Types of Material for Corrugated Shipping Boxes
We exclusively manufacture corrugated cardboard boxes. Corrugated is primarily manufactured from wood fiber, a renewable resource. A third of its content traditionally comes from either lumber byproducts (such as sawdust) or recycled paper. In turn, after being used as a box, it can be recycled many times. It is estimated that the material in corrugated cardboard boxes can be recycled up to six times before it loses its strength.
Corrugated cardboard boxes are formed from two main components: the linerboard and the medium. The linerboard is a flat sheet of paper. The medium is called flutes and is constructed of a series of arches (wavy fluted paper). The flutes are a major component of the cardboard's strength. Flutes come in a variety of sizes and are designated by a letter such as A, B, C, E. As a common rule, the larger flute sizes provide greater vertical strength for outer packaging. The smallest flute sizes are used in lightweight retail packaging to increase graphic capabilities. The cardboard is formed by using a starch based adhesive to sandwich the flutes between a top and bottom layer of cardboard. The most used form of corrugated cardboard in boxes is single wall (SW) cardboard.
The next most common type of corrugated cardboard used in boxes is double wall (DW) cardboard. In double wall three sheets of liner board and two layers of flutes are glued together for added strength.
Traditional corrugated cardboard boxes strength is measured by its burst strength and combined weight of its linerboards.
Edge Crush Test (ECT) corrugated cardboard was introduced in 1991 as a cost savings to traditional cardboard. This cardboard uses less fiber then traditional cardboard to meet strength standards.
Types of Corrugated Shipping Boxes Material
We keep the following traditional material in stock for finished box delivery 1 to 5 days after receipt of an order:
- 200 C SW Kraft (brown) Rated to hold up to 65 pounds - (This is the weight most commonly used for boxes)
- 200 C SW Conlite (white exterior, brown interior) Rated to hold up to 65 pounds
- 275 C SW Kraft (brown) Rated to hold up to 90 pounds
- 275 DW Kraft (brown) Rated to hold up to 90 pounds
- 350 DW Kraft (brown) Rated to hold up to 120 pounds
Boxes constructed from the ECT material are normally available 2 to 3 weeks after receipt of an order:
- 40ECT SW Rated to hold up to 80 pounds.
- 44ECT SW Rated to hold up to 95 pounds.
- 51ECT DW Kraft Rated to hold up to 120 pounds.
- 61ECT DW Kraft Rated to hold up to 140 pounds.
All material listed above is also available with either brown or white exteriors. Other specialty weights and finishes are available but may have longer lead times. Please contact us with your specific requirements for corrugated cardboard boxes and shipping boxes! Marketing@CustomBoxesOnLine.com