Corrugated Containers – 4 Proven Tips from Top Manufacturers

With yearly turnover of more than $26 billion dollar, corrugated packaging is one of the most important and fastest-growing industries today. According to the industry experts, it is here to stay throughout next century, or perhaps beyond it.

There are plenty of corrugated box manufacturers available out there. And the number is increasing fast. So, if you want to survive in the cut-throat competition, it is inevitable for you, a corrugated containers manufacturer, to deliver high-quality boxes on time at the unbeatable prices. And this is when the real challenge comes into the picture.

Moreover, the rapid advancement in technology has increased the standard of requirements and expectations for manufacturers. Today’s consumers expect 100% defect-free cartons. To help you manufacture such corrugated containers, we have gathered some great tips shared by some of the best packaging product manufacturers in the world:

1. Make it 100% clean
   Well, you might have heard this sentence thousands of times. But, there wouldn’t have been need to say it once again, if you make sure to do it. If you still work with older glue pot and wheels, you better know they usually create a bit glue slinging. This impacts the quality of the boxes, especially at the glue joints; it will create stickers on boxes when they are bundled together.
   
   Old glue pot and wheels also bring adhesive contamination like dust and debris to the boxes. While adhesive applicators are the most feasible option, you must check them at regular intervals to eliminate the chances of applicator clogging or nozzle. Moreover, sometimes the metered amount of adhesive isn’t enough to ensure proper bond.
     
2. Reduce the chances of human error to the possible extent
   It may not seem 100% achievable to you, but it can certainly be done. While working in the corrugated box packaging industry with board panels of different sizes and requirements, you need to continually adjust the length and pattern of the placement of adhesive to ensure top-quality and consistent results.
   
   It is definitely a time-taking job; even a small distraction can result into miss-adjustment, which will ultimately result in product loss. You may also replace your existing adhesive application system with a new gluing station which features automated pattern changes or auto-glue and ensures a proper joint between glue and lap of the box, regardless of panel length.
     
3. Check if the board has been glued, folded and printed perfectly
   This can be easily done by including a quality assurance (QA) system in your corrugated box manufacturing process. QA team will look for any non-conforming product and remove those products from the production line. They will also monitor all operations in the plant so the production reflects the statistics properly. Professional packaging companies also take photographs and catalogs defective containers. So, managers can take corrective actions at the right time.
     
4. Scrap can badly impact on your market reputation
   If you don’t want to negatively impact the credibility of your business in the marketplace, ensure flawless corrugated containers. You may embrace a scrap or tab removal system to avoid drooping scrap which has not been cut properly before getting folded into the container.

So, what are you waiting for? Implement these great tips into your manufacturing process and see how it positively impact upon the quality of your corrugated containers, be it plain RSC boxes or custom designed folding cartons.

Hope this was helpful!

6/13/2013