The increasing demand in wood fiber consumptions especially in pulp and paper

making has pushed forward the search for alternative fiber resources. Non-wood
derived fiber could be good candidates due to its abundance availability. Agriculture
residues or non-wood annual plants are good potential fiber resource for pulp and paper
making. The objective of this study is to determine the suitability of cogon grass as an
alternative fiber for pulp and paper making by analyzing its chemical and surface
morphological properties. The cellulose, hemicelluloses, lignin, 1% NaOH solubility, hot
water solubility and ash contents were quantified to analyses its chemical
characteristics. Quantification of chemical compositions was conducted in accordance
with relevant Technical Association of the Pulp and Paper Industry (TAPPI) Tests,
Kurscher-Hoffner and Chlorite methods. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used
to visualize the surface morphology of the cogon grass fiber. Results obtained indicate
that the cellulose (37.13%) and hemicellulose (27.13%) content is comparable with
other published non-woods and the lignin (5.67%) content is favorably the lowest. In
addition, the hot water and 1% NaOH solubilities are (3.83%) and (19.64%)
respectively. SEM images show that cogon grass fibers contained abundance and long
fibers which provide good strength of the produced hand sheet. Based on the chemical
and surface morphological properties analyses, cogon grass is a good alternative fiber
resource especially for pulp and paper-based industries.
(PDF) Cogon Grass As an Alternative Fiber for Pulp and Paper-Based Industry: On
Chemical and Surface Morphological Properties. Available from:
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/278021196_Cogon_Grass_As_an_Alternative_
Fibre_for_Pulp_and_Paper-
Based_Industry_On_Chemical_and_Surface_Morphological_Properties [accessed Oct
22 2018].

Plastic Waste Recycling

Today Plastic waste is a very big problem for us to dispose. Paper Mills also face a
huge problem for the disposal of the Plastic waste (Residual Plastic) which is generated
from their own Plant. Keeping in mind this problem we have come out with a Plastic
Waste Recycling Plant which helps the Paper Mills to convert their Residual Plastic
Waste into a very innovative and eco-friendly product.
Plastic recycling is the process of recovering scrap or waste plastics and reprocessing
the material into useful products, sometimes completely different in form from their
original state. For instance, this could mean melting down soft drink bottles and then
casting them as plastic chairs and tables. Typically a plastic is not recycled into the
same type of plastic, and products made from recycled plastics are often not recyclable.
Recently, Mike Biddle of MBA polymers has made advances in plastics recycling.

When compared to other materials like glass and metal materials, plastic polymers
require greater processing to be recycled. Plastics have a low entropy of mixing, which
is due to the high molecular weight of their large polymer chains. A macromolecule
interacts with its environment along its entire length, so its enthalpy of mixing is large
compared to that of an organic molecule with a similar structure. Heating alone is not
enough to dissolve such a large molecule; because of this, plastics must often be of
nearly identical composition in order to mix efficiently.

When different types of plastics are melted together they tend to phase-separate, like oil
and water, and set in these layers. The phase boundaries cause structural weakness in
the resulting material, meaning that polymer blends are only useful in limited
applications.

Another barrier to recycling is the widespread use of dyes, fillers, and other additives in
plastics. The polymer is generally too viscous to economically remove fillers, and would
be damaged by many of the processes that could cheaply remove the added dyes.
Additives are less widely used in beverage containers and plastic bags, allowing them
to be recycled more often. Yet another barrier to removing large quantities of plastic
from the waste stream and landfills is the fact that many common but small plastic items
lack the universal triangle recycling symbol and accompanying number. A perfect
example is the billions of plastic utensils commonly distributed at fast food restaurants
or sold for use at picnics.

