Daily, there are several goods and products that you use, which comes packed. The packaging is required to secure and transport the materials while shipping, handling, and storage. Packaging materials must have the essential features needed for storage. They should be durable, cost-effective, light as well as environment-friendly. Corrugated boxes are one such material. It is one of the most accepted materials used for shipping today.
The design and strength of the material used to manufacture corrugated boxes must be analyzed to determine the safety, quality, and endurance of the packaging material. There are many factors that help in determining the strength of the paper.
In this article, India’s top industry leader, Founder, and Director of India’s leading packaging company Packman Packaging, Mr. Gaurav Jalan tells about what is ply value in corrugated boxes and why it is essential?
Ply Value And Its Importance
The linerboards and corrugated paper are used as materials for making corrugated boxes. Corrugation is the fluting of the paper. Papers are passed through corrugation rolls to get these fluted materials that are one of the most unique aspects of corrugated boxes. These fluted papers are placed between the linerboards in creating the boxes. The fluted paper has air columns that can give cushioning effect as well as support the weight of the products packed in the boxes giving it superiority over other types of boxes.
The combination of the liner boards and corrugated paper gives a much higher-strength product that can be used for various purpose. Depending upon the kind of corrugation used, the properties of the corrugated box changes. The strength of the corrugated box can be divided into categories – 3, 5, 7 and 9 plies. Depending upon the kind of products used and the way of handling needed the ply value of the boxes can vary.
For instance, a 3 ply corrugated box will have one fluted paper placed between two-line boards. This kind of box can be used when shipping and storing products which are not heavy and not delicate such as jewelry and toys. Similarly, 5 ply corrugated boxes will have 3 liner boards and 2 fluted papers sandwiched together. These boxes handle pressure and can be stacked up for easy and low-cost storage or transportation.
While 7 ply boxes are generally used for heavy-duty items such as metal parts, and chemicals. 9 ply corrugated boxes are manufactured with very high-quality kraft paper. It has a very thick wall which increases its strength ability and can be used for heavy packaging and can be stacked for a longer period than 5 plies and 7-ply.
Advantages Of Corrugated Boxes
The corrugated boxes due to the structure can be folded and cut into various shapes and sizes. Depending upon the ply value, the strength of the boxes differs. The innumerable sizes and shapes of the boxes are one of the major reasons for their versatility. While glasses and products that need more strength and cushioning ability need higher ply value, most of your daily used corrugated boxes use a lower ply value.
Regardless of the ply value, these boxes are used to help retain the value of the objects or materials packed. Also, you will see that boxes of lower ply value can be used as inherent attachments in corrugated boxes itself or other kinds of boxes during transportation of goods. They curb the movement of the materials inside the box and hence avert damage during transportation and storage. In simpler words, corrugated boxes are one of the most effective packaging materials known and are hence used in a huge variety of industries.
