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E-mailFor thousands of years, architects have known that an arch with a proper curve is the best and strongest way to span any given space. When corrugated boxes began to be manufactured, they used these same principles to the paper medium. These arches, which are commonly referred to as flutes, are adhered to the outer sheets (linerboard) with a starch based adhesive and are resistant to bending and pressure from all directions.
There are different sizes and variations of flutes which can be used for different applications:
A-Flute – The original fluting for corrugated boxes. It has about 33 flutes per foot. Could be used for a double wall application or thick corrugated pad. Rarely used for corrugated box making.
B-Flute – Originally developed and primarily used for canned goods packaging, B flute has about 39 flutes per foot. Common uses are food packaging, retail packaging, litholaminating, POP (point of purchase) displays, die cut inserts, and custom printed packaging.
C-Flute – Most commonly utilized corrugated box flute. It is an all purpose flute with about 39 flutes per foot. Common packaging uses are shipping cartons, master shippers, and corrugated box displays (both countertop and POP).
E-Flute – Second to C Flute as the most commonly used corrugated box. Often used as a more rigid substitute for folding cartons (chipboard boxes). Are more environmentally friendly form of green packaging compared to printed folding cartons. You can also print higher quality direct print graphics on an E Flute box compared to its corrugated box counterparts. Common uses of E Flute include retail packaging, printed corrugated box packaging, POP packaging, and Eco-Friendly Packaging
F-Flute – A small, tighter flute than E Flute is also used as an environmentally friendly replacement to folding cartons. F Flute will give your box a very high value look and provide your packaging with solid structural integrity. Common uses are custom printed boxes, printed corrugated boxes, retail packaging, and POP displays.
Singleface – When the medium (fluting) is exposed and adhered to one flat sheet of corrugated linerboard, you have a sheet of singleface. Singleface board usually has an 80# printed sheet laminated to the fluting to provide a graphics friendly, structurally sound box. Common uses are vitamin packaging, electronics packaging, custom packaging, and retail packaging.
Singlewall – The most common form of a corrugated box (sometimes referred to as a master shipper) is a singlewall box. It is the structure formed by one corrugated inner member glued between two flat facings. The test of the inner fluting is variable depending upon the strength needed. Common uses are shipping boxes, master shippers, retail packaging, grocery packaging, and stock packaging.
Doublewall – By taking three sheets of flat facing paper and combining them with 2 layers of fluting, you would form a sheet of double wall corrugated. When shipping very heavy products or highly valuable products that need extra protection, using a doublewall or triplewall (four sheets of paper with 3 layers of fluting) box is your best option. Common uses are bulk food packaging, bulk bins, food packaging, and retail packaging.
