Today corrugated cartons are used in nearly every industry from the milk that comes to our homes to the toys that we buy every single item uses one or the other form of corrugated cartons. Corrugated cartons have had a primary role in the packaging of numerous products that we use in our daily life and they have changed the way we look at packaging materials today. Many corrugated carton manufacturers provide these boxes in different shapes and dimensions making them one of the most commonly used packaging materials. The machine used for carton making can be classified in different categories as each machine is capable of handling different types of corrugated paper.

In this article, we will look into the process that goes into the making of corrugated cartons.

Manufacturing carton boxes is a little complex than it sounds and it takes several procedures to get to the final product. Here is the complete process that goes into the making of different corrugated cartons.

Materials Used for The Manufacturing

Manufacturing nearly everything requires the sourcing of the material needed to initiate the process. The case with the corrugated cartons is no different. The materials used in the corrugated paper that is used in the construction of corrugated cartons are largely reliant on the cellulose fiber which is obtained from the wood pulp of pine. The trees are chosen to be cut down and their limbs are removed to ensure the quality of the final product and then they are transported to the paper mill where the remains go through several chemical procedures. The required fiber that is used in the manufacturing of corrugated paper is separated by the mechanical, chemical, and semi-chemical techniques and forwarded to the carton plant for further processing into corrugated fiberboard. Different production facilities rely on multiple resources when it comes to manufacturing carton boxes and many have various supply chains.

The Adhesive System

In this process of corrugated paper production, the corrugators utilize an element such as starch to adhere the linerboard to the medium. The starch is usually not supplied by the manufacturing company so it’s often imported to be used in the process. The material used in the production of stretch can be controlled to obtain the desired results from the corrugator. The adhesive system might vary depending on the type of box and the machines used for carton-making purposes.

Corrugator

A machine corrugator puts the flutes in the medium and glues them to the linerboard to form the combined board. The flutes can be placed in the required arrangement settings depending on the desired outcome. The machines used for carton making are typically 300 feet long and 20 feet high. The corrugated box carton machines are typically on the higher side of the price spectrum. One thing that sets them apart is the fact that machines used for carton making are also capable of providing customized outcomes depending on the provided measurements.

Box Blanks

The combined board formed by the linerboard and corrugated paper goes into the cutting process following its induction in the manufacturing assembly.  For the cutting procedure various tools such as a printer-slotter, die cutter, or flexo folder-gluer can be utilized. Once the process comes to an end the combined box would be converted into a blank box. The procedure of making various corrugated box cartons might use different corrugated box cartons machines.

Stitcher/Taper

The making of the boxes might vary depending on the demands of the purchasing company. Other boxes are made at the plant with the help of a stitcher, taper, or flexo folder-gluer. The job of the stitcher and taper is to put together the combined boxes to bring the boxes in the required shape.

Laminator Machine

Following other procedures, a laminator machine provides a glued layering of single or multi-wall corrugated board together to provide strength to the boxes. The laminator machine is often used for bulk bins and corrugated sheets for pads.