The use of biodegradable plastics is increasing. If some of these get mixed in the other
plastics for recycling, the reclaimed plastics are not recyclable because of the variance
in properties and melt temperatures.
In general the recycling process involves plastics being sorted according to their resin
identification code, a method of categorization of polymer types, which was developed
by the Society of the Plastics Industry in 1988. Polyethylene terephthalate, commonly
referred to as PET, for instance, has a resin code of 1. They are also often separated by
color. The plastic recyclables are then shredded. These shredded fragments then
undergo processes to eliminate impurities like paper labels. This material is melted and
often extruded into the form of pellets which are then used to manufacture other
products
Ambica Hydraulics Pvt. Ltd which is among India’s leading manufacturers and exporters
of Industrial Presses follows the following process for recycling Plastic waste.
Process for Recycling Plastic Waste at Ambica Hydraulics:

• » Sorting of Plastic Waste- Sorting of Material is required to remove metallic and

ceramic heavy impurities which can damage processing machinery.
• » Conveyor for Feeding into Shredding Machine - After sorting of Plastic Waste,
it will be transferred to the Conveyor for feeding into the Shredding Machine for
fine cutting of Material.
• » Shredding of Plastic Waste - The Plastic Waste is shredded into required
pMats for desired end products. article size so that it can be spread evenly to
form
• » Washing of Shredded Plastic Waste - The Shredded Plastic Waste is washed
and cleaned so that the other waste particle gets separated and can be removed
easily.
• » Removal of Waste from Plastic during Washing - The other waste such as dust,
clothes, sand, Small Iron Particles etc. can be removed.
 • » Dewatering - The wet plastic is now transferred to the Dewatering Machine to
remove water.
• » Drying – Conveying – Storage - The Plastic is now Pneumatically Conveyed
and Dried together and send to the Collection Bin.
• » Loading Lifting Table & Pressing of Mat - The Material assembled now will be
transferred to the Loading Lifting Table for easy feeding into the HOT PRESS.
The HOT PRESS is used for applying Heat and Pressure on the assembled
material for compression and curing of material.
• » Formation of Corrugation Sheet - The Plain Sheet that comes out of the HOT
PRESS can be given a form of Corrugated Roof Sheet. Corrugation of the sheet
is done manually as shown in the image.
Ambica Hydraulics Pvt. Ltd company designs & manufactures specialized equipment for
different types of Industries. Ambica Hydraulics Pvt. Ltd is into manufacturing of the
sheets made from plastic waste. It believes in helping to maintain the Environment
“Clean, Green & Healthy”.
Advantages of the Recycled Sheets

• » The Sheets are Unbreakable and are more durable than Cement Sheets.
• » The ambient Temperature under these roofing sheets is less by 5`c in
comparison to Asbestos Roofing Sheets.
• » The Flat Sheets can be used in making partitions also to enhance decorative
effect.
• » Factory Shades, Small Huts or Site office can be made using the Sheets.
• » The Sheets are Anti-Fungal.
• » The Sheets are light weight, easy to handle.
• » It is Cost Effective as light Steel Structures can be used.
• » The Multi-color / Greenish Effect of the Sheet are soothing to the eyes and can
be used without paint.
Many companies today are recycling waste plastics and reusing them. These Recycled
Plastics has various Applications like -
PET - Post-consumer polyethylene terephthalate (PET) containers are sorted into
different color fractions, and baled for onward sale. PET recyclers further sort the baled
bottles and they are washed and flaked (or flaked and then washed). Non PET fractions
such as caps and labels are removed during this process. The clean flake is dried.
Further treatment can take place e.g. melt filtering and pelletizing or various treatments
to produce food contact approved recycled PET (RPET).
RPET has been widely used to produce polyester fibers. This sorted post-consumer
PET waste is crushed, chopped into flakes, pressed into bales, and offered for sale.
PVC - PVC- or Vinyl Recycling has historically been difficult to perfect on the industrial
scale. But within the last decade several viable methods for recycling or upcycling PVC
plastic have been developed.
HDPE - The most-often recycled plastic, HDPE (high-density polyethylene) or number
2, is down cycled into plastic lumber, tables, roadside curbs, benches, truck cargo
liners, trash receptacles, stationery (e.g. rulers) and other durable plastic products and
is usually in demand.
Other plastics - The white plastic polystyrene foam peanuts used as packing material
are often accepted by shipping stores for reuse. Similarly, agricultural plastics such as
mulch film, drip tape and silage bags are being diverted from the waste stream and
successfully recycled[15] into much larger products for industrial applications such as
plastic composite railroad ties.[16] Historically, these agricultural plastics have primarily
been either land filled or burned on-site in the fields of individual farms.
But in today's new eco-friendly world there has been more of a demand for “green”
products. As a result, many clothing companies have started looking for ways to take
advantage of this new market and new innovations in the use of recycled PET fabric are
beginning to develop. These innovations included different ways to process the fabric,
to use the fabric, or blend the fabric with other materials. Some of the fabrics that are
leading the industry in these innovations include Billabong's Eco-Supreme Suede,
Livity's Rip-Tide III, Wellman Inc's Eco-fi(formerly known as EcoSpun), and Reware's
Rewoven. Some additional companies that take pride in using recycled PET in their
products are Crazy Shirts and Playback.
______________________________________________________________________________
Guide to Corrugated Board Grades / Cardboard Types
Find out more about the key component of your corrugated packaging – and how it
influences everything from packaging costs to performance
If you are using high volumes of packaging, chances are you will be familiar with
corrugated cardboard.
If you don’t, it is impossible to go about everyday life without being exposed to
cardboard at some point.
However, do you know the elements that determine how strong – or how expensive –
corrugated cardboard is? What is it manufactured from? And what impact can this have
on the success of your packaging?
This guide aims to explain and clarify everything you could need to know about
cardboard.
From flutes to gsm, liners to the number of walls, everything is explained.

