SubscribeCorrugated is made from papers made up from cellulose fibres, which are virgin or recycled. This makes corrugated a renewable natural resource.
Corrugated board is made from a combination of two sheets of paper called «liners» glued to a corrugated inner medium called fluting.
These three layers of paper are assembled in a way which gives the overall structure a better strength than that of each distinct layer.
This ingenious construction forms a series of connected arches which are well known for their ability to support strong weights. This structure gives corrugated board considerable rigidity and resistance. The air circulating in the flutes also serves as an insulator which provides excellent protection against temperature variations.
There are many types of corrugated, each with different flute sizes and profiles which offer many combinations designed to create packaging with different characteristics and performances.
The corrugated board is then cut and folded into an infinite variety of shape and sizes to become corrugated packaging.
Corrugated is a high performance packaging material designed to pack, protect and promote products.
The origin of Corrugated
The history of corrugated dates back to more than a century ago.
Corrugated was born from a new paper usage and from the increasing necessity to pack and protect goods.
Thanks to its basic raw materials, and despite considerable changes, modern corrugated packaging is not so different than that of our great grandfathers.
This ingenuous construction is and will remain profitable, modern, and innovative
Some important dates
1856
Two Englishmen, Healey and Allen obtained a patent for the first known use of corrugated. The paper was fed through a very simple hand machine made of 2 fluted rolls. The result was a nice fluted paper used as the lining in hats.
1871
The first use of corrugated paper for packaging was by an American man, Albert L. Jones who obtained a patent for the use of corrugated paper for wrapping fragile items such as bottles
1854
Again in the United States, Olivier Long patented theconcept of adding a liner to one side of the corrugated paper to strengthen it.
1881
Some US manufacturers considered as the corrugated pioneers acquired the patents covering this new packaging concept. They concentrated their efforts on developing new machinery .
The Thompson and Norris company created the first mechanically-driven single-facer (one liner) and introduced the first 3 European Corrugators in Europe.
1883 London (UK)
1886 Kirchberg (Germany)
1888 Exideuil-sur-Vienne (France)
1895 Independant Equipment producers have entered the corrugated business production. The first continuous corrugator was developed by Jefferson T. Ferres of the Sefton Manufacturing CO.
The first corrugating machines appeared at the start of the century.
A century of continuous innovations and adaptation to the changing world
The production of corrugated packaging has showed rapid growth. It has accompanied the industrial revolution and has responded to the steady demand for more transport packaging. Corrugated production closely follows economic activity.
Today it adapts to the constant evolution of the retail trade and its continually changing logistics requirements.
Since the end of the 19th century, many changes have occurred and remarkable progress has been made in the improvement of raw materials, in the equipment, in the production processes and the printing techniques of corrugated packaging.
Some examples are listed below :
- The number of paper grades used for the production of corrugated is continuously increasing. The choice and the quality of all different liners and fluting is constantly improving.
- The production speed increased dramatically with the improvement of equipment.
This is also true on the user side, thanks to high speed case erector, filler and closer
- The use of Computer has revolutionized the industry by permitting continuous runs and avoiding machine stops. Its impact was also considerable on pack design and order processing. Progresses of course are not over and the era of Information Technology has just began.
- In the last decade, the new printing techniques probably brought the biggest changes. The changing role of packaging from logistics to marketing functions, the use of bar codes for product identification have required improving the quality of graphics on corrugated packaging.
Small flutes and high quality paper give a very high standard of graphics which offer new prospects in end-use markets.
Corrugated : have you considered all the benefits ?
Corrugated N° 1 at the Box Office !
Corrugated packaging is the number one Transport packaging in the world.
Corrugated packaging is efficient :
Corrugated packaging offers great performances. It safely collates, conveys, protects the product it packs all around the world.
Thanks to technical innovations corrugated has become lighter without impairing its protective and structural properties.
The rigidity and lightness of corrugated packaging minimises costs and optimises the marketing and sale of the products.
Its ingenuous construction provides remarkable shock absorption properties as well as excellent thermal insulation.
Corrugated packaging meets the diverse packaging requirements of many different industries.
Thanks to its versatility, it can be specially designed for the product it contains offering unlimited packaging solutions. Even the biggest spare parts, fragile goods and high tech products can be safely transported.
Corrugated packaging is an environmentally friendly product
Corrugated packaging is made from a natural and renewable resources. After use, it becomes new paper again for the benefit of our environment.
Corrugated packaging contributes to forest growth by encouraging good forest management.
Today in Europe, forest grow faster than they are consumed. Paper Manufacturers who own forests and who apply modern forestry practices, ensure that more trees are planted than are felled and preserve the biodiversity in the forests.
Do you know that recovered packaging is the first raw material source of the corrugated packaging industry. The increase in recovery and recycling is an efficient way to reduce landfills.
Corrugated, the best packaging for a fragile planet
The corrugated packaging recycling chain