Corrugated blanks and cases!

Improve the efficiency of your case erector, case packer and

case closer

80% of stops on packaging lines are related to faults in packaging material and to wrong decisions by operators.
SOCO SYSTEM has in the past 40 years delivered more than 60.000 packaging machines handling corrugated
cases. Learning-by-doing we have experienced that an up-front check of packaging material before new packaging
machinery is installed eliminates misunderstandings and saves a lot of
costly time.

When changing from manual packaging (erecting, filling, closing and palletising corrugated cases by hand) to
automatic handling of the blanks and cases you should check your blank specification with your board supplier and tell
him:

We shall install automatic case handling machines. Please check our orders so that our corrugated blanks meet the
specifications for machine handling...

YOUR blanks should be fit to be handled on automatic packaging machines! – This is nothing special. – Under
normal conditions your board supplier should just carry on to deliver the well-known blanks – but he should do a check
on the order specification and increase his quality control. He should do so because all packaging machines are
critical to deviations in blank specifications. – Does this sound logical?

Which specifications are critical?

1. Blanks should be made of paper allowing vacuum suction cups to suck!

2. Blanks should not be bowed or damaged by bundling bands!
3. Blanks should be cut within given tolerances!
4. Blanks should be folded and glued within given tolerances!
5. Blanks should be stored under dry conditions!
6. Blanks should be checked for having the right printing (not upside-down)!

Before buying your new packaging machine and of course before installing it you should ask your supplier of
machinery for his specification and check this with your material supplier. - Do this up-front and you will save yourself
for unpleasant stops during the starting-up procedure of the new packaging line.

SOCO SYSTEM will in the following give you some hints and advice about corrugated blanks. This should help you in
securing a smooth start and functioning of your new packaging line.

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Paper and air permeability if vacuum is used to separate or handle blanks

Corrugated blanks have 3 or more layers of paper. The paper should not let too much air through when the vacuum
cups of the packaging machine picks a blank to separate it from the heap in the blank magazine.

Check this with your machine supplier and get his OK for your blank(s).

Blanks not damaged by bundling bands – the outer blanks in a bundle might be lost

If the bundles of blanks are strapped too tight the outer 2 or 4 blanks might so damaged that they do not perform well
when inserted in the case erector. This can cause stoppage.

Ask your supplier to minimize the strapping strength of even better supply the blanks not bundled but stacked and
compressed on a pallet.

Bowed blanks fold badly. Let your supplier deliver flat blanks and keep them yourself under compression until inserted
in case erector.

Inner or external dimensions – material suppliers talk inner dimensions – machine suppliers talk outer
dimensions

Check with your machine supplier and your material supplier that no misunderstandings as to outer and inner case
sizes occur.

Inner dimensions: L = Length = the longer dimension at the opening

B = Breadth = the shorter dimension at the opening
H = Height = the dimension from the top of the opening to the base

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Folder-gluer blanks and their tolerances

Blanks for RSC cases are first cut and later then folded and glued to a flat blank. This is later to be
erected by a case erector. It is of importance that:

Overall blank dimensions are right

Slotted cuts with proper dimensions and position

Blank slotted have enough distance between flaps

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 Blanks are folded properly and not oblique

Manufacturer’s joint is not reaching out to top or bottom flaps

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Creasing lines – deep creasing lines for good folding sequence
The creasing lines of the blank should be so deep that the flaps can be folded in the case erector. A blank made of
material with high protection values (stiff blank) might have flaps which are difficult to fold. The creasing lines must be
“double” or be added with perforation lines.

Creasing lines – at two levels

The creasing lines of the blank should specificly for thicker double walled blanks be positioned in split positions (the
inner flaps should bend at lower position than the outer flaps). This to prevent too high pressure on the outer flaps
when folding - especially in the corner sections. Partly open boxes can be the result.

Store blanks under dry conditions

If blanks are stored under humid conditions the material might absorb so much moisture that they loose their stiffness
and are difficult to run in a flap-folding-unit. – Therefore store blanks under dry conditions and not too cold. It is
advisable to let the blanks “acclimatise” before running them in a packaging machine.

