The Ultimate Guide to Corrugated Boxes: Types, Uses & Benefits

When it comes to corrugated packaging, individuals often mistakenly consider cardboard as the only type of packaging material. However, there is more to it than that. Cardboard is one type of material, and corrugated cardboard is another. Both materials are often confused with one another but serve different purposes depending on the product.

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In this post, we will explore the differences between cardboard and corrugated cardboard, go in-depth into the various aspects of corrugated material, look into quality control, and discuss the benefits and uses of such material. By the end of this article, we hope to give you a better understanding of corrugated boards so you can make the best decision for your product’s packaging!

Source: PakFactory

What is a Corrugated Box?

A corrugated box is a container made from sheets of packaging material known as corrugated cardboard. Due to its strength and durability, corrugated boxes are widely used for shipping large or heavy products. In fact, 95% of all shipped products in North America use corrugated material!

And, What is Corrugated Cardboard?

Corrugated cardboard, also known as corrugated fiberboard or corrugated cartons, typically consists of three layers of kraft paper: two outer layers of flat linerboard and an inner layer of fluted (wavy) medium. For example, pizza boxes are commonly made from corrugated cardboard.

In some cases, additional layers can be added for extra protection, which we will discuss in more detail later.

Cardboard vs Corrugated – What’s the Difference?

Now that you know what corrugated packaging is and how common it is in shipping, you may wonder what the difference is between corrugated and cardboard. We’ve mentioned briefly that corrugated cardboard differs from cardboard, but let us unpack this topic further.

Cardboard is generally made of paper stock or heavy paper pulp. It’s typically used in folded cartons for smaller products but can also be used as structural support inside a box to keep its shape during transit. However, cardboard by itself is not very protective.

Corrugated, on the other hand, is different. It has three fiberboard layers, offering increased durability,  protection, and versatility. This material resist bending and is among the best options whether your company is shipping large packages or sending a few products. Still unsure of the difference? Check out the chart below for a comparison!

Liners Materials

With a better understanding of corrugated materials, choosing the most commonly used outside liner for manufacturing corrugated boxes should be less daunting.

• Kraft Paper liners consist of 70-80% “virgin” chemical pulp fiber, which results in a top paper grade that is very stiff and durable. It is the most sustainable option out of all the types of corrugated paper materials available, but it is also the most costly.
• Test Paper liners are less expensive than Kraft because they use more recycled fiber content, resulting in less durability. The higher recycled fiber content also makes the paper more difficult to print on, but it is very common to use test paper as the inner linerboard of a corrugated box.
• Flute Paper Liners are available in Semi-Chem and Waste Based Fluting. Semi-Chem uses virgin fibers and a neutral sulphite semi-chemical process, while Waste Based Fluting uses 100% recycled fibers.

But speaking of flute paper, now is a good segue into the different flute grades available, too!

Source: PakFactory

Corrugated Flute Types (Flute Grades)

Corrugated flute provides cushioning, strength, and compression-resistant qualities to your package depending on the different flute grades, allowing for even more customization. But before we examine each flute profiles in detail, look at our corrugated flute chart for a quick visual comparison:

• A-Flute – 1/4” thick is the largest flute size. This flute grade has the highest protection and cushion qualities. It is very good at handling compression and stacking and is often used for packaging fragile items.
• B-Flute – 1/8” thick flute appears much thinner than others but is still quite strong, with excellent puncture and crush resistance. B-flute has outstanding all-around performance for various packaging or as additional material for padding and dividing. It even has a flatter surface for higher-quality printing and easy die-cutting. 
• C-Flute – 3/16” thick is flexible and one of the corrugated boxes’ most versatile flute grades. It has average crush resistance, stacking strength, and printing properties. You have likely seen C-Flute corrugated cardboard used for shipping boxes but also for packing glass, dairy, and furniture products.
• E-Flute – 1/16” thick is not typically used for shipping. E-flute thickness is on the thinner side of flute grades, so it is often used as an alternative for paperboard folding cartons. However, you may still use E-Flute for cosmetics, fragile glass, ceramics, and other small and delicate products. E-Flute has excellent compression strength, crush resistance, and a relatively flat surface for high-quality printing applications.
• F-Flute – 1/32” thick has protective qualities similar to E-Flute but with an even smoother surface for high-quality printing. It is common for you to use F-Flute for clamshell packaging in the US fast-food industry, but in Europe, this grade of fluting is a standard option for specialty and retail packaging.

