Folding carton

Last updated
Variety of cartons Several Cartons.jpg
Variety of cartons

The folding carton created the packaging industry as it is known today, beginning in the late 19th century. [1] [2] [3] The process involves folding carton made of paperboard that is printed, laminated, cut, then folded and glued. The cartons are shipped flat to a packager, [4] which has its own machinery to fold the carton into its final shape as a container for a product. [5] Some styles of folding cartons can be made of E-flute or micro-flute corrugated fiberboard.

Contents

The folding carton industry does not figure importantly in world trade, although the United States exports considerable quantities of canned foods and other products in folding cartons. The volume of folding carton exports shipped flat is relatively low, amounting to less than 0.5 percent of U.S. production. [6]

Invention and development

Typical blank for folding carton Reverse Tuck Carton.jpg
Typical blank for folding carton

In the 1840s, cartons were made by hand and held together with tacks and string, and used only for expensive items (such as jewellery). [7] Although Charles Henry Foyle is described by some as the "inventor" of the paper carton, mass production of the cartons was invented, partly by accident, at the Robert Gair Company in Brooklyn, New York. Machinery at the end of the press had been set up carelessly by a pressman, and machinery cut through the material. This ruined the press but gave them an idea: printing and cutting could be done with one machine. Previously, cutting of printed cardboard had been done manually. From the mistake in 1879, Gair developed a process for mass production of boxes. [8] In 1897, the National Biscuit Company (Nabisco) became the first large company to adopt the new cartons, for Uneeda Biscuits. [9]

Folding carton of athletic gear; 1930 Marpage jockstrap and package 04.JPG
Folding carton of athletic gear; 1930

Other manufacturers soon followed. With inexpensive packaging now even common items could be placed in a showy carton and each carton became its own advertisement. The product was also protected, and the contents had a longer shelf life. This trend was to continue with force, through the 20th century. This could be seen as a contributing factor in the so-called 'throwaway' culture of America. The environmental impact of product packaging has gained attention from consumers and businesses alike, and this awareness has created a steady trend since the mid to late 1990s, on the part of manufacturers, to use recycled material and/or reduce overall materials usage.

Product characteristics

Carton with Tamper Evident Tape Seal.jpg
Folding carton with circular security tape seal
Carton and tape seal partially open.jpg
Partially open carton showing tuck flap and locking tab (tongue)

Folding cartons are now a $110 billion industry. [10] Typically, cylinder board made from pulp from reprocessed scrap paper is used for most packages. Cartons for food are made from a higher grade and lighter solid sulfate board with plastic coating. Because of the limitations of cutting machinery, the thickness of the board is limited to 0.81 mm (0.032 in), and folding cartons are generally limited to holding a few pounds or kilograms of material. Hundreds of design options are available. [11]

Folding cartons are frequently tall and wide but very thin. For example a typical breakfast cereal box has a poor material to volume ratio and is very inefficient; it is wasteful and can be considered overpackaging. Package designers are aware of this opportunity to save packaging costs, materials, and waste but marketing and merchandising people want the "billboard" style package for advertising and graphics. An optimized folding carton would use much less paperboard for the same volume of cereal, but with reduced room for graphics. [12]

Cartons need to be compatible with the expected packaging machinery; cartoner, conveyors, etc. Some factors can be simulated; [13] others might need a finite element analysis or an experimental process capability study. [14]

Opening

Opening a carton can be accomplished by opening an access flap, cutting, use of tear tapes or perforations. [15]

Security features for folding cartons

With the general growth of the counterfeiting trends, the folding cartons, used widely in industries like cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, food and beverages, and electronics, are increasingly incorporating advanced security features. Protected QR codes enhance traditional QR codes with additional copy-detection layer to protect against counterfeiting, tampering, and unauthorized printing of cartons that can be used to package dangerous counterfeit products. Secure QR code generator introduce high-grade security features to conventional folding carton applications, ensuring product integrity and authenticity for wider range of brand owners.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Corrugated fiberboard</span> Composite paper material

