Corrugated boxes are everywhere. It’s hard to be a part of the world today without having some sort of interaction with corrugated box machines. Have you ever considered how we construct the boxes? For corrugated boxes to be made, you require three primary components: steam, paper and adhesive. The process starts with the paper.
Paper is the primary ingredient used in the two primary components of corrugated fiberboard.
- The linerboard is beneficial as the exterior facing
- The medium, which flutes paper, is connected to linerboard to create a combined board an unbroken web
Many options are available in terms of different types of paper and thicknesses that can be used for corrugated boards.
You must decide on the objectives for your corrugated box machine and work in conjunction with your packaging plant. Paper supplier to identify the specifications of the paper you need to meet those objectives.
After you get the paper, two additional ingredients. So, it requires for the box plant to create the structure material. We use to create different kinds of corrugated packaging. They are glue and steam. Steam is essential in the corrugated box machines manufacturing process.
How are Corrugated Box Machines Made?
From the creation of the adhesive which binds the layers of paper, to making the steam vessels. It bonds the fluted media to the liner, steam generation is a vital process. Although the condensed steam recycles. However, the price of the boiler fuel is an important element. So, it is in the production of packaging. Apart from the price one other aspect considerable. So, it is the security concern of working in high-pressure steam environments.
The paper is ready and the steam. But now you’ll need the liner’s adhesive. The liner needs secure to the medium fluted. We do this through using starch adhesive. We make it of water, food grade, corn starch, paired with other ingredients. The adhesive should spray onto the flute tips. Also, the peaks of the structure of the fluted medium, and the liner brings. We come in contact with tips, thereby gluing the various materials.
After we cover the components needed to create corrugated box machines and medium. Therefore, let’s look at the equipment that joins them. The machine performs various operations to connect the medium. Linerboard together into a strong structure. Corrugators today can create 1,000 feet in combined boards.
The basic structure of the process can be described as is as follows
- The rolls of paper should place on stands that are unwinding. Then pulled into the machine on”the “wet ending” in the corrugator.
- This medium gets treated using steam and heat, making it more elastic. Therefore, it means we can shape into the fluted pattern on the rolls of corrugation.
- Corrugating rolls form an underlying medium in a fluted.
- The glue is applicable to the flute tips and the first liner. We place on top of the glue on the medium that has been fluted.
- So, the pressure, heat and steam causes the adhesive to create the gel that creates bonds between the two pieces of paper. We know this as an uni-face web.
- The single-face web should transport through the corrugator until the double-back station. Here, another liner insert by applying adhesive to the fluted tips that are on the opposite end of the media.
The bond between this layer develops more slowly as the board moves through heated plates in the hot-plate section. The use of a lot of pressure here could cause the flutes to be crushed.
As the boards leave the hot-plate area they’re usually sheets or cut into smaller sizes. They fold by scoring.
- It is just too rigid to roll at this point. It can cut or slotted and folded into specific shapes.
- Secondly, boards should cut in width and then cut to create flat sheets that meet the specifications of the customer for a box.
- Sheets should remove from the corrugator, then stacked. So, yoi that they can allow for drying of the fibers as well as the drying of the adhesive.
In the process of manufacturing, water is added papers through the use of starch adhesive as well as steam conditioning.
The moisture is removable by the curing and heating process. To prevent stretching, these changes in moisture need to be carefully controlled and controlled.
- Other chemicals or waxes should add to any one or more papers to provide unique qualities to the paper.
- Certain kinds of applications, such as fresh packaging for produce expose corrugated material to high quantities of water from freezers, coolers and water that comes from the cell respiration in produce.
- In these cases it is typical that the corrugated box coat with the molten form of wax. It creates a water-resistant barrier after the wax is absorbed into paper fibers and then dries.
With so many options It is important to spend the time in advance to select the most suitable corrugated paperboard for your requirements. Discuss with your design team and members of your distribution department . Now try to find out which corrugated options will benefit you best.
Are you interested in learning more about the corrugated packaging industry? So, go to the Course Library and you’ll discover the Corrugated Containers course. We create this to give you 360 degrees of the corrugated business. Read more.