Source: PakFactory

Types of Corrugated

Now that we’ve covered the different types of liners and flute grades, it’s time to look at combined board! Fluting and liners can be combined in different layers to create a variety of flute structures that have different thicknesses.

• Linerboard – The ‘face’ of the fiberboard sheet. You glue the flute onto this board.
• Single Face – Consists of one linerboard with the glued flute visible on one side. It is sometimes called corrugated paper.
• Single Wall – The most common thickness. Two sheets of linerboards with one fluted fiberboard glued in between.
• Double Wall – Three sheets of linerboard and two fluted fiberboards in between.
• Triple Wall – Four sheets of linerboard and three fluted fiberboards in between. This option can withstand heavier weights up to almost 300 lbs but is less flexible.

Source: PakFactory

Examining a little further with double and triple walls, different combinations of flute grades are possible with these options. Some industry standard combinations include:

• AC Flute – A mix of the two most protective corrugated grades. AC Flute is excellent if you need extra protection for harsh shipping and handling processes. 
• BC Flute – An outstanding all-around performer, this combination provides high-level transit protection and is common for shipping boxes.
• EB Flute – Provides superior transit strength and safety, while the outer E-Flute allows for an excellent, high-quality printing surface.

Corrugated Box Styles

With everything from construction to thickness covered, the corrugated box styles is the last topic to cover before moving on to quality control. By combining layers, customizing flute grades, or adding interior padding, corrigated boxes can fit any packaging need. 

Custom corrugated boxes meet any specific requirement of the user. Some common types of corrugated boxes include:

• Tab Lock Roll End
• Roll End 3 Flaps Tuck
• Roll End Tuck Front
• One Piece Folder Box
• Tuck Top Auto Bottom
• Regular Slotted Box
• Full Slotted Box
• Half Slotted Container (HSC Box)
• Gusset Folder

Source: PakFactory

To view more box styles , visit PakFactory’s corrugated box catalog.

Quality Control Tests

With the sheer amount of design and customization options available at your fingertips, there might be many questions about protection. Corrogated boxes are subject to stress and impact during packing, shipping, and storage, so there needs to be ways to test your custom package’s strength.

Some standard tests include the Edge Crush, Flat Crush, and the Burst Test.

• Edge Crush Test is one of the essential tests for corrugated cardboard. As the name implies, force is applied perpendicular to the edge of the corrugated cardboard until it buckles. The results ensure the strength and durability required to handle heavy loads and stack resistance.  
• Flat Crush Test is also used and is similar to the Edge Crush Test. Force is applied directly on the surface area of the corrugated cardboard until the flute flattens and compromises its structure. This test similarly determines the compression and stacking resistance of the corrugated cardboard required to carry heavy loads.
• Mullen Test (or Burst Test), is a standard industry measures that challenges the durability of the corrugated cardboard surface by determining the force needed to puncture the board.

All of these tests ensure the quality of custom corrugated packaging so your products have the highest level of safety they need to reach their final destination.

Source: PakFactory

Box Maker’s Certificate

After customization and thorough testing, it’s time to learn about the Box Maker’s Certificate (BMC). The BMC provides quick specifications about the box and comes in two versions: the ECT-rated BMC and the Mullen-rated BMC.

You will notice a few differences, but these box manufacturer certificate provide the same information:

• The Box Manufacturer on the outer ring indicates the company responsible for manufacturing your box.
• Board Construction is the information displayed directly under where it says box certificate. This information tells whether the box is a single, double, or triple wall.
• Minimum Combined Weight Facings is the total weight of the linerboard used before the entire linerboard is cut and made into boxes.
• Size Limit refers to the maximum outer measurements of the box, which are used for storage and shipping purposes.
• Gross Weight Limit is the maximum weight allowed for the box and the items within.
• City and State are located at the bottom of the label. It indicates the location where the box is constructed and shipped.