Composition of material
Before going into the more technical details, it is useful to highlight the way in which
corrugated board is formed.
Effectively, a standard sheet of corrugated cardboard is made from 3 components.
These are a sheet of corrugated or “fluted” material in the center, placed between 2
layers of paper – the outer and inner liners.
Each side of the fluted material is glued to the flat paper liner during manufacture. The
glue fixes the flutes in position and adds rigidity and stability to the papers.
You can see a basic diagram highlighting the fluting and liners below.

Types of Paper
One of the key factors that define the properties of the corrugated material is the types
of paper used.
 Despite cardboards’ widespread use, there are 2 main types of paper that are generally
used for the liners. These are known as Kraft and Test liners.
Kraft paper is manufactured from softwood trees. Due to the “virgin” fibers, it is both the
strongest type of paper and also the easiest to print on. As a result, it is the most
commonly used outside liner when selecting material to produce corrugated boxes and
packaging.

Test paper is actually a double layered (or duplex) paper. Being recycled, Test paper is
not as strong as Kraft, or easy to print on, so is commonly used for the inside liner. It is,
however, less costly than Kraft paper.

Each liner type is actually comprised of two distinct layers. A basic layer is used
adhesion and strength, whilst a finer “cover” layer is used mainly for improved
aesthetics and to aid printing.
However, despite Kraft and Test liners being so popular, there are in fact a number of
other options.
The available paper grades for outer and inner liners when manufacturing cardboard
are as follows:

• KRAFT (K): Virgin Kraft paper

• TEST 2 (T2): Partly recycled liner paper
• TEST 3 (T): Fully recycled liner
• CHIP (C): Waste based liners
• FULLY BLEACHED WHITE (BW): Fully bleached Kraft liner
• WHITE TOP (WT): White coated recycled liner
• MOTTLED KRAFT (MK): Mottled white Kraft
• OYSTER (OY): Mottled test liner
• SEMI CHEM (SC): Virgin fibres using neutral sulphite semi-chemical process
• WASTE BASED (WB) 100% recycled fibres

The final 2 paper types listed here are those most commonly used for flutes, and less
often used for liners.
Please note however this list is not exhaustive, and there are a number of other
specialist papers available.

Paper Weights & GSM

Once you understand the types of paper available and commonly used, it is also
important to consider the weights of paper.
This is in fact measured in the same way for all papers, meaning you may have seen
“80 gsm” on the copier paper you use in your office or home printer.
The term gsm is an abbreviation of Grams per Square Meter.
In essence, if you took a square meter of the paper in question, and weighed it, you
would get the grams (i.e. weight) of that paper for one square meter.
Therefore, if you are using a corrugated board that has a 125 gsm Kraft paper liner, you
will often see it referred to as 125K.
Common paperweights – when used for corrugated material at least, include the
following:
• 115/125 GSM
• 140/150 GSM
• 185/200 GSM
• 300 GSM

Again, this list is not extensive, and other weights may be available.
Wall Types
Besides the varying paper weights and types, the type (and number) of fluting must also
be considered.
At a basic level, a corrugated board is made up of the two liners, plus the single fluting.
This is known as a “single wall” board. You can see a diagram indicating this below.