Corrugated fiberboard, corrugated cardboard, or corrugated is a type of packaging material consisting of a fluted corrugated sheet and one or two flat linerboards. It is made on "flute lamination machines" or "corrugators" and is used for making corrugated boxes. The corrugated medium sheet and the linerboard(s) are made of kraft containerboard, a paperboard material usually over 0.25 millimetres (0.01 in) thick.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Box</span> Type of container

A box is a container with rigid sides used for the storage or transportation of its contents. Most boxes have flat, parallel, rectangular sides. Boxes can be very small or very large and can be used for a variety of purposes, from functional to decorative.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paperboard</span> Thick paper-based material

Paperboard is a thick paper-based material. While there is no rigid differentiation between paper and paperboard, paperboard is generally thicker than paper and has certain superior attributes such as foldability and rigidity. According to ISO standards, paperboard is a paper with a grammage above 250 g/m2, but there are exceptions. Paperboard can be single- or multi-ply.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Packaging</span> Enclosure or protection of products for distribution, storage, and sale

Packaging is the science, art and technology of enclosing or protecting products for distribution, storage, sale, and use. Packaging also refers to the process of designing, evaluating, and producing packages. Packaging can be described as a coordinated system of preparing goods for transport, warehousing, logistics, sale, and end use. Packaging contains, protects, preserves, transports, informs, and sells. In many countries it is fully integrated into government, business, institutional, industrial, and for personal use.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carton</span> Type of domestic container

A carton is a box or container usually made of liquid packaging board, paperboard and sometimes of corrugated fiberboard. Many types of cartons are used in packaging. Sometimes a carton is also called a box.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cardboard box</span> Type of packaging

Cardboard boxes are industrially prefabricated boxes, primarily used for packaging goods and materials. Specialists in industry seldom use the term cardboard because it does not denote a specific material. The term cardboard may refer to a variety of heavy paper-like materials, including card stock, corrugated fiberboard, and paperboard. Cardboard boxes can be readily recycled.

A contract packager, or co-packer, is a company that packages products for their clients. The packaging and labeling services can be used for many types of products including foods, pharmaceuticals, household products, and industrial products.

Coated paper is paper that has been coated by a mixture of materials or a polymer to impart certain qualities to the paper, including weight, surface gloss, smoothness, or reduced ink absorbency. Various materials, including kaolinite, calcium carbonate, bentonite, and talc, can be used to coat paper for high-quality printing used in the packaging industry and in magazines.

Skin pack, or skin packaging, is a type of carded packaging where a product is placed on a piece of paperboard or in trays, and a thin sheet of transparent plastic is placed over the product and paperboard or trays. The printed paperboard/tray usually has a heat-seal coating. The plastic film is softened by heat and draped over the product on the card/tray. Vacuum is used to assist a firm fit. The film bonds to the heat-seal coating on the paperboard.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Molded pulp</span> Packaging material

Molded pulp or molded fiber is a packaging material, that is typically made from recycled paperboard and/or newsprint. It is used for protective packaging or for food service trays and beverage carriers. Other typical uses are end caps, trays, plates, bowls and clamshell containers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Packaging engineering</span> Broad topic ranging from design conceptualization to product placement

Packaging engineering, also package engineering, packaging technology and packaging science, is a broad topic ranging from design conceptualization to product placement. All steps along the manufacturing process, and more, must be taken into account in the design of the package for any given product. Package engineering is an interdisciplinary field integrating science, engineering, technology and management to protect and identify products for distribution, storage, sale, and use. It encompasses the process of design, evaluation, and production of packages. It is a system integral to the value chain that impacts product quality, user satisfaction, distribution efficiencies, and safety. Package engineering includes industry-specific aspects of industrial engineering, marketing, materials science, industrial design and logistics. Packaging engineers must interact with research and development, manufacturing, marketing, graphic design, regulatory, purchasing, planning and so on. The package must sell and protect the product, while maintaining an efficient, cost-effective process cycle.