Benefits of Corrugated Packaging

If you’ve been following along, you probably already know some of the benefits of corrugated packaging. Here are the main reasons why corrugated cardboard is popular:

• Protection and Durability – Corrugated boxes provide excellent protection and durability for items during transit. They can absorb impacts and offer cushioning support, making them ideal for shipping. These boxes withstand harsh conditions without damaging the contents and serve as an effective barrier against the elements, making them best for e-commerce packaging.
• Environmentally friendly – Sustainability is becoming increasingly important, particularly in packaging. Corrugated cardboard is a top choice packaging option for sustainability because it is made from recycled fibers, which makes it easier to recycle.
• Customizable – Because of the many options available for raw materials and their environmental-friendliness, corrugated packaging is the best option for those looking for bespoke packaging, including printing. The shape and thickness are easily customizable alongside graphics and surface printing.

What About the Disadvantages of Corrugated Boxes?

Many industries benefit from using corrugated packaging, especially e-commerce. Depending on the size and shape of the packaging, shipping and mailing can be more manageable. However, there are still some drawbacks to using corrugated boxes.

• Limited Weather Resistance – For starters, corrugated boxes are susceptible to inclement weather, such as rain or snow. The packaging can become deformed or lose its shape.
• Cost Considerations – The main drawback of using corrugated cardboard is its cost. It is relatively more expensive than other options due to supply chain disruptions, such as those caused by COVID-19, and environmental regulations aimed at reducing deforestation and promoting sustainable forestry.

These drawbacks may be disheartening for companies with lower budgets. However, it’s important to weigh these drawbacks against the benefits it offers in terms of protection, recyclability, and versatility. Moreover, there are many ways to reduce costs and create affordable luxury packaging!

Source: PakFactory

Create Your Custom Corrugated Boxes Today!

In the first of a two-part story, Simon Eccles talks to some of the developers of a new generation of high speed, high volume digital corrugated printing presses.

Since this website last took an in-depth look at digital corrugated production systems two years ago, the number of high speed systems on offer has expanded rapidly High speed sheet or web fed production installations are still rare as yet, though the earlier generation of modified multi-pass flatbeds are relatively common.

The market potential is huge though: global production of corrugated board is predicted to exceed 260 billion square metres by , growing at a rate of about 5% pa (ICCA Corrugated Statistics). The cost and environmental advantages of producing smaller volumes of corrugated board quickly and on-demand is driving the development of specialist digital printing systems.

According to Smithers Pira’s “The Future of Digital Print for Packaging to ” report (in ), the conversion of corrugated board was expected to increase by over 22 million tonnes between and , with almost 70% of this increase likely to be in flexo printed materials and a 22% in litho printed applications.

However, the highest growth rate will be in digital printing, which was predicted to improve at an annual average of 7.4% from to . This follows a historical growth of 13.5% annually from to .

FESPA UK Summit

So it’s an opportune time to take a look at where the sector is up to. On 5 October  FESPA UK is organising a summit on Digital Corrugated, to be held at the Williams Conference Centre at the Oxfordshire HQ of the Williams Formula 1 racing team. To sign up for the event, visit http://

There will be presentations on behalf of packaging software and cutting table supplier Esko, brand agency Studio Minerva, corrugated producer Swanline Print Group and corrugated materials supplier Smurfit Kappa. Dave Brunton, a publisher who specialises in packaging, will also give a presentation and chair a discussion.

In support of the summit, Swanline Print, a UK corrugated printer, has designed and digitally produced a presentation box for a large 1/18th scale model of a Williams race car. One of these will be given as a prize at the event for the fastest driver in the Williams F1 simulator.

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The box is a clamshell design with relatively plain white exterior, printed with the FESPA UK and the Digital Corrugated Seminar logos. Inside is another matter: the box opens horizontally to push forward a tray holding the model car, with full colour images of a racetrack and grandstands on the inner surfaces. The open box forms a colourful display stand for the model.