However, an additional fluting section – and additional liner, can be added to make what
is known as “double wall” or “double walled” material.
This effectively adds extra rigidity and strength, making it suitable for packaging heavier
items and adding additional protection for items that may more delicate or expensive.
You can see an example below.

Finally, if the items you are shipping are particularly heavy or large (for example
automotive parts, industrial equipment etc.) then a “triple walled” grade can also be
used. As the name suggests, this adds another section of fluting and additional liner.
Also referred to as Tri-Wall (which is the brand name of the manufacturers too), you can
see a basic diagram of this below.
 Flute Explanation
The final aspect of the corrugated board that can affect its performance (and weight and
cost), is the flute type.
The flute is the “corrugated” section between the two liners, and by changing its’ height
(and therefore the size of the flutes) it is possible to achieve different performance
characteristics.
This can vary from very fine flutes such as “E” to manufacture lightweight retail cartons
(being very good to print onto), through to a more coarse flute such as an “A” or “B” flute
more usually used for transit packaging.
As in the examples above, with double walled material, it is possible to combine one or
more flutes to create a grade such as an “EB” or “BC” flute. This can offer a rigid
structure perfect for heavier items, whilst also allowing an improved aesthetic outer
appearance and printing surface.

The flute itself is usually manufactured from a waste based fluting (WBF – i.e., fully
recycled material) or what is known as semi-chem fluting (SC).
Typical paper weights used for fluting are as follows:
• 90 GSM WBF
• 105 GSM WBF – Most Common Flute Standard
• 112 SC and WBF
• 150 SC and WBF
• 175 SC and F

There are also a number of commonly used flute profiles or sizes, which are as follows:
• A FLUTE – 5mm
• B FLUTE: 3mm
• C FLUTE: 4mm
• E FLUTE: 1.5mm
• F FLUTE:.2mm
• BC FLUTE: Double Wall – 6mm -Combination of B + C flutes
• EB FLUTE: Double Wall – 4.5mm -Combination of E + B flutes

Again, this list is not exhaustive, and is complicated by the fact that many producers of
corrugated material make very similar products which are given arbitrary names (and
are exclusive to that manufacturer).
Corrugated board descriptions / explanation
All of this information allows you to create an abbreviation that describes the type of
board being used.
For example, if your material grade was using a 125gsm Kraft outer liner, a 125gsm
Test inner lining, and a B fluting, this would be written as…
125K/B/125T
Similarly, a 150 Test outer lining, plus a 150 Test inner lining, with an E flute, would be
described as…
150T/E/150T
This terminology would be easily understood by virtually any packaging manufacturer
(or at least should be), and also allows you to fully understand the type of material your
cartons are manufactured from.
Individual flute uses / info
Simply knowing how a corrugated board grade is manufactured, and its’ component
parts, doesn’t necessarily allow you to make an informed choice on the type of material
you should be using for your packaging.
As such, the below information provides a little more detail on each of the most
commonly used flute types.

E Flute
E flute is approximately 1mm to 1.5mm in thickness, providing a very fine flute. This not
only gives it excellent compression strength and crush resistance, but also means it
provides a high quality surface for printing.
As a result, it is commonly used smaller cartons, where good quality print is required,
plus die cutting applications.
E-Flute has 90 flutes per foot and a thickness of 1/16th

B Flute

B flute is amongst the most commonly used types of cardboard used for packaging
applications. Being 3mm in thickness, it is exceptionally versatile and can be used in
both die cutting and regular case-making processes
It gives good all-round performance in all types of packaging.
It typically has a total of 47 flutes per linear foot including a thickness of 1/8 th”.

C Flute

Between 3.5mm and 4mm in thickness, C flute offers greater compression strength than
B Flute. This means it provides better stacking strength when used for lightweight
products.
However, it can, if used in the wrong application, be prone to crushing.
C-flute has 39 flutes per linear foot and a thickness of 3/16 ths”.

