Brown box bouncing back

18 August 2005



Corrugated continues to innovate, writes Pauline Covell


Corrugated board has been a faithful packaging servant for over a century. Over the years, converters have become more and more efficient with their humble brown boxes both protecting their contents and attracting users and consumers, despite competition from returnable plastics containers, stretchwrapped pallets and intermediate bulk solutions. In the UK alone, weekly production of corrugated board in 2004 was 83,283,000m2 or 43,601t (Confederation of Paper Industries statistics), but to survive in a competitive world it is service and innovation that will count in the future.

That innovation has taken shape through print, fitment design, flute development and clever constructions, but arguably there have been few moves away from the straight lines and corners of the traditional case. Until recently that is. A curvaceous design based on a construction first widely recognized by the Romans as the ultimate in architectural strength– the arch – is the basis of FrogPack, brain child of Stanelco company Aquasol. To be strictly correct, FrogPack makes use of shock absorbing arcuate panel technology (SAAP) for its added strength and protective qualities. It is already being used for lighting supplies, hard drive electronic components, smart sunglasses and mobile phones. And according to project development director David Edwards, packs containing champagne have been hurled out of a helicopter from 200ft without any damage.

It was based on a pack developed by Edwards and technical director Bill MacCarthy from a sleeve concept with concave sides originally invented before Aquasol was spun off from Rhone Poulenc. "It has been gathering dust for years," says David Edwards. "The big development was the closing of the ends with a positive closure last April." Explains Bill MacCarthy: "The strength is provided by the multiple arches – concave on the sides and convex on top and bottom. The product sits in the middle of the pack and whatever motion it is subjected to will always come up against an inclined plane. The ends are energy absorbing with the addition of a sacrificial crumple zone." Although there are no straight sides, the pack is fully stackable. "It is also a very pretty pack," he added.

The patented FrogPack is initially distributed in the UK under licence from Aquasol by Network Packaging and converted by Mondi from B flute, although the design can also be produced in plastics Correx.

Savings

Says David Edwards: "The high impact design means that the packaging requires less material and less energy for the same protection. One company has said that one truck could carry an amount of products that would previously have needed five." The design has also leapt across the Atlantic and is being marketed from Stanelco's office in Orlando.

The company's more advanced QuadFrog was launched at the end of June. By using four arcuate panels, it produces the ultimate in architectural strength – the dome. This is achieved by a cleverly designed blank where one layer is twisted and folded in to produce a double layer with the flutes at right angles to each other in the dome. "It means the pack can be made much larger without internal support and we are not wasting quite so much volume, although the crumple zones are still there," explains Bill MacCarthy. If fittings are needed they can be added integrally into the flaps, or smaller FrogPacks (Tadpole packs – what else!) may contain items within the pack.

Winners

This year's British packaging competition, the Starpack Awards featured several innovative corrugated packs. Amongst them was a Gold Star awarded to SCA Packaging for a point of sale display and collation, free standing off-shelf display unit for Nestlé UK's KitKat promotion for Woolworth's. "Ease of assembly and fitness for purpose structural design were key to maximum in-store compliance," said the judges. Produced from a combination of NE flute corrugated and clear PP components, it is designed to merchandize loose tumble fill products and flat stacked multipacks.

On the machinery front, innovations in the laminating field are being heralded by Bobst Group company Asitrade. Its MPC-III range responds best to medium production volumes. It is available as an off-line configuration, working from a reel of single face board or, more typically, in-line with an MF 250 module facer. Sheet to web and web to web configurations are possible. Production speed is up to 150m/min or 10,000 sheets/hour.

The top of the range MPC-IV covers the needs for high output. In-line with an MF 300 module facer, it is designed to laminate up to 10,000 sheets or 180 m/min sheet to web or web to web.

Latest innovative option for both MPC-III and MPC-IV lines is Minitriplo. With this development, says the company, for the first time sheets may be laminated to a double web of single face board, all produced in-line in one single pass. The option is available for all new lines and as a retrofit to existing MPC-IIl and MPC-IV lines.

"Litho laminated double wall board is enjoying increasing demand in the high graphics market: it serves segments so far out of reach for offset printing," says Asitrade. "Minitriplo provides the strength of double wall combined with high graphics and is highly competitive to flexo post print: higher quality at lower costs for smaller quantities per order." All Microflute combinations of N, G, F, E and B up to B/B flute are possible, it adds. Typical applications are five and 10 litre bag in boxes for wine and POP packaging for heavier appliances.

On the other side of the coin, earlier this year a UK supplier of meat products introduced a poultry line to a retailer and needed a new container to ease shelf filling and purchase whilst enhancing the brand image. A litho laminated tray was the straightforward choice, said DS Smith Corrugated. However, it explained that it has developed post print capabilities to near litho standards. When this is combined with the larger capacity converting equipment capable of running blanks three out at a pass, the economics has a distinct influence, it boasts.

Option

Production runs for litho lamination are usually long and can easily exceed post print runs by a factor of 10 or more, giving the post print option potential savings in packaging purchases, logistics and storage, says DS Smith. The post print option also has a much shorter lead time of one or two weeks. Key selling point was the company's in-house design and technical skills to make full use of its six colour press. A speciality liner enhances the quality of the print to near litho standards.

In addition to innovation it is generally accepted that it is cost of production that will determine survival in the competitive world of converting. What is claimed to be the most advanced corrugated fibreboard manufacturing and logistics facility in Europe has been opened on a greenfield site in North Yorkshire, UK, by Rigid Corrugated - part of the VPK Packaging Group.

Claimed to significantly strengthen its ability to meet the increasing demands of a modern supply chain management environment, Rigid's new unit provides improved hygiene and quality standards with reduced lead times. This is backed by a supply chain operation which consistently delivers 'same and next day' service, says the company.

Located close to the company's paper mill, the manufacturing facility is claimed to be the first of its type purpose built to meet British Retail Consortium (BRC) Hygiene Standards, all Health and Safety requirements and the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA).

At the plant's inauguration, VPK Packaging Group ceo Pierre Macharis said: "We are delighted with the new factory which offers Rigid's growing UK customer base superbly produced, high quality corrugated cases at competitive prices." VPK Packaging has an annual turnover of some €390M with a network of operating plants in Belgium, Holland and France, as well as the UK.



Contacts

FrogPack Tel: +44 (0) 2380 867100 Mondi Tel: +43 1 795 08 4058 SCA Packaging Tel: +49 661 88 350 Asitrade Tel: +41 32 644 25 31 DS Smith Tel: +44 (0)1600 772222 Rigid Corrugated Tel: +44 (0) 1536 760266




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DS Smith
Asitrade
Rigid Corrugated
FrogPack (alternative)
Mondi
SCA Packaging
FrogPack

Laminating the two single face webs prior to sheet lamination ... Laminating the two single face webs prior to sheet lamination ...
VPK Packaging Group company  Rigid Corrugated has recently opened ... VPK Packaging Group company Rigid Corrugated has recently opened ...
Using four arcuate panels, Aquasol’s QuadFrog mimics the ultimate in ... Using four arcuate panels, Aquasol’s QuadFrog mimics the ultimate in ...


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