How often do you use cardboard boxes in daily use? Well, cardboard boxes are being used everywhere. Small to big items are being packed in cardboard cartons to ship to different corners of the world. It is due to the fact that cardboard is durable, versatile as well as customizable material. Hence, it handles all items, be it delicate home decor, apparel, or any gadget. But have you ever thought about how cardboard boxes are made? Let’s talk about it in this article.
What are cardboard boxes?
A shipping container known as a cardboard box is constructed of layers of sturdy paper at least 0.01 inch (0.25 mm) thick. Cardboard is a general term used to describe a variety of robust, stiff papers used to make boxes. Corrugated boxes and chipboard boxes are just a couple of the paper box varieties that fall under the umbrella term “cardboard box.” The high-quality layered paper sheets are folded, cut, and shaped to create the various shapes of cardboard boxes.
Boxes made of cardboard are crafted and designed to safeguard products and supplies. They can hold items like clothing and toys with solid sides that absorb impacts. They are lightweight. Cardboard sheets are padding and separators for giant, more robust boxes. Cardboard boxes are widely used because they can be recycled and are therefore less expensive than other containers.
How are cardboard boxes made?
Cardboard boxes are readily available in various forms, shapes, sizes, and configurations. Paper recycled from cardboard boxes, or tree pulp is used to make the typical cardboard box. Layers of pulp that have been processed, moulded and pressed together make up the finished paperboard. Heavy-duty papers made from wood pulp are the first step in making cardboard boxes. Various processes are applied to tree fibres to create stable raw materials for constructing boxes.
Pulping: The pulping technique is used to create the paper for the paperboard. It is a technique for separating raw materials into paper pulp fibres. The goal of pulping is to remove the lignin from fibre-containing materials without losing any threads.
Paperboard formation: Paperboard is made from wet-sprayed pulp layers onto a mesh screen to create a mat. The strength of the paperboard is increased and solidified by the pulp fibres being built up when the pulp slurry is sprayed onto a mat.
Paperboard coating: The dried and completed paperboard may be transported for additional processing. It will be coated with a polymer made of melted pellets that are extruded in a fragile layer onto the surface of the paperboard. A starch solution is put on the board to adhere the fibres to the surface and strengthen it before the coating procedure.
Making of the boxes: The produced paperboard is moulded into various packages based on the customer’s requirements. It is then delivered to the manufacturers. The paperboard is given handles, flaps, and slits during processing, and it is scored so that it may be folded into various box forms. Depending on the manufacturer, different conversion techniques create lightweight cardboard boxes from paperboard.