BC Flute

Being 6mm to 7mm in thickness, this double wall material combines both B and C flutes
together. This gives a good all round performance, making it common for producing
shipping boxes that offer a higher level of transit protection.
Due to this, only basic print (such as flexographic) tends to be added.

EB Flute

Around 4mm to 4.5mm thick, EB flute (as the name suggests) combines E and B flutes
into a double walled material. Due to utilising both a very fine (E) and relatively large (B)
flute, this grade provides an excellent balance between transit protection, strength and
print finish.
Flute type weight tables
As it is possible to vary a number of parameters when specifying the board type for
packaging – such as paper weights, flute types and number of walls, it is actually
possible to achieve similar performance with differing board grades.
However, there are typical performance guidelines for the varying corrugated board
grades that are often quoted.
These can be seen in the tables below
B or E Flute
Grade
Product Weight
125 K/T
4-6kg
150 K/T
8-12kg
200 K/T
12-17kg
200 K/ 300 T
17-25kg
300 K/T
25-35kg
BC or EB Flutes
Grade
Product Weight
125 K/T
10-15kg
150 K/T
15-25kg
200 K/T
25-35kg
300 K/T
40-45kg
200 K/ 300 T
35-40kg
Technical Terms Associated with Corrugated Board Grades
As a final point of reference / explanation, below is a common list of terms relating to
board grades and corrugated material in general.
Across Flute – a unit of measurement which is used to measure corrugated (or other
fluted material such as Correx), the measurement is the opposite direction of the flute
(so width).
Backing Liner – A compressible paper material which, compensates for any
irregularities on the surface which is sealed. This compressible material (usually pulp or
news board) is usually adhered to the liner and provides a better finish (appearance),
water resistance and extra strength.
Blank – A flat piece of corrugated board that has been cut and scored ready to make a
box.
Board grade – A grade given to corrugated board based on three elements; firstly, the
weight and type of outer liner, secondly the type of flute and thirdly the weight and type
of inner liner.
Burst, damage – the term given to packaging containers which split or “burst” due to too
much pressure (e.g. if stacked to high, the boxes lower in the stack may burst).
Carton Board – Carton Board is stiffer and thicker than boxboard. It has a medium to
high compression and moisture resistance. Unlike cardboard, it is solid, and not fluted.
Chop edge (or just chops) – the length of the board / sheet.
Clay Coat – a thin layer of kaolin coated onto corrugated board in order to improve its
printing surface. Used on unbleached or natural Kraft paperboard.
Corrugated – a material which is shaped into a series of parallel ridges and grooves.
Crush – An edge crush test measure the cross direction crushing of corrugated board. It
provides information on a board’s resistance to being crushed.
Deckle – The width of the board being run on a corrugator.
Double wall board – A combination of two layers of corrugated material (potentially
different flute sizes) to provide a material with extra strength.
Duplex – a type of paperboard made up of two layers, the exterior is often coated which
makes it more water-resistant, often used for paper cups and plates and in the
pharmaceutical industry
Edge crush test – A corrugated board strength test of vertical crush resistance
Enhanced Fluting – A substitute to standard fluting that adds strength and performance
to the material
FEFCO – The European federation of corrugated board manufacturers are a non-profit
organization which represents the interests of the corrugated industry.
FEFCO case codes – A set of standard design patterns used within the corrugated
industry.
Fiber – packaging materials are made from molded fibers, otherwise called molded
pulp.
Flute – Paper that provides the central layer in corrugated board (cardboard). It
separates the liners and provides the strength and rigidity. Please see appendix 1
further details of the most common flutes.
Fluting profile – The shape of the corrugations within the corrugated material
Grammage – Also referred to as GSM, the weight of paper specified as g/m2 (grams
per square metre)
GSM – an acronym for the measurement of grams per square meter.
Kraft –brown paper or paperboard which has been produced from virgin pulp in the
pulping process. It is made out of natural unbleached wood fibers.
Light-weighting – in packaging, light-weighting is the design of packages which reduce
material use, reducing weight and cost but also, reducing environmental burden.
Liner – One of the paper materials which, make up one part of the components in
corrugated board. There is an inner and outer liner; the outer is usually of higher quality,
due to being used for print finish.
Mottled – A paper liner with an off white appearance
Single face – One piece of fluting glued to one liner only
Single wall – or double faced, single walled board consists of one part fluted paper (in
the middle) and then two materials (usually paperboard) which is bonded on either side
of the fluted paper to give it strength.
Slit edge – The edge of the sheet that has the flute running parallel with it. It is also
known as the width of the material
Test liner – recycled liner board which can be manufactured as a sheet where the fibres
are similar throughout. Known as Homogeneous/Simplex or, as a combination of two
layers with the outer layer being better quality recycled fibre, this is known as Duplex or
Multi-Ply.
Tri wall – is triple fluted corrugated board which is used for its strength, flexibility and
eco-friendliness.
Virgin Material – A material which has not been processed in any form other than its
original manufacture.
Weight – refers to the density of a material, see GSM for further information.

