Boxes origin goes back to the 19th century, but not until the 20th century the “modern” corrugated box came into being. Today, these boxes are made from corrugated kraft paper and have become synonymous to packaging and shipping and it is unimaginable to see our world without corrugated Boxes. Let’s understand the advantages & types of corrugated boxes in this post.
Corrugated box comes in various types and are majorly governed by factors such as flap style, strength and uses.
Here are a few common types of corrugated boxes
- Half-Slotted- Made from one piece of kraft paper sheet, the half-slotted type of corrugated box is the simplest in design. Two flaps at the top and Two at the bottom are half the box’s width which makes it ideal for small and lightweight stuff. The two flaps can be secured by pasting over with the paper tape/BOPP tape on the closing edges of the flaps. There are no inner flaps in half-slotted box.
- Slotted– Regular slotted box is the most common type of corrugated box which are used. There are two width-wise inner flaps in addition to the length-wise flaps making them a better version of the half-slotted box. The four flaps provide extra strength at the bottom thus heavier items can be packed in these regular slotted boxes.
- Center Slotted– An enhanced version of the regular slotted box is the centre slotted box. The width-wise inner flaps are long enough to meet when closed as well as the length-wise flaps, making all the four flaps meet at the centre.
- Overlap Slotted– A regular slotted box is turned into an overlap slotted box when the length-wise flaps are of the same width as of the corrugated box, making one of them overlap the other. The flaps can be secured by taping or stapling on the closing edges.
- Full Overlap Slotted– To add some more strength to the corrugated box which can hold heavier items, full overlap slotted boxes are used. The size of all the four flaps are similar, thus once the box is closed, the flaps overlap each other. The thickness added by overlapping provides greater strength to the base as well as the top of the corrugated box. These are ideal for heavy items such as refrigerators and washing machines boxes.
- Die Cut– Die cut corrugated boxes are custom made as per requirement. The flaps at the bottom are die-cut which are to be folded as such as one flap snaps into the slots of the other making a lock. The top enclosures for such boxes can be either be flaps (slotted) or can be tuck-in top.
- Telescopic– Telescopic corrugated box has a separate bottom and a separate top (lid) which fits on the bottom. Variations such as simple trays, infold and out folds trays can be done. These boxes are best used to store and carry footwears.
- Double-Cover– Suitable for tall and heavy products like machines which are difficult to lower into a box, double-cover boxes are Three-part boxes: a cap, a top, and a bottom. The top and bottom are interchangeable and are partially telescopic corrugated box.
- Folders– Folder box is made of one piece of kraft paper sheet, and the bottom is hinged to form not only the two side walls but the top cover as well. Top enclosure such as tuck-in top or locking tabs can also be introduced in this. The classic example of a folder box is a pizza box/cake box. There can be variations in folding the boxes like extending the bottom on the other side to form the second flap.
- Wraparound– A wraparound corrugated box is made of a single sheet. The folding and sealing a wraparound are done by equipment. Just like folder boxes, the bottom forms the enclosing hood which is mostly a tuck-in top. Two flaps extend sideways on each side, with one from the bottom and the other from the hood/top. Once the box is closed, both the slide flaps are supposed to join. A perfect specimen of a wraparound box could be a cake box.
Here are the three advantages of using corrugated boxes for packaging
Maximum Protection
The most vital aspect of shipping/transporting products is protection. No one wants to incur losses due to damage to goods in transit. Corrugated boxes are the best option for packaging, especially fragile goods such as glassware. This is because corrugated boxes provide a very stable cushion for the goods. This cushioning in turn keeps the products safe during transportation no matter what the distance is, shipping, and even the handling. Also, you can get corrugated boxes in different sizes and thicknesses depending on how fragile the goods are please check our website for more information.
Other than preventing breakages, corrugated boxes also prevent food-stuff from getting damaged by keeping the moisture away. The three layers of paper in these corrugated boxes also come in handy when goods need to be refrigerated as they need a double layer of packaging to keep them fresh over longer distances & time.
Customizable
PackSquare can help you provide custom boxes to fully fit your business’s shipping needs. The thickness of the boxes can be customized as per your requirement; and more coatings, treatments, and adhesives can be added to the corrugated boxes. Furthermore, the boxes can be made flame-resistant.
Cost-Effective and Sustainable
Corrugated boxes are among the cheapest packaging materials available. The manufacturing process is not labour intensive, making them affordable & cost-effective. An add-on benefit of these corrugated boxes is that they can also be easily folded and stored away for later use.
Purchasing packaging materials can be a tedious process if you haven’t gauged your exact packaging needs; connect with us at PackSquare to help you out with it.