Inner flaps angled

To ease the folding sequence of top and bottom flaps it can be a good help to cut the inner flaps in some angle. They
then pass the outer flaps easily. They should however not be angled the whole distance (#1) from the creasing line to
the end. By doing so the erected case looses a lot in stability. Only the last part if the inner flap (#2) should be angled.

1. 2.

1. angled over too long distance

2. angled correctly

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Printing – blanks for left-hand or right-hand case erectors
Most case erectors are designed as “left-hand” or “right-hand-machines”. The blanks must be constructed to run on
either a “right-hand-machine” or a “left-hand-machine”. – A “right-hand blank” cannot run on a “left-hand-machine”
and visa versa.

Please check with your printing picture up-front to avoid that your blank is not erected upside-down.

case case
no 1 no 1
short side short side
left SOCO SOCO right
SYSTEM SYSTEM

long side
left hand right hand

BE-case erector, left BE-case erector, right

How to determine right or left hand construction of a RSC-case ?

Place the printed blank in front of you on the table; is the short panel to the right then you have a right hand
blank and must then use a right hand machine !

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Tape (adhesive)

The closing tape fort he corrugated boxes should be chosen to suit the needs. The surface (paper), the foreseeable
handling during transport and the environment during storage have major influence upon the closure and choice of the
right tape.

Choice of tape

Your tape supplier can advise you in choosing the right type of tape (function + costs). More than 100 varieties are
available, all developed for specific needs.

Key words when choosing tape are „burst strength“ = tension and „gluing properties“ = normal or extra good
sticking properties.

What about the surface? – high or low friction?

Tape sticks often very well on paper surfaces of kraft liner (virgin paper) and less well on surfaces of regenerated
paper. – Surfaces with dust can create a sticking problem for the chosen tape.

What about the machine? – Positioning of tape roll – tension + noise when unwinding?
When using automatic taping machines the tape closing must function perfectly. Operators are normally not in the
vicinity. “Release coated” tapes makes unwinding from the roll easy at a low noise level.

What about room temperature? – hot – cold – humid?

Environment in the packaging area is of influence upon the choice of tape. Too low temperatures can lower the
sticking effect of some tapes or even make sticking impossible. Tapes are available for temperatures down to +5°C.

Transportation – storage? – stacking strength – case weight – temperature?

Internal handling, palletising, pallet wrapping, storage and mode of external transportation with deviations in
temperature have major influence on the closure of the corrugated box and the type and quality of the tape chosen.

Application and closing problems

Adhesive tape should be applied with a certain pressure to the box. Without this pressure even the best tape does
function as meant to. The cause to the problems may vary – from a non confirming box to a non applicable tape.

When the flaps are not well pressed together!

The case might be over-filled or the pressure when applying the tape is not sufficient. Remaining tension of the flaps
may also be too high of the glue coating of the tape has dried out.

When tape does not stick!

The sticking properties of the tape may not be good. Too long storage might have reduced the sticking effect of the
tape of maybe the room temperature in the packaging room was too cold. The surface of the corrugated box might
also be covered with a thin layer of dust of fat.

When tape loosen!

The tape might not have been applied with constant and sufficient pressure of the temperature was too low when
closing. If the tension in the tape when unwound is too high (low temperatures) the tape might be stretched in the
length direction that it is applied to the box in an elastic state. – The tape will later try to go back to its original length
and consequently loosen from the box surface.

Material costs and stop costs

Proper chosen tape not only secures the corrugated box with goods but also ensures best possible function of the
taping machine. Cost wise it is wise to choose “the right type” of tape.

Storage of tape

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The rolls cannot be stocked infinitely. As per type a storage time of 12 – 24 month is normal and should be done
according to FIFO-principle as follows:

• Laying in original packaging (not standing)

• Not exposed to sun, preferably dry and at 15° to 25°C.
• Do not damage the individual rolls when opening the packaging (no knife))
• Do not damage the edges of the rolls (can lead to burst in taping machine)

Typical specifications:

Dimensions:
Length Width
1000 m 50 mm

Technical data:
carrier colour thickness glue strength Max. tension burst tension
PP yellow 58 µm 7 N/25 mm 105 N/25 mm 150%

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