Shipping a product requires a lot of care and research. Every box that gets used matters, whether a box is used to deliver a pizza or ship antiques across the country. It's essential to know the kinds of packages and shipping materials both the consumer and the business use to safely transport goods from one place to another. But what about corrugated cardboard boxes and their purpose?
Corrugated cardboard offers many benefits to any user wanting to package, ship, or store products. So, what are three reasons why corrugated cardboard is so strong, and why is it so commonly used? There’s a unique science behind corrugated cardboard and constant testing that goes into making it perfect for every consumer and business.
What is Corrugated Cardboard?
Corrugated fiberboard—or cardboard—is a solid and sturdy packaging material made of three layers of kraft paper placed together. The name originates from the interior layer of wavy paper, which is called the corrugated medium. The wavy medium provides strength to the cardboard, making it resistant to many outside factors.
During the manufacturing process, the inner sheet of kraft paper is placed through the corrugation process, which creates flutes and folds in it. Once it finishes construction, the wavy piece gets glued between two sheets of thick kraft paper. The outside layers create exterior liners and results in a three-layered structure.
Why is Corrugated Cardboard So Important?
Corrugated cardboard offers plenty of uses and different benefits to every packaging and shipping situation. It offers damage protection for product and is also storage-friendly. Additionally, there are multiple types of corrugated cardboard for multiple purposes.
Whether products get stored on the shelves, the cardboard is thin enough to stack numerous pieces and get placed neatly away without taking up too much space. Not only do the flute types range in size and wave measurements, but so do the board styles. The board styles have different wall layers to provide additional support and protection, allowing for the shipping of fragile or dangerous items.
How Is Corrugated Cardboard So Strong?
There are many reasons why corrugated cardboard provides strength and durability. While the rigid flutes remain sandwiched between two pieces of cardboard, its design serves to support a large amount of weight. Significantly, it benefits shipping purposes and supports food weight in travel boxes. When it comes to knowing three reasons why corrugated cardboard is so strong, it’s essentially due to simple science and testing.
As previously mentioned, both flutes and boards come in different styles. If someone wants to deliver a pizza, standard single wallboard with thin flute construction will work fine. However, if a company needs to transfer specific chemicals that require special handling, they should use triple wallboard with extensive fluting.
Liner Variation
Liners—flat, non-corrugated layers—have a massive role in the strength of the corrugation construction process. While the liners provide different weights and rigidity to the entire process, they also serve an essential role in managing the retention and transfer of excess moisture. Lots of recycled material gets incorporated into the liner, which is why it’s so strong.
As the process of creating corrugated cardboard consists of recycled material, it tends to stay less strong than the shorter fibers and, therefore, has lower strengths for tearing. Its fiber length significantly affects moisture retention. However, recycled material offers an affordable alternative.
The Width of the Corrugated Flutes
Since corrugated cardboard offers stupendous strength, where does it come from? Simply put, corrugated cardboard has an inner sheet in between two sheets of paper called flutes. The flute aims to make boards more durable and resist the pressure applied from any angle during transportation.
Additionally, the space between each curve of the flute and arch provides extra cushioning and insulation for extreme temperatures. Flutes also come in different sizes for specific purposes, factoring in stacking strength, cushioning, compression, printing, crush resistance, stiffness, and flexibility.
Strength of the Adhesive
When it comes to strength, there’s usually one focus on how the material gets made and tested to withstand different factors. The adhesive used on the corrugated cardboard significantly affects the strength. The glue can offer some water resistance most of the time, which makes the corrugated fiberboard susceptible to humidity and moisture.
As companies manufacture corrugated cardboard, there are strict requirements for the glue and the ability to resist and withstand excess moisture. As a result— partly thanks to the adhesive—the corrugated boxes have a better time staying together and going through the standard shipping process.
Common Uses for Corrugated Cardboard
Corrugated cardboard isn’t only for shipping a product from one location to another; each box gets used for different purposes. Some unique industries that incorporate corrugated cardboard boxes include the following:
- The food industry
- Office supply and stationery
- E-commerce and healthcare
- Electronics and batteries
- The textiles industry
- The automotive industry
- The military
Corrugated cardboard has been the backbone of most industries, keeping products safe with little to no concern or issues. Additionally, corrugated cardboard allows for customized fitting for shipping and easy printing for logos (while keeping logos unique and distinct.)
Final Thoughts
Corrugated cardboard is one of the most-used shipping tools available to manufacturers; it’s durable and so ships products safely. Since their inception, corrugated boxes have become one of the most omnipresent and accessible materials for everyone. Due to their structural rigidity and protective cushioning, even the most fragile and delicate items can get handled safely.
Since corrugated cardboard offers customization, adorability, protection, flexibility, and so much more, it's no wonder that it became so commonly used.
So, if you’re searching for corrugated cardboard boxes for sale, look no further than us at Pantero Inc. Not only do we supply high-quality corrugated boxes for you, but we also supply excellent shipping materials, straps, personal protective equipment, and decorative retailer supplies. So, if you need to ship out your products as soon as possible, let us help you today.
