute does not have an equal outer dimension as that from an E-flute. 

Therefore, when you measure from the inside of a box, ensure to calculate from the score’s canter, that is, the crushed fold line. The outer dimension may require you to communicate the pallet configuration objective and shipping. When noting down the outer dimension, ensure to as OD together with the size. For example, you can note it as 10’’*20’*14″ OD.

Box Style Definitions and Abbreviations

The most common box styles available in the market include; interior forms, self-erecting boxes, rigid boxes, folders, telescope boxes, and slotted boxes. The best thing about the corrugated boxes is that you can choose to personalize them to whatever design you need.

Slotted Boxes

Manufacturers make the slotted boxes from one corrugated fiberboard piece. The manufacturers slot and score the blank to make sure that folding is possible. The folding ensures that the manufacturers can store and ship them while flat. The users can then assemble the boxes after receipt. Some examples of the slotted box include;

Overlap Slotted Container (OSC): All the box flaps have similar lengths. The outer box flops have an overlap of either one inch or more. The OCS is often closed with staples in the overlap area. The box is also ideal when the width is less than the length, leading to a long gap between the inner box flaps. The main merit of the sealed overlap is that it ensures the outer flaps do not fall apart.

Regular Slotted Container (RSC): All the flaps in the box have similar lengths, and the outer two flaps are one-half the container’s width. Thus, the flaps meet at the box center when folded. The regular slotted container is a very common style.

Half slotted container (HSC): The half slotted container is similar to the regular slotted container; however, it does not have one flap set.

Center Special Full Overlap Slotted Container (SFF): The outer and inner flaps have varying lengths. If you close the flaps, the inner ones meet at the box center, and the outer flaps make a full overlap. The box has three combined board full layers over the bottom and top, ensuring stacking strength and extra cushioning.

Center Special Slotted Container (CSSC): The outer and inner flaps of the cut have varying lengths. Both flat sets meet at the box’s center. The box type is firm as the bottom and top have double the corrugated board thickness. Furthermore, the inner flaps have no gaps, thus offering a leveled base for products.

Full Overlap Slotted Container (FOL): All of the box’s flats contain the same length. When one closes the box, the outer flaps almost form a complete overlap. The box style resists rough handling and offers stack strength and product cushioning.

Telescope Boxes

The boxes have bottom and top pieces that fit perfectly over one another. The telescope style involves a box whose cover extends over 2/3 of the bottom piece’s depth. The common telescope box types are;

Full Telescope Half Slotted Container (FTHS): The boxes have a two-piece body which manufacturers make from the two half-slotted boxes.

Design Style Container with cover (DSC) and Full Telescope Design Style Container (FTD) are two-piece boxes where manufacturers make them from two slotted and scored blanks.

Self-erecting boxes

The boxes’ features consist of either the telescope style or the regulated slotted container.

Rigid Boxes

They are also known as bliss boxes. They have two identical end panels and a body. The body folds to create a panel with two sides, a top, and an unbroken bottom. The box’s flaps create joints. Once a manufacturer seals the joints, the box becomes rigid.

Folders

They contain more than one combined board piece. It also consists of an unbroken bottom surface for folding around the products. The standard folder styles include;

Trays: Manufacturers make them from one combined board piece. Its design features an unbroken bottom and several corrugated layers in the end panels. Most people use the trays as inner parts of containers, mail pieces, or for delicate produce.

Five Panel Folder (FPF) consists of one scored and cut piece featuring a fifth panel meant for closing the flap. The flaps cover the side panel completely.

One Piece Folder (OPF): Manufactures cut one of the board pieces to offer a flat bottom that contains flaps. The style forms extensions, ends, and styles of the side flaps that meet to create the top.

Interior forms

The forms include a wide array of partitions, dividers, build-ups, and several other inner pieces for packing. One can use them to fill voids, strengthen boxes, and cushion or separate products. The interior forms can be die-cut, slotted, scored, or rectangle shapes. The common styles include;

• Tubes: One can describe the tubes as scored rectangles, which can fold to create a multi-sided structure.
• Pads: They are solid fiberboards or plain corrugated shapes. The most common use of the pads is to separate layers, fill space, or product sections.
• Partitions: They are also known as dividers; the primary goal of partitions is to separate cells of a box from one another. You can find the dividers in items such as glassware.
• Inner Pack Forms: They are often die-cut fiberboard pieces that manufacturers design to support and position products away from the box’s walls for extra protection.
• Inner Packing Pieces: They are folded or scored fiberboard pieces that cushion, separate, suspend, or fill a box’s void.

The Corrugated Boxes Certificates

The Box Maker’s Certificate (BMC) is often kept in the outer bottom flap. It symbolizes the manufacturer and acts as a representation of the state’s specific compliance. The stamp shows the certificate and material results of the Edge Crush Test and Mullen Bursting Test.

The Mullen Bursting Test calculates the ability of a box to withstand internal or external forces. The main goal of the test is to prove whether a box can handle its contents well. Pressure per square inch is used as the determinant.

The Edge Crush Test calculates the force necessary to ensure a corrugated board’s compressive failure. The result is an essential element in determining a completed box’s strength.

Conclusion

There are many aspects that one should consider before understanding corrugated boxes. Furthermore, the boxes exist in varying styles. Thus, the above details help you know more about corrugated boxes fireboards.