RAW MATERIAL

The liners and medium that make up the corrugated sheet are both forms of paperboard. Paperboard is made primarily from cellulose fibers found in wood. The fibers are held together by lignin . Fibers are separated from the wood in one of three ways: mechanical, chemical, & semi chemical. Mechanical involves chipping and grinding the wood into increasingly smaller units. Chemical separation, or pulping, uses sulfite or sulfate to dissolve the lignin. This is also known as the Kraft process . This method produces the highest yields with the least damage to fibers, thus the strongest paper. The semi-chem process combines the mechanical and the chemical methods.

Linerboard is the paperboard used as the inner and outer facings of a corrugated sheet. It is made primarily through the chemical process. It is usually made from softwoods like Pine trees that have the longest fibers and produce the strongest board. Medium is the fluted paperboard that is in between the inner and outer facings. It is produced mainly from hardwoods that have shorter fibers through the semi-chem process.

PREPRESS

A prepress workflow method.

CORRUGATING

BHS CORRUGATOR  - stands for reliability and added value

The corrugator is the largest and most expensive machine in the corrugated manufacturing process. It is about the length of a football field and can cost several million dollars. The corrugator combines rolls of linerboard and medium into sheets of corrugated board. The typical corrugator is equipped to run both single wall and double wall in a variety of flute heights. Modern machines can also be equipped with innovative enhancements that offer a range of value added features such as functional coatings, color coating, tear tape or internal strings, and water resistant adhesives. Advanced technology such as razor cutting knives and robotic scoring heads allow the machine to produce quality board with faster set ups and shorter cut offs.

PRINTING

Flexible printing plates are mounted to a cylinder and pick up a fast drying water based ink from an anilox cylinder that is metered by a rubber roll or doctor blade system. Sheets are fed through the cylinders and graphics are transferred to the corrugated board. This is also known as direct print. There are a number of machinery alternatives available to converters and every converter is equipped a little differently.

Flexography is also used in preprint applications where the printing is applied to the outside liner prior to being converted into a corrugated sheet. This process offers printing advantages but requires certain levels of volume before it can be considered an option.

FINISHING

Specialty folder-gluer-offers value added gluing such as corner glued trays and lock bottom boxes. Machines have advanced folding technology and the ability the apply glue in several places. Machines vary in size and options.

SLITTER

Slitter-scores and cuts corrugated board. Most sheet feeders and corrugator plants do not have slitters. Most sheet plants use slitters to run quick turnaround jobs out of stock. The slitter cuts stock sheets down to the specified width and adds horizontal scoring. Slitters are also the go to machine for slit or knife scored products.

PART.SLOT , DIE CUT , ROTARY DIECUT , BOBST

Printer-Slotter-prints, slots, and adds vertical scores to the blank. Blanks are then taken to a finishing machine to be joined. Machines vary as to the number of print sections and type of printing. Also some are more versatile than others with capabilities such as side slotting and the ability to handle die cut attachments.

Flatbed die cutter-die cuts corrugated blanks. There is a range of flatbed die cutting machines. Most are either inexpensive or expensive. There is not a lot in between. Most of the inexpensive equipment is semi automatic, labor intensive, and slow. The expensive equipment is high speed and is able to print, die cut, and strip die cut blanks. The cutting dies are flat steel rule dies versus rotary. Machines vary in size and options.

Rotary die cutter-die cuts corrugated blanks with steel rule dies that are mounted to a cylinder on the machine. A workhorse in most corrugated plants. Machines vary as to number of print sections. Also vary in size and options.

FINISHING STORAGE

Our Finishing Storage Warehouse

DELIVERY & TRANSPORTATION

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