Folding cartons are made by the traditional method of folding a piece of wood or cardboard in half with a hinge on each side. The resulting material is a single, continuous, durable plastic that is strong enough to be used for shipping and storage. The first folding carton produced the shipping industry when it was first introduced in the late 19th century; the process involves folding open carton made from printed paperboard, laminated, stacked, then laminated again and cut. It became very popular among manufacturers and businessmen, since they found it easier to keep track of parcels and package shipments.
With the passage of time, manufacturers started making different kinds of folding cartons. One of these is rigid boxes, which have two layers – a thick, heavy outer layer and a thin, light outer layer. Rigid boxes are made from fiberglass, steel or any other similar materials, which make them strong and long-lasting. These boxes are widely used for shipping food, plants and other hazardous materials. There are many types of folding cartons available in the market. The following are some of them:
The flat-folding type has two folds: one at the top, making it appear like a U-shape, and one at the bottom, which makes it look like a V-shape. The reason why this type is called flatfolding is that it mimics the curve of a U or a V-shape. Flatfolding folding carton boxes are more durable than other folding carton boxes, which makes them suitable for heavier loads.
The corrugated kind features three compartments: one inside the lid, one between the outside and inside sides, and one in the middle, between the corrugated edges of the box. These three compartments allow for easy packing and dispensing of water and adhesive. Corrugated folding carton boxes, however, are not as durable as their flatfolding counterparts. Corrugated boxes are not as well supported as plastic, foam or paperboard boxes, and the paperboard material can be easily crumpled.
The unbleached version of custom cardboard boxes features a single, solid sheet frame, which makes it more durable than the corrugated version. However, the unbleached or packaging is more expensive than its corrugated counterpart, due to its higher cost of production. Although the crb packaging is comparatively stronger and more durable than most plastic and foam products, some customers do not prefer its look, as they feel it lacks the color and texture of their corrugated packing.
Over the last few years, plastic and foam products have improved considerably, with new technologies facilitating long-lasting, high-quality packaging solutions. However, the overall quality level of folding carton boxes remains poor. This is primarily because this type of product packaging has not been able to keep up with the increasing demands for durable, hassle-free packaging. Manufacturers have therefore taken several steps to improve the overall quality of their product packaging by introducing improved folding carton boxes, which are more durable and reliable than their older versions.