In Summary
Hopefully this guide has provided answers to any questions you may have had
regarding corrugated board grades.
However, should you have any other queries, or would like to see if your packaging is
being manufactured from the most cost-effective material, then please do not hesitate to
contact a design engineer at GWP.

Background
Most items at your favorite supermarket, discount store, or shopping mall were safely
delivered in boxes made of corrugated cardboard, and many are displayed in the same
boxes, which were manufactured so they could be opened and used for this purpose.
Other items may arrive in their own corrugated or uncorrugated paperboard boxes.
Because corrugated cardboard is such a versatile packaging material, millions of tons
are used each year to protect and display products. During 1992, more than 25 million
tons of corrugated cardboard were produced in the United States. Another 6 million tons
of uncorrugated boxboard or paperboard were also produced for use in folding cartons.
Corrugated cardboard is a stiff, strong, and light-weight material made up of three layers
of brown kraft paper. In 1884, Swedish chemist, Carl F. Dahl, developed a process for
pulping wood chips into a strong paper that resists tearing, splitting, and bursting. He
named it the kraft process because it produces a strong paper that resists tearing,
splitting, and bursting.
From the paper mill, rolls of kraft paper are transported to a corrugating, or converting,
plant. At the plant, layers of kraft paper are crimped and glued to form corrugated
cardboard, which is then cut, printed, folded, and glued to make boxes. At the beginning
of this process, kraft rolls from the paper mill are loaded into a huge machine called a
corrugator. A typical corrugator is as long as a football field—300 feet (91.44 meters).
Some rolls of kraft paper are used as the corrugating medium, and others are used as
liners, the layers of kraft paper glued on each side of the medium. After the corrugator
has heated, glued, and pressed the kraft paper to form corrugated cardboard, the
continuous sheet of cardboard is cut into wide box blanks that then go to other
machines for printing, cutting, and gluing. Finally, batches of finished boxes are banded
together for shipping to the food processor, toy maker, automobile parts distributor, or
any of the thousands of businesses that depend on corrugated cardboard packaging.

Raw Materials
Fast-growing pine trees provide the primary raw material used to make corrugated
cardboard. The largest packaging companies own thousands of acres of land where
trees are matured, harvested, and replaced with seedlings. After the trees are
harvested, they are stripped of their limbs; only the trunks will be shipped by truck to a
pulp mill. The largest packaging companies also own the mills where trees are
converted to kraft paper. At the mill, the harvested tree trunks are subjected to the kraft
process, also known as the sulfate process because of the chemicals used to break
down wood chips into fibrous pulp. After pulping and other processing, the fibers are
sent directly to the paper machine where they are formed, pressed, dried, and rolled
into the wide, heavy rolls of kraft paper sent to corrugating plants to be made into
cardboard.
At the corrugating plant, only a few other raw materials are needed to make a finished
box. Corn starch glue is used to bond the corrugated medium to the liner sheets.
Because so much glue is used, rail cars or large tanker trucks deliver it as a dry powder
that will be stored in huge silos at the corrugating plant until it is needed. Drawn from
the silo, the dry corn starch is mixed with water and other chemicals and pumped into
the corrugator to be spread on the corrugated medium as the layers of liner are added.
Other raw materials are used to finish the corrugated cardboard after production. Waxes
made from paraffin or vegetable oils can be applied to make a water- or grease-
resistant container for food products. Brightly colored inks are also applied to create
bold graphic designs for self-supporting displays featuring product name, information,
and company name and logo. Teams of salespeople and designers work together to
create the manufacturing and printing patterns, called dies, that are used to cut and
print a specific box design. The dies are created in a pattern shop and transferred to the
rotary die-cutting equipment and printers that finish the box blanks.

