Corrugated cardboard - what is it? Having heard this word for the first time, not everyone will understand what is at stake. And this material is quite common in industry. Ordinary buyers meet him, acquiring equipment. You probably already guessed what kind of material. Right! Corrugated cardboard is used for the manufacture of packaging. Why not ordinary and familiar cardboard? And everything is extremely simple. The special technology used in the manufacture of this material allows you to protect the contents of the boxes from deformation as much as possible.
Short description
So, corrugated board - what is it? This is a material for the production of which paper and cardboard are used. It is worth noting that these resources are taken exclusively from waste paper, which is the most caring for the environment. The only drawback of corrugated cardboard is the low level of moisture resistance.
A bit of history
Corrugated paper first appeared in 1856 in the UK. They used it as a lining for hats. And after fifteen years, it was the corrugated cardboard that was patented. What is it, how does it differ from ordinary cardboard and how did its production develop?
First of all, it consists of several even layers between which the corrugated layer passes. Mass production began in 1874. After that, this material quickly gained popularity around the world. Currently, there are more than 1.5 thousand enterprises engaged in the manufacture of corrugated cardboard.
Classification
Now enterprises offer a choice of several types that differ in the structure of the sheet.
- Double-layer corrugated cardboard. What it is? If you pay attention to the name, it immediately becomes clear that this type has only two layers: flat and corrugated. It is marked with the letter "D". It is mainly used as cushioning material. It has good flexibility, but low strength.
- Three-layer corrugated cardboard consists of two liners and fluting, laid between them. It is marked with the letter "T". It is characterized by good stiffness and strength, often used for the manufacture of packaging boxes.
- The five-layer corrugated cardboard is intended only for bulky goods and shipping containers. The production of corrugated cardboard under the brand name “P” is as follows: on the front sides are flat layers of cardboard, in the middle there are two corrugated and one liner.
- A seven-layer corrugated cardboard is marked with the letter “C”. It is used most often for transportation of especially valuable and fragile things. It consists of four liners (two of which are located outside, the rest inside) and three layers of fluting.
Corrugated board popularity
A lot depends on the packaging of goods. First, the packaging must protect the contents from damage of any kind. In addition, it is on it that the basic information about the product, its main characteristics, is located.
One of the most common materials for the manufacture of boxes and boxes is corrugated cardboard. It has a lot of advantages, which distinguishes it from other options. The manufacture of corrugated cardboard is made from recycled waste paper, so the cost of the material is relatively low. A large selection makes it possible to choose the type of density that will be optimal in a particular situation.
Benefits
Corrugated cardboard is almost one hundred percent composed of cellulose. This makes it extremely cheap. This fact, in turn, eliminates the need for the manufacturer to increase the price of the goods in order to pay off the packaging. In addition, its wholesale purchase is also beneficial. This material has proven itself due to its protective properties. The special structure allows excellent depreciation, which ensures the safety of the goods even after an impact. Of course, the larger the corrugation and the more layers, the higher the effect. There are types that in their strength can compete with plastic.
In addition, such a material can be given any shape. To do this, you do not need to use complex, expensive technologies: boxes of even the most intricate design are assembled from one or more sheets (fastened together using brackets or adhesive tape). Corrugated cardboard packaging is very light. Even the strongest box of dense material weighs so little that a child can easily lift it. This quality greatly simplifies the work of loaders. It is also extremely compact. An unassembled box can easily fit into a small niche, and when the need arises, it is easy to return to its previous state and reuse it.
It should also be said that the production of corrugated board is an environmentally friendly process, during which mainly natural components are used. Therefore, even if such a container is discarded, it will not harm the environment, since it takes only several years to completely decompose the material. Moreover, the destruction occurs naturally without the use of auxiliary means.
The possibility of reuse of raw materials (recycling) is a great advantage in our time. This allows you to reduce the cost of production and the product itself.
A few words about the manufacturers
Russian manufacturers of corrugated cardboard are divided into four groups. The first includes firms that produce only raw materials: Karavaevo OJSC, Bratsk KCC OJSC, Alatyr Paper Factory LLC, etc.
The second group consists of full-cycle production, where the process occurs from the development of raw materials to the manufacture of corrugated board. This includes OJSC Perm Pulp and Paper Mill, OJSC Arkhangelsk Pulp and Paper Mill, and others.
The third group includes companies working on a partial purchase of raw materials: OJSC PEF Soyuz (Moscow), CJSC Stora Enso Packaging, etc.
But the fourth is the production that produces finished containers from imported corrugated cardboard. An example of such a company is the Moscow Cardboard and Printing Plant.
How to make a corrugated cardboard yourself?
Making corrugated cardboard with your own hands is not difficult. To do this, you need to take cardboard of different thicknesses, scissors, a ruler and glue. We make an accordion from a thin sheet, that is, bend the paper in the form of a fan. In order for the ribs to be slightly wider, you can lay a small bar between them. It is important that the distance between the folds is as uniform as possible. After that, gently first glue one side of the ribs to thick cardboard. After that, wait until the glue dries. After waiting for this time, you can proceed to the second side. Corrugated cardboard with a different number of layers is made according to this principle.