Learn about the cardboard box creation process
Cardboard boxes are packaging extremely popular, practical and used practically all over the world. In addition to all the qualities that make cardboard a sustainable product from an economic, social and environmental point of view, it is also cheap and efficient, as it optimizes the business logistics management.
In order to understand how and why this happens, we will have to contemplate the entire production process behind cardboard packaging and that is exactly what we are going to do throughout this article. Are you interested? Then check it out below!
history of paper
Paper, as we know it today, appeared in China around the year 105. The story goes that Ts Ai Lun would have created a pulp rich in fibers that, after drying, would have been the first record of paper production in the entire world. world.
To do so, he used a mixture of water and fibrous materials, such as scraps of clothing, mulberry bark, pieces of bamboo and even fishing nets. Lime was also used to aid in the defibration process.
The result obtained by Lun did not leave anything to be desired in terms of customer service. However, as we had the opportunity to mention, the entire papermaking process was carried out in a more intuitive and artisanal way.
With the increasing popularity of paper and, consequently, the demand for its consumption, the raw material for its production quickly began to run out. It was simply no longer possible to add scraps of clothing to the production process, as there was not enough fabric.
The principles used by the Chinese are still in force today, although the process has evolved a lot. Throughout the XNUMXth century, there was great progress in the composition of semi-pastes, the result of several attempts to separate cellulose from lignin (other substances present in wood). Animal glue was also replaced by resin for better performance.
The importance of paper and packaging for the industry
The importance of paper for the development of a huge variety of businesses is manifold. This happens, of course, due to the enormous advantages and facilities that the material offers to the user.
Cardboard boxes, for example, are packaging cheap and safe way to transport goods. Its triple coating protects the contents well against physical shocks and is free of toxic products, being ideal for the packaging of foodstuffs.
In addition to all this, paper has a very big advantage compared to other materials: it can be easily reused or recycled. More than an option sustainability process, recycling has become a real competitive differential in the market.
It is estimated that for every penny invested in recycling, we manage to take three cents off the cost of the final product. Throughout the production process, especially in the cutting phase, we end up generating lint and small pieces of no commercial use.
All this material can be returned to the beginning of the process to serve as raw material for the production of more paper. This reuse can happen up to six times without the paper losing its essential characteristics.
Cardboard manufacturing process
The cardboard sheet is the raw material for the manufacture of boxes. From the plate, cuts and creases are made, allowing the product to be assembled and acquire its final shape.
A simple cardboard sheet is made up of three sheets of paper, which gives it strength and the ability to protect the content being transported. From now on, we will see, in a little more detail, all the steps involved in the manufacture of a cardboard box: from the raw material to the final product.
Raw material preparation
The raw material used in the manufacture of paper can be cellulose, recycled paper or even mechanical pulp. The mechanical pulp is formed by cellulose and lignin, from the abrasive action of the grinding wheel against the wood, causing it to be defibrated.
folder creation
During the paste creation stage, the fibrous material is placed in a water solution and then undergoes a purification process, which aims to rid the compound of any type of impurity.
After that, the paste is refined, leading to the grinding of the fibers. Next, the material is dyed and glued, with the addition of rosin or other glues. Finally, the last step is to correct the PH. This procedure is necessary since cellulose is naturally alkaline and we need a neutral compound.
sheet formation
Sheet formation occurs when we take some of the water saturation out of the compost, causing it to take on a shape. This process can be done manually or with the use of tables or cylinders.
The manual process consists of simply sieving the paste, removing excess water. The other two processes involve the use of metallic screens, through which the water flows when the material comes into contact with the machine.
Drying
In the drying stage, the paper undergoes a pressing process, removing even more water from the compound. Finally, all the material passes through heated cylinders so that the remaining water can evaporate. To finish the procedure, just cut the dry paper in the desired shape.
Cardboard sheet formation
A simple cardboard sheet consists of three sheets of paper glued together. The two sheets at the end, which form the surfaces of the sheet, are smooth, but the middle sheet (the stuffing) is corrugated (hence the name “corrugated cardboard”). This effect is obtained by passing plain paper through a machine (known as a corrugating machine) that presses the paper between two grooved surfaces.
box assembly
To finalize the process, the ready-made cardboard sheet may need to receive print. In this case, it is applied by printing machines, usually through the flexography process (some can also cut and crease the cardboard). Then, cold glue is applied, a process that can be manual or automated, in the latter case, the cardboard plate passes through an assembly line in which a machine applies glue and joins the parts that must be adhered by it. If the surface of the cardboard is coated with wax, hot glue is used. Both the ink and the glue are made from non-toxic materials.
Source: M2B Packaging
Available: http://blog.mmembalagens.ind.br/chapa-de-papelao-conheca-o-processo-de-criacao-da-caixa-de-papelao/
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