Did you know that despite inventing in the 1800s, corrugated boards and boxes are still with the same manufacturing process today. Albeit with a little more automation? Bit harsh, huh! I digress. Come along with me as we take a look into how to make corrugated boards and boxes. Here is all the guidline about corrogated boxes. We’ll cover who makes them and where the raw materials come from too.
Raw material
The raw material for the corrugated board is paper. The paper from wood pulp is a byproduct of wood manufacturing. The paper comes by mixing the wood pulp with water, adding chemicals called “surfactants”. It suspends the fibers in solution, and then draining off any excess water. The result is a mat of wet fiber that looks something like a sponge.
Papermaking
The first step in making paper is to prepare the fibers for use. They come from plants such as trees and bamboo, which companies can cut into short pieces known as “logs.” The producers soak logs in the water and pound them with a device called a beater until they separate into fibers. These fibers draw out into thin sheets using rollers or spindles. It causes them to dry out and become stiff enough to handle them without breaking apart easily. Then you can use them for making paper products like boxes, tissues or toilet paper rolls!
Corrugating process
In the corrugating process, a sheet of paperboard feed through a series of rollers. These rollers squeeze the paperboard between them and force it to crease along its length, forming a ridge on one side.
The corrugated board passes away through a station where glue is applied to its surface. This glue binds the edges of the ridges together, creating flutes or corrugations (the spaces between the ridges). The corrugated board is then dried and cut into boards or sheets.
Many industries use these boards or sheets, including packaging and construction. In packaging, they use them as moisture-resistant containers for food products. In construction, production department uses it as insulation panels or roofing materials.
Gluing
Gluing is the step in the process of making a corrugated board that involves combining two sheets of paper with a layer of glue between them. The glue is applied between the two sheets by a process called wet-on-wet application, which means that it’s applied before one sheet is placed on top of the other.
After applying the glue, they press corrugated board. It forms ridges, and then it dries at a high temperature. When it’s dried, the corrugated board is ready for finishing.
Cutting and Printing
Once you have your corrugated board, it’s time to get it ready for printing. The first step is to cut the board into smaller sheets, which will entirely or in part to make boxes.
They do cutting process by hand or with a machine called a “corrugator.” The corrugator works by pressing two blades together on the surface of the board, creating grooves on its surface. When you pull apart blades, they shear off small pieces of corrugated board. One can use them as individual sheets or assemble with other pieces to create larger sheets.
The next step is printing your design onto your box’s exterior. You can do this with a wide range of techniques depending on what sort of look you’re going for—from simple stenciled lettering to complex full-color imagery. It will depend on whether you’re looking for an inexpensive option that just gets the job done or something more elaborate that stands out from the crowd (and costs more).
Finishing
After you cut corrugated board and form into boxes, it goes through the finishing process. You can perform this step either before or after the assembly of the box. The purpose of finishing is to provide a smooth surface for printing and to provide a protective coating that will help prevent moisture from getting into the box during storage and shipping.
The following are some examples of finishing processes:
Foil Stamping
You can apply a metal or plastic foil to the surface of the corrugated board using pressure rollers. It applies pressure and heat to melt the adhesive on top of each layer of corrugated board. You can print the foil with any design or message.
Matted Lamination
This process involves applying a thin layer of resin over the entire surface of the corrugated board using a laminate coating machine. It creates an attractive finish while also protecting against moisture damage during storage or shipment.
Conclusion
Before jumping into the process of making a box, you might be wondering what kind of boxes are available to purchase. You can find many different kinds of boxes online in a range of sizes and prices. These corrugated boxes are also best for commercial purposes. The most common is the flat kind, but some businesses might want to consider other shapes if they have certain needs in mind. For instance, a round corrugated box can hold products in a circle. The size of the box will depend on where it’s going and how big of a product it needs to hold. Knowledgeable sellers can help point these things out if you’re unsure.