The complex structure was designed and previewed in 3D by Swanline using Esko software, then printed on one of its pair of HP FB flatbed inkjet corrugated printers. The boxes were cut and creased on an Esko Kongsberg flatbed digital cutting table, and hand assembled to hold the model car. Finally a printed paper chequered flag sleeve was slipped over the carton to hold it shut.

Speaking to FESPA UK’s Peter Kiddell, Nick Kirby from Swanline Print said that the aim was to show delegates to the summit the complete process from design concept right the way through to short run production.

He said his company handles 50% packaging and 50% point of sale. “The correlation between the two industries isn’t always there, but the thought processes and the equipment very much are,” he said.

“So the opportunity to expand into short run packaging if you are a point of sale house, is absolutely there. You have to have a slightly different mind-set, different skills, and the ability to work with different substrates. But ostensibly the skill base within those point of sale companies – and typical FESPA members – do have the ability to get into the packaging sector.”

High speed potential

The potential for higher throughput systems is big but still largely untapped, according to Sean Moloney, product manager for Sun Automation’s CorrStream high volume single-pass sheet fed digital printers.

The first commercial user is HSG Packaging in Bradford UK, which installed a Beta press early in and is now running it in production. The major market will be boxes, Moloney says, where numbers far exceed the use of corrugated for display and PoS applications.

“The corrugated box industry is huge, second only to publishing,” he states. “When it comes to how many boxes are printed, the market is certainly big enough. The question is how much of that market will give a critical mass, to maintain margins on digital print.

“The place for what is currently a high margin opportunity, digital close-to-market on-demand printing, is relatively unknown at the moment in box making. There will also be markets in corrugated displays and on-shelf products, plus an unknown entity of using shipper packages to deliver to people’s front doors through the mail order market.”

However, he reckons that the display market alone can’t justify investment in high capacity digital printers. “The display companies are perfectly happy with flatbeds as they don’t need more capacity (or the price).

This is the problem they’ve got. For industrial you need to go for the 95%, ie transit and on-shelf. Box makers want to optimise and increase margins on the same box. They don’t want to become a graphic house for PoS and display.”

Bobst’s digital corrugated line uses its own materials handling with Kodak print heads.

Bobst has built three digital corrugated lines so far. One is with Model AG in Weinfelden, Switzerland and the other is at Schumacher Packaging in Ebersdorf, Germany. A third has been built for a so far undisclosed site.

“We see much broader opportunities for digital than it has covered up until now,” says Jakob Bovin, product marketing director for the Digital Printing Corrugated Board business unit. “With high-volume digital printing technology, the converter is able to address their existing work, customer base and segments, but with a technology that’s better suited to deal with gradually declining run-lengths, as seen in many markets.

“Digital is a complementary technology and doesn’t outright replace existing flexo or litho-laminate technologies, which will remain better suited to certain types of work and run lengths. Having said that, the essential differentiator of digital is that it brings more flexibility to the brand-owners.”

“For instance, they can consider changing existing generic products into regionalised products; they can reduce inventories and waste; and they can have much more flexibility in last minute design changes when they launch campaigns.”

Bobst also said it is working on a digital carton printing technology, which apparently has a lot in common with the corrugated line.

Image: Visitors to a corrugated event at KBA last year saw the 2.8 m HP TS in action. 

In the past decade HP has mostly produced modified HP Scitex UV multi-pass flatbed inkjets for corrugated, plus a version of its big single-pass inkjet web press for liner paper.

This changed in when HP announced the results of its collaboration with KBA to produce a huge and fast 2.8m wide corrugated web press called HP Page Wide Web TS. This runs at up to 183 linear metres per minute, or 30,600m2 per hour.

The first one is running at DS Smith Packaging at its Featherstone site in the UK. DS Smith also has an HP T400 inkjet web press at its Belper site in the UK, for pre-printing liner paper for corrugated.