Design
Kraft paper has been manufactured since 1906. Since then, pulp processing, paper
making, and corrugating operations have been developed to a high state of efficiency
and productivity. Today, in the corrugated cardboard industry, designers are creating
innovative containers that require four-color printing and complex die-cutting. These
innovative containers are designed with sophisticated software such as computer-aided
design (CAD) programs, allowing a packaging designer to brainstorm different package
designs before manufacturing begins. A designer using a CAD program can call up and
modify different designs that have been stored in a computer design library. Thus,
existing packages can generate new designs. Many retail stores use such light, strong,
and colorful containers directly, as point-of-purchase displays.
The Manufacturing
Process

Pulping the pine chips

• 1 Manufacturing a corrugated cardboard box begins with the pulping of wood

chips in the kraft (sulfate) process. First, tree trunks are stripped of bark and torn
into small chips. Next, these chips are placed in a large, high-pressure tank
called a batch digester, where they are cooked in a solution, or liquor, made of
sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and several other ionic compounds such as sulfates,
sulfides, and sulfites. These strongly alkaline chemicals dissolve the lignin, the
glue-like substance that holds the individual wood fibers together in a tree trunk.
• 2 When the pressure is released after several hours, the wood chips explode like
popcorn into fluffy masses of fiber.

Making kraft paper

• 3 After additional cleaning and refining steps, a consistent slurry of wood pulp is
pumped to the paper-making machine, also known as a Fourdrinier
machine. Gigantic, square structures up to 600 feet long (182.88 meters), these
machines contain a wire mesh in which the paper is initially formed. Next, the
paper is fed into massive, steam-heated rollers and wide felt blankets that
remove the water. At the end, the finished medium, or liner, is rolled for
shipment.

Shipping and storing the kraft paper

• 4 Rolls of kraft paper for corrugating are available in many sizes to fit the
production equipment at different corrugating plants. The most common roll sizes
are 67 inches (170.18 centimeters) wide and 87 inches (220.98 centimeters)
wide. An 87-inch roll of heavier paper can weigh up to 6,000 pounds (2,724
 kilograms). As many as 22 rolls of 87-inch paper can be loaded into one railroad
boxcar for shipment to a corrugating plant.
• 5 At the plant, the kraft paper is separated into different grades, which will be
used for the medium and the liner. These different grades of corrugated
cardboard can be made by combining different grades of kraft paper. A
knowledgeable packaging specialist works with a customer to determine the
strength required for the corrugated cardboard container being planned. Then,
when a plant receives an order for containers, a product engineer specifies the
combination of medium and liner to produce a cardboard to match the customer's
requirement.

Corrugating the cardboard

• 6 Using powerful fork-lifts, skilled equipment operators select, move, and load
rolls of kraft paper at one end of the corrugator.

Corrugated cardboard manufacture includes two key steps: making kraft paper
and corrugating the cardboard. Kraft paper involves pulping wood chips and then
feeding the resulting paper substance through massive steam rollers that remove
 the water.
Corrugating is also done in a machine that utilizes heavy rollers. One roll of
cardboard is corrugated and then glued between two other layers (liners) by the
same machine. The glue is then cured by passing the cardboard over heated
rolls.

