The Science Behind Corrugated Containers

When we look at corrugated containers, we often see it for the simple cardboard construction that it is. But, in reality, corrugated containers are heavily engineered to survive the shipping process and to protect your products from unwanted damage. Brown Packaging specializes in corrugated containers and we are here to help you understand how they are designed.

The Life of Corrugated Containers

Corrugated containers are made much like any type of paper product. First, pulp is manufactured from lumber. The pulp is cleaned and mixed with water until a desired consistency is reached. At that point, any unwanted particles are removed from the pulp batch and the finished product is ran through a disperger. If the pulp is derived from recycled boxes, this step will remove any unwanted wax or adhesives by melting them away. The final cleaning process involves a screen that catches any remaining byproducts. The pulp is then pressed and rolled into sheets which are again pressed to remove water from the finished sheet. The sheets are then dried and rolled into a wheel and prepared for shipping to manufacturers of corrugated containers.

The Edge Compression Strength of Corrugated Containers

You may have heard of the edge crush test or of the term edge compression strength. This is one of the most important factors of corrugated containers. In basic terms, the edge compression strength of any corrugated containers is their ability to resist being crushed from outside forces. The stronger a boxes edge compression strength is, the more likely they are to survive the shipping process and resist being damaged. Most corrugated containers are stacked several layers on top of each other. If they were unable to resist the weight, they would be crushed and damage their contents.

The patterns found in corrugated fiberboard helps corrugated containers remain strong even when hundreds of pounds are placed on top of them. There are several different patterns that can be found online. Each of them have different crush levels and weight thresholds and it is important that you find a box that suits the needs of your business.

Using U-Line as an example, they offer several different types of products with single-wall and double-wall variations. Their basic single wall models are capable of supporting internal weights of 40 to 80 pounds, while their double-wall boxes can support upwards of 60 to 150 pounds. The overall design of a corrugated containers walls is very important and can greatly increase the capabilities of a box.

Edge Crush Test Video

In the video above, you can see a corrugated pattern undergoing the edge crush test. The machine attempts to crush the corrugated pattern in order to calculate the exact weight and pressure that a corrugated box will burst at. Using this test, shipping companies can better understand the science behind corrugated containers.

The environment is a growing issue and a major one that affects the major scientific fields. Businesses that use corrugated containers are continuously finding new ways to recycle their old boxes and to develop renewable methods that will sustain the shipping industry for many years. Corrugated containers are made from materials that are renewable, highly recyclable, and easy to process. As environmental trends continue to grow in importance, the science behind recycling will follow suit.

Brown Packaging manufactures corrugated containers and takes pride in its overall dedication to recycling. We offer our corrugated containers to businesses in Toronto, Burlington, the Golden Horseshoe, the GTA, and all of Ontario. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us today. We would be more than happy to answer any questions that you may have.