“We selected the new HP Page Wide Web Press TS as the next step in our ground-breaking digital pre-print programme,” said Stefano Rossi, CEO of DS Smith Packaging Division.

“Our co-development with HP has resulted in the first digital machine able to print at the speed and width we need for high-volume corrugated production. It will provide our customers with unprecedented short-run flexibility and quality consistency.”

This year, HP announced the launch of the Page Wide C500, a compact single-pass sheet fed corrugated press, probably for 1.8m wide boards. Shipping is predicted for , but test sites will run in , including UK company Cepac. HP is also working with Smurfit Kappa on development.

Amir Shalev is corrugated segment manager for HP Scitex Industrial Presses, which produce the flatbed models. Like other developers, he says that the corrugated box market far exceeds that for display work. “Because there are so many more boxes in the world, then the mix of applications is leaning more towards boxes. However we will be installing in places where the customer will be printing both merchandising displays and boxes.”

How does he see the markets for flatbed UV corrugated printers, versus that for the future C500 (which uses a water-based ink)? “The way I look at the market is that some corrugated converters have specialised plant for short run applications, such as Swanline Printing that has two of our flatbed presses,” he says.

“These are companies that are very versatile and fast to market, but they are not very high volume producers. As you go up in volume there are customers that have higher volumes and longer runs, and they may do some display, but their operations are geared towards productivity and cost. Examples are DS Smith, Smurfit Kappa, some of the smaller private companies. This type of company is where we see the C500 going.”

Will the fast high volume presses go to existing corrugated specialists who today use flexo or litho presses, or will they encourage new players? “I see some indications in both directions,” Shalev says.

“Corrugated converters surprisingly are asking about the ability to print on plastics and expand their portfolio offerings, and on the other hand I foresee PSPs who print some corrugated leveraging their know-how and abilities in digital print and workflow, and working with the flexibility of, for example web-to-print, and touching with consumers for higher margins.”

Like HP, EFI has long seen some of its large flatbed UV inkjet printers being used for short run corrugated board printing. In June this year, it announced Nozomi C, a fast single-pass aqueous ink printer that’s dedicated to corrugated work in higher volumes. It’s built in Spain by the EFI Cretaprint factory, which previously has concentrated industrial inkjets for ceramic tiles.

“When we look at Nozomi what I think is interesting is that the worlds are colliding,” says G Scott Wood, a senior product manager for large format at EFI.

“There used to be a pretty clear segmentation and decision path about when you’d use a piece of digital equipment versus analogue. High speed digital is clouding the waters a bit. You don’t really need to make a choice, it’s a technology that allows scheduling to be very flexible, particularly when you get into the big box independents.

“They’re looking at how it fits into the overall business and how to be profitable. The original idea was to get into flatbed to do short run work without having to make plates or screens. That dynamic is changing.”

As with other digital print applications, Wood says that being able to vary the image doesn’t always mean small volumes. “For 10,000 identical pieces you’d use flexo. But you can do high value short run work digitally. A 10,000 piece order now might be broken down into chunks of 2,000 pieces that are each specific to a demographic, or to a sports team, or to a couple of cities, with unique artwork.”

“You’ll still have 10,000 pieces but there’s more margin attached. This is what the corrugator and order fulfilment guys are looking for. It’s a way to pad their bottom line while giving the brand managers what they’ve been asking for.”

Durst presented its fast digital corrugated board press last June.

Durst is another company that has offered multi-pass UV flatbed printers for corrugated sheet work, but this year it demonstrated the Rho 130 SPC (single pass corrugated) sheet fed press, with an all-new technology running at 120m per minute on 1.3 x 2.5m boards. Peter Bray, managing director of Durst UK, said the plan is to deliver units in Q1 .

“The packaging market for us is very important,” he said. “Our target market is second-tier packaging, which now has nearly all been flexo printing. Only a very small percentage of packaging is digital. Yet we’ve seen how ceramics and textiles have already adopted digital. We see this as complementary to flexo – it won’t kill it off.”

Are you interested in learning more about High-Speed Corrugated Board Printer(ru,fr,ms)? Contact us today to secure an expert consultation!