A case of some merchandise is a collection of items packaged together. A case is not a strict unit of measure. For consumer foodstuff such as canned goods, soda, cereal, and such, a case is typically 24 items, however cases may consist of any quantity depending on manufacturer packaging - cases are typically found in multiples of 4 or 6. For larger bottles such as gallon jugs, a case is typically 4.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stand-up pouch</span> Type of self-standing packaging

A stand-up pouch or doypack is a type of flexible packaging that is able to stand erect on its bottom for display, storage, and convenience. It has characteristics of plastic bags, water bottles, and retort pouches. The bottom part of a stand-up pouch is gusseted to provide support for display or use.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cartoning machine</span> Packaging machine that forms cartons

A cartoning machine or cartoner, is a packaging machine that forms cartons: erect, close, folded, side seamed and sealed cartons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Food storage container</span>

Food storage containers are widespread in use throughout the world and have probably been in use since the first human civilizations.

Fillers are used for packaging, mainly for food/beverage but for other products as well. These are used to fill either a bottle or a pouch, depending on the product.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Multi-pack</span> Packaging that combines or holds multiple items or smaller packages

A multi-pack also known as multipack is packaging that combines or holds multiple items or smaller packages.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clamshell (container)</span> Type of consumer product packaging

A clamshell is a one-piece container consisting of two halves joined by a hinge area which allows the structure to come together to close. Clamshells can be made to be reusable and reclosable or can be sealed securely.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boil-in-bag</span> Packaged food product

Boil-in-bags are a form of packaged food products in which bagged food is heated or cooked in boiling water. Plastic bags can be solid and impermeable for holding frozen foods; alternatively, bags can be porous or perforated to allow boiling water into the bag.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Overpackaging</span> Use of excess packaging

Overpackaging is the use of excess packaging. The Institute of Packaging Professionals defines overpackaging as “a condition where the methods and materials used to package an item exceed the requirements for adequate containment, protection, transport, and sale”

References

  1. Conference, National Food Processors Association (U S. ) (1984). Packaging Alternatives for Food Processors: Proceedings of the National Food Processors Association Conference, April 25–26, 1984, Washington, D.C. Food Processors Institute. p. 31. ISBN   978-0-937774-11-3.
  2. Sand, Claire (2010). The Packaging Value Chain. DEStech Publications, Inc. p. 52. ISBN   978-1-60595-002-0.
  3. Yam, Kit L. (2010-01-05). The Wiley Encyclopedia of Packaging Technology. John Wiley & Sons. p. 234. ISBN   978-0-470-54138-8.
  4. NATARAJAN, S.; GOVINDARAJAN, M.; KUMAR, B. (2014-10-21). FUNDAMENTALS OF PACKAGING TECHNOLOGY. PHI Learning Pvt. Ltd. p. 37. ISBN   978-81-203-5054-0.
  5. Obolewicz, P (22 September 2009), "Cartons, Folding", in Yam, K L (ed.), Encyclopedia of Packaging Technology, Wiley (published 2010), pp. 234–241, ISBN   978-0-470-08704-6
  6. U.S. Industrial Outlook. Business and Defense Services Administration. 1970. p. 41.
  7. Hanlon, Joseph F. (1984). Handbook of Package Engineering. McGraw-Hill. p. 12. ISBN   978-0-07-025994-2.
  8. Barron's National Business and Financial Weekly. Barron's. 1958. p. 13.
  9. Cahn, William L. Out of the cracker barrel; the Nabisco story, from animal crackers to zuzus.
  10. "GrandView Research Industry Report 2025". www.grandviewresearch.com. September 14, 2020. Retrieved 2020-09-14.
  11. Roth, L (2012). The Packaging Designer's Book of Patterns, 4th Edition. European Carton Makers Association. ISBN   9781118134153.
  12. Fitzgerald (August 2004). "Cereal Box Design" (PDF). Tech Directions: 22. Retrieved 4 November 2021.
  13. Sirkett, D M (2006), "Simulating the behaviour of folded cartons during complex packing operations", Proceedings Mechanical Engineering Science, 220, retrieved 12 June 2024
  14. Hicks, B J (2009). "A Finite Element-Based Approach for Whole-System Simulation of Packaging Systems for their Improved Design and Operation" (PDF). PACKAGING TECHNOLOGY AND SCIENCE. 22: 209–227. Retrieved 12 June 2024.
  15. Wang, Di; Changfeng, Ge (2017). "Opening of Perforated Folding Cartons: From the Field to Testing". Packaging Technology and Science. 30 (8): 411–425. doi:10.1002/pts.2266. S2CID   96493818.