Anyone who has ever seen a cardboard box probably has a pretty good idea of what corrugated paper is and how useful it can be. What people may not realize is how corrugated is made. That process involves a corrugating machine, an intricate machine that turns paper and adhesive into the corrugated cardboard that is so useful to us all.
Advantages of Corrugated
The corrugated material, particularly cardboard, has several advantages over regular paper, particularly in the shipping industry. First of all, it is much more solid and firm than regular paper, particularly since the outer “Linerboard” on either side of the corrugated material is thicker than most normal paper. The actual corrugated or wavy paper in the middle provides added cushioning and often prevents a sharp edge from tearing all the way through, even if it penetrates one layer of the outer liner board.
In shipping, this corrugated material is not only stronger and harder to tear, but it is also slightly more moisture resistant. The cushioning of the thicker material is helpful not only for protecting items in a box during shipping, but straight layers of corrugated can also be paced between items in a box to keep them safe.
The Corrugating Machine
A corrugator is sometimes a single machine, or sometimes several machines in line that press Together sheets of paper (three, five or seven of them) to form a corrugated material with single double or triple walls. This operation is continuous from the introduction of the raw material to the cutting and stacking of the corrugated, with each process occurring in sequence to create the finished product.
How Corrugating Machines Work
Reels of paper are fed into the corrugating machine to start the process. The paper is conditioned with heat and steam before the real process begins. The fluting medium is thes center part of the “Corrugated sandwich” that the machine creates, and it gets its wavy, fluted shape by being fed through a series of rollers.
The heavier, outer paper that makes up the liner board gets glued to either side of the fluting medium, completing the sandwich. The adhesive used is extremely important, as it has to be able to withstand a variety of stresses such as heat and pressure. After the corrugated is securely glued together, it goes through a series of cutting tools that cut it to the desired size and shape, and then to a stacking mechanism that stacks it for easy transport.
From adhesives to turn-key solutions, RapidBond, Inc. can provide the tools necessary to make your corrugating operation safe and efficient. Visit us to learn more.
