Cardboard Box Information

It’s essential to what we offer here at Challenge Packaging; this guide will teach you everything you need to know about corrugated board, which will help you to find the correct cardboard for the job, whatever that may be.

What is corrugated board?

Corrugated board is one of the most popular materials for packaging boxes, featuring cardboard material that is shaped into a series of parallel ridges and grooves to give it strength and rigidity. It’s sturdy yet easy to cut, bend, and fold. Corrugated boards come in a range of strengths, thicknesses, materials, and performance capacities and serve different purposes depending on what you buy.

Corrugated board flute size combinations refer to the different options available for combining layers of corrugated board, with various flute sizes to create different types of corrugated packaging materials.

The different types of corrugated board

Double wall corrugated board

This is made up of three layers of paper: two flat outer layers and a wavy inner layer, which is called the corrugated or fluted layer. The corrugated layer is positioned between the two flat layers and gives the material its strength and durability.

Single wall corrugated board

This is made up of two layers of paper: one flat outer layer and a wavy inner layer. The corrugated layer is sandwiched between the two flat layers and gives the material its strength and rigidity.

Triple wall corrugated board

As the name suggests, it consists of three layers of paper, including two flat outer layers and three inner corrugated or fluted layers. The corrugated layers are positioned between the two flat layers and provide exceptional strength and durability, making it suitable for packaging heavy or large items that require superior protection.

Corrugated board glossary

Below is a glossary of common terms to help you understand corrugated board grades and find the suitable cardboard for your needs.

Across flute - A unit of measurement to measure corrugated boards. This is the measurement of the width of the flute.

Backing liner - A compressible material adhered to the liner to improve finish, water-resistance and strength.

Blank - A flat piece of corrugated board that has been cut and scored, ready to make a box.

Board grade - A grade given to corrugated board based on the weight and type of outer liner, flute type, and weight and type of inner liner.

Carton board - Board with a medium to high compression and moisture resistance. Unlike cardboard, it is solid, and not fluted.

Chop Edge, Chops - The length of the board/sheet.

Clay coat - A thin layer of kaolin (soft white clay) coated onto corrugated board to improve printing.

Corrugated - A material which is shaped into a series of parallel ridges and grooves.

Crush - A measurement of a board’s resistance to being crushed.

Deckle - The width of the board being corrugated.

Double wall board - Two layers of corrugated material which are combined to give the overall cardboard extra strength.

Duplex - A double-walled board with a coated exterior to make it more water-resistant.

Edge crush test - A corrugated board strength test of vertical crush resistance.

Enhanced fluting – Fluting that adds strength and performance to the material.

FEFCO – The European Federation of Corrugated Board Manufacturers are a non-profit organisation representing the interests of the corrugated industry.

FEFCO case codes – Standard design patterns used within the corrugated industry.

Fibre, moulded pulp – The substance packaging materials are made from.

Flute – The central layer in corrugated board separating the liners and providing strength and rigidity.

Fluting profile – The shape of the flute corrugations.

Grammage (GSM) – The weight of paper in terms of grams per square metre.

Kraft – Paper produced from virgin pulp made out of natural unbleached wood fibres.

Light-weighting – The design of packages to reduce material use, weight, cost and environmental burden.

Liner – The components in corrugated board which surround the flute.

Mottled – A paper liner with an off-white appearance.

Single face – A piece of fluting glued to only one liner.

Single wall – Corrugated board consisting of one fluted paper sandwiched by two liners.

Slit edge – The width of the material.

Test liner – Recycled liner board.

Tri-Wall – Corrugated board with three flutes sandwiched between liners.

Virgin material – A previously unused and unrecycled material.

Why choose Challenge Packaging?

It’s this in-depth knowledge of our products that gives us the edge; not only are we committed to sustainability and offer a huge selection of products, but we know our stuff too. The Challenging Packaging team is always working hard to ensure that everyone can get their hands on strong, reliable packaging, whether you’re a sole trader, multi-branch business, or simply moving house.