• 7 One roll of medium is loaded to run through the corrugating rolls, and a roll of
liner is fed into the corrugator to be joined with the corrugated medium. Liner
from another roll travels up over the corrugating rolls along a flat structure called
the bridge. This liner will be glued to the corrugated medium later in the process.
• 8 For a large production run, additional rolls are loaded into automatic splicers.
Sensitive detectors check the rolls of paper feeding into the corrugator. When a
roll is nearly empty, the corrugator control system starts a splicer, and paper from
the new roll is joined to the end of the paper going through the machine. Thus,
production of corrugated cardboard is continuous, and no production speed is
lost.
• 9 The medium to be corrugated is fed into the giant, electrically driven rollers of
the corrugator, first through the preheating rollers and then into the corrugating
rolls. Steam at 175 to 180 pounds of pressure per square inch (psi) is forced
through both sets of rollers, and, as the paper passes through them,
temperatures reach 350 to 365 degrees Fahrenheit (177 to 185 degrees
Celsius).
• 10 The corrugating rolls are covered with I O flutes —horizontal, parallel ridges
like the teeth of massively wide gears. When the hot paper passes between the
corrugating rolls, the flutes trap and bend it, forming the middle part of a sheet of
corrugated cardboard. Each corrugating machine has interchangeable
corrugating rolls featuring different flute sizes. Installing a different
 A finished piece of corrugated cardboard consists of a single corrugated layer
sandwiched between two liner layers.

flute size in the corrugator changes the width of the corrugated medium.

• 11 The medium travels next to a set of rollers called the single-facer glue station.
Here, one layer of liner is glued to the medium. Starch glue is carefully applied to
the corrugated edges of the medium, and the first layer of liner is added. From
the single-facer, the medium and liner go to the double-backer glue station where
the other layer of liner from the bridge is added following the same procedure.
Continuing through the corrugator, the cardboard passes over steam-heated
plates that cure the glue.

Forming the blanks into boxes

• 12 At the end of corrugator, a slitter-scorer trims the cardboard and cuts it into
large sheets called box blanks. Box blanks pop out of the slitter-scorer like wide
slices of toast and slide into an automatic stacker that loads them onto a large,
rolling platform. From here, they will be transported to the other machines that
will convert them into finished containers. Skilled production workers use a
computer terminal and printer to prepare a job ticket for each stack of box blanks
produced by the corrugator. With the job ticket, workers can route the stack to
the right fabrication machines, called flexos (the name is short for flexographic
machine). A flexo is a wide, flat machine that processes box blanks.
• 13 Printing dies and die-cutting patterns I 3 are prepared in a pattern shop on
large, flexible sheets of rubber or tin. The dies and patterns are loaded onto the
large rollers in the flexo, and the box blanks are automatically fed through it. As
 each blank passes through the rollers of the flexo, it is trimmed, printed, cut,
scored, and, in a printer-folder-gluer, folded and glued to form a box. From the
flexo, the finished boxes are automatically stacked and sent to a banding
machine to be wrapped for shipping. Other equipment in a corrugating plant
includes stand-alone die-cutters, die-cutters with print stations, and machines
known as curtain coaters that apply a wax coating to fruit, vegetable, and meat
containers. Box blanks requiring only simple, one-color printing and die-cutting
can be run through a stand-alone die-cutter, print station, and curtain coater to
produce water- or grease-resistant containers.

Quality Control
Quality control begins with the suppliers of the kraft paper used to make corrugated
cardboard. Kraft paper must be smooth and strong. After the paper passes through the
corrugator and is made into box blanks, individual blanks are pulled from a stack and
tested. The Cobb test measures moisture in the liner and medium. Glue strength,
bursting strength, compression, and highly accurate dimensional tests determine the
quality of the manufacturing process. A warp test determines the flatness of the box
blank, insuring that each blank will travel smoothly through the flexo machines. As
skilled workers run batches of box blanks through the flexo machines, individual boxes
are pulled and inspected. Trimming, cutting, and scoring must be correct. No damage to
the cardboard is allowed. Also, the different layers of colored ink used in color printing
must be perfectly aligned.

The Future
Future corrugated containers will be manufactured using kraft paper produced from
recycled packaging rather than trees. Recycling and other environmentally friendly
processes will continue to grow in importance in the future of corrugated cardboard.
Today, inks based on soybean oil and biodegradable waxes and other coatings are
beginning to be used in container manufacturing. Leading packaging companies are
already operating paper mills that make fresh, clean kraft paper by de-inking and
pulping used containers.