Introduction to Corrugation: The Basics

       Corrugated Cardboard has been around for more than a century, first being patented in England in 1856. The original use for corrugated cardboard - also known as pleated paper - was for the inside of hat boxes to keep tall hats protected.
       Corrugated Cardboard consists of one to four flat sheets of liner paperboard glued to fluted paper. Corrugation falls under different categories based on thickness and whether one or four liner paperboard is used. The following is the structures of the few most common types of corrugation.

SINGLE-FACE CORRUGATED
       Single face corrugated is constructed of one flat layer of linerboard glued onto a sheet of fluted cardboard or "medium". Single face corrugated comes in rolls of various sizes and can either be purchaed in kraft or white, although kraft is the more popular choice. If you are looking for a different color other than the industry standard, there is the option of custom ordering the color of your choice. Single face corrugated is a main commodity in packaging utilized in a wide range of industrial, decorative and structural applications.



SINGLE WALL
        Single wall - also known as double-face - corrugated consists of one sheet of fluted paper glued in between two linerboards. This is the most common form used for corrugated boxes.


DOUBLE WALL
      When you add another sheet of corrugating medium and a third flat liner sheet, you will have what is called a Double Wall sheet. Double wall is stronger than its single wall counterpart as well as heavier and more expensive. This thickness is mainly used for heavier items such as furniture, appliances, heavy breakables, etc.


TRIPLE WALL
      Triple wall consists of four sheets of flat liner board and 3 sheets of corrugating medium. This makes for a heavy and durable corrugated sheet used for large and/or heavy items. This thickness is also very expensive in comparison to its thinner counterparts.


        With all that said, corrugation does not stop there. A major component in the construction of cardboard corrugation are the different flutes. What are corrugated flutes anyways? Flutes are the inverted S-shape arches or waves of the corrugational medium which gives it rigidity and crushing (stacking) strength. When these flutes are applied to a linerboard with a starch-based adhesive, it resists bending and pressure from all angles. There is much to be said about the different flutes and their uses which we will discuss in our next blog in continuing the series of "Introduction to Corrugation: The Basics".

Introduction to Packaging: Industry

           The packaging industry is a large and diverse market with approximately $433 Billion in sales globally and approximately $126 Billion in the United States. Europe is the leading packaging producer in terms of global market percentage with 30% of the market share. North America comes second in the industry with 28%, Asia is 27%, Latin America is 7%, and other is 8% of the global packaging industry. The packaging industry can be divided into 4 segments based on the type of material used – Plastic, Paper & Board, Glass and Metal. According to economywatch.com, the paper and board segment is the largest amongst the four segments which shares 36% of the packaging industry. A close second is the Plastics Industry, which shares 35% of the packaging industry. The Food & Beverage Industry shares approximately 40% of the total market where beverages alone reach 18%. The Metal Industry takes 17% of the market share, the glass industry takes 10% and the other occupies 3%.


           There are plenty of employment opportunities in a number of challenging and fulfilling careers in the packaging industry. Many of the different packaging industries depend on skills and educational ability in structural and graphic design, production, sales and customer service, accounting and management information systems as well as managerial expertise in sales management, finance and general management. With this being said, there are multiple industries to choose from. The following is a basic list that only skims the surface of the different industries one can work in: Distribution, Manufacturing, Printing, Custom, Advertising, Graphic Design, Contract Packaging, Packaging Equipment, Pharmaceutical Packaging Industry, Food and Beverage Packaging Industry, Plastic Industry, Paper and Pulp Industry, Glass Industry, Metal Industry, and list goes on. As you can see, there is plenty of opportunity within these industries. The list does not include the necessary jobs such as accounting positions, managerial positions, and office/warehouse/driving staff.

           This is just a basic overview of the packaging industry and does not even make a dent in all of the topics I can discuss about the industry itself. Next Monday’s blog is “Introduction to Corrugation: The Basics” where I will be going over all of the basics of corrugation and terms you should know about corrugation. In the meantime, check out our corrugated section at www.expresspkginc.com to get an idea of what we will be discussing.