Ringing the changes in retail ready

16 November 2010



Although times are changing rapidly in the retail end of the corrugated packaging market, it’s very rare to be able to talk about a major breakthrough, but DS Smith Packaging’s new R-Flute claims to be just that.


R-Flute is a new type of corrugated fluting designed to help customers sell more, reduce supply chain costs and operate sustainably, according to DS Smith Packaging.

A meticulous development process has resulted in a profile in which the flutes are smaller and closer together than B-Flute, while optimising board strength. Compared with the widely used B-Flute, R-Flute is said to deliver better printing, better appearance, machine line efficiencies and dramatic savings in logistics, while continuing to offer the necessary protection.

R-Flute’s calliper is 20% less than B-Flute’s, so that 20% more corrugated can be loaded onto a pallet for delivery. This means up to 20% fewer deliveries to handle, up to 20% less storage space and correspondingly fewer pallet movements in the factory. All these percentage points add up to big savings for customers, in cash, space, operating time and carbon.

Compared with B-Flute, R-Flute offers a flatter, better surface for printing and presentation. In addition, the closeness of the flute tips helps perforated retail ready packaging to form squarely, open reliably and look good on shelf.

The high crush resistance of the R-Flute surface makes it exceptionally effective for shipments of products in bottles, cans or similar containers, says DS Smith.

On automated packing lines, some customers that have moved from B-Flute report productivity increases of up to 15%. This is achieved via crisp, problem-free folding and less downtime to feed new pallets of corrugated into the line, since each pallet of R-Flute holds many more empty packs.

A range of wine packs for Constellation Europe has taken full advantage of R-Flute, to deliver supply chain optimisation and reduce its impact on the environment. For example, with R-Flute, 35% more product can be put onto a pallet inbound.

When launching its award-winning innovative bake-in-bag product, The Saucy Fish Company turned to DS Smith Packaging Louth for the retail ready pack. DS Smith used R-Flute’s superior performance in both print and pack construction to develop an RRP pack that perfectly complements the shaped inner cartons, holding them securely and in a way that presents the full face of the primary pack to the consumer. Additionally, because there is so much more packaging being delivered on every pallet, the result is 20% fewer vehicles on the road.

Ardagh Glass, a producer of glass jars and bottles, used the crush resistance of R-Flute to bring its annual packaging weight down by 160 tonnes, with a reduction of 142 tonnes of CO2 emissions. And 1,700 pallets have been taken out of the supply chain and 68 fewer trucks are needed for deliveries.

Who will benefit from R-Flute?

As the level of interest accelerates still further, it will be deployed discerningly. Tony Foster, Director of DS Smith Packaging, says: “We are carefully targeting applications where R-Flute is clearly better for the customer. We know where it works best and the range of applications is wide – especially in retail ready packaging and FMCG. We’re confident that, by using R-Flute and our unique PackRight business tools, we can give customers a step change in packaging efficiency, sustainability and effectiveness. This is a radical development offering real supply chain cost savings and brand image improvement.”


A range of wine packs for Constellation Europe has taken full advantage of R-Flute. Constellation Europe When launching its award-winning innovative bake-in-bag product, The Saucy Fish Company turned to DS Smith packaging for its retail ready pack. Saucy Fish Ardagh Glass used the crush resistance of R-Flute to bring its annual packaging weight down by 160 tonnes. Ardagh Glass

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DS Smith

Saucy Fish Saucy Fish
Constellation Europe Constellation Europe
Ardagh Glass Ardagh Glass


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