Tag Archives: corrugated boxes

Protect Books From Shipping & Storage Damage

Posted on by Standard Respond

Preserving Books for Shipping and Storage

For shipping or storing valuable or important books, preservation and damage protection are important. Many book owners and companies selling books of value feel it is important to preserve books from exterior elements. These elements can vary depending on the situation. We are going to look at some ideas for protection and preservation in shipping and storing books of value.

Shipping

When shipping books of value long distances or across town, choosing the proper container is a great starting point. We recommend a corrugated box slightly larger than the book or books being shipped. Many people prefer to ship in boxes that fit snuggly around the books corners. Boxes that fit snuggly around the book will eliminate the need for void-fill, therefore save in cost.  When concerned with packaging costs this is a great option; but if the box corners become damaged the book corners will more than likely be damaged as well. We recommend a slightly larger size of box for books of value. We suggest using void fill and cushioning coupled with slightly larger box to provide extra protection for books of value.

A standard 200 lb. corrugated box approximately 1-3 inches larger than the book on all sides is recommended. This allows room to wrap the book in a protective cushioning. A common recommended cushioning is bubble wrap or foam. Once the book is wrapped in the proper cushioning, a good void-fill is needed to prevent the book from shifting in the box during transport. One of the most well known void-fill products are packaging peanuts. Peanuts do not pack tight enough and can still allow shifting that can possibly damage book corners. We recommend white newsprint with no ink on it or Kraft paper. If you really want to provide great protection, indented Kraft paper is a little more expensive but provides extra cushioning. Be sure to pack plenty of void-fill in the box before sealing to prevent shifting.

Storage

When storing books of value, the exterior elements differ from shipping. Common exterior elements to consider when storing are moisture, dust, and light. We recommend a heat shrink wrap film to protect from moisture and dust. Shrink films are affordable, easy to use, and do a great job in protecting from moisture and dust.

When protection from light is a concern there are several options to consider. Boxes are an easy and affordable way to reduce light intrusion after being shrink wrapped for storage. Another option that some of our clients use to reduce light intrusion is opaque stretch film. This is a plastic stretch wrap (commonly white or black) that cannot be seen through and protects from UV rays after two complete wraps.

There are several methods and products to protect books of value. The main issues that need to be considered when trying to preserve valuable books begin with exterior elements. If you can protect the books from those elements they will last longer and offer the ability to be enjoyed for years to come.

How Shrink Wrap Can Save Your Business Money

Posted on by Standard Respond

In the past we have highlighted several uses and benefits of the shrink wrap products we offer. One thing we have not broken down is the way shrink wrap can help save you business money. We get calls from companies all the time who are looking for shrink wrap to help reduce their packaging costs.

Many companies use boxes to bundle items together for shipment or retail sales. Many of our clients ship out orders that have multiple packages bundled together. These items can range in size and shape, so they put all of the items in a box or band the items together. Shipping all of the items together in one load helps to reduce shipping costs and allows customers to get all of their orders at once. The issue is that boxes are expensive, especially the bigger boxes.

We are going to use some simple math to show the difference in cost from using corrugated boxes vs. shrink wrap. We always tell customers to bunch the packages together, measure the length from the tallest point down, and then measure the circumference of the all of the packages together.

Stacking the boxes can be useful as well, but bunch them together if you have to. If you stack the boxes on top of each other, measure the circumference of the boxes stacked on top of each other, then the length of the longest box laying down. Out to the right is a great example of two boxes that need to be shipped out together to save on shipping costs.

Measurement for Shrink Bags- The circumference of the boxes stacked together is 40 inches around them and the length of the bottom box laying down is 20 inches. Add 10% to the circumference then divide that number by two. 40×10%=4+40=44/2=22,  Which would be 22. That will be the width of shrink bag you need. The length needed will be the 20 inches of the longest box laying down plus 10%. 20×10%=2+20=22, so 22 inches is the length of the shrink bag needed. For this shipment that weighs less than 40 lbs. a 22×22 inch 100 gauge shrink bag will be needed.

Measurement for Box- We will use the same example of the picture to the right. To measure for a box we need the length, width, and depth. The length is the length of the box laying down which is 20 inches. The width of the box on the bottom is 11 inches. The depth is measured from the top of the two stacked boxes to the bottom, which is 9 and a half inches. A 20x11x10 box will be needed for placing the two products in the box and shipping them together.

Cost Breakdown- To bundle and ship the two example boxes together using a corrugated box would be approximately $1 per 20x11x10 corrugated box. To use a shrink bag to send the same example shipment it will be approximately $.40 per 22×22 shrink bag. Using shrink products costs less than half of what it costs to use a corrugated box.

Another great advantage to using a shrink bag for bundling products together is the fact that shrink bags offer up to a 40% shrink rate. That means you can send out shipments that are smaller than to ones we measured and the shrink wrap will still shrink and conform to the shipment.

Call us if you have any questions, 1-800-441-5090

Paperboard Grades

Posted on by Standard Respond

Our last post focused on a variety of paper types and brief descriptions of what each type of paper offers. This post will be focused on the different paperboard grades. Paperboard is a type of paper but generally thicker than printer paper and is commonly used in a variety of packaging applications. We will be focusing on Chipboard, cardboard, and newsboard variations because of their uses in the packaging industry.

Chipboard- Chipboard is made from 100% recycled fiber and is the lowest cost paperboard. Chipboard is not suitable for printing and offers poor folding qualities. Chipboard often contains several blemishes from impurities of using recycled paper. They are commonly used for setup boxes, partitions, backings, flat boards, and other applications where folding and presentation are not critical. There are also different types of chipboard that have their own individual uses.

  1. Bending Chipboard- A slightly better grade of chipboard that is still primarily made of recycled fiber. There is enough quantity of good fibers to allow the chipboard to be bent. Bending chipboard is often used when strength and appearance are not paramount. Bending chipboard cartons are generally the most affordable bending boxes available.
  2. Lined Chipboard- Offers a white face liner that helps to improve the appearance of the board. Still an affordable type of  paperboard, but can be used for retail settings because of the improved appearance.

Newsboard- Newsboard is a low grade board commonly composed of recycled newspaper. Newsboard is often used in a variety of mailers and mailing cartons.

Cardboard- Probably the most common paperboard and used in a variety of applications and industries. Cardboard is a generic term often used to refer to all types of paperboard. In the packaging industry people are commonly referring to corrugated cardboard when they ask for cardboard containers. Corrugated boxes come in thousands of sizes, shapes, and strengths. Corrugated fiber board is made from cellulose fibers. The cellulose fibers are formed into two sheets of paper referred to as liners. These two liners are then glued to a rigid inner medium referred to as fluting. The three pieces combined together create a stronger board then what they would be individually. We just described a singe walled corrugated box. There are also double and triple wall corrugated boxes.

Aside from a stronger box structure, the fluting can also help to provide insulation. The airflow in between the rigid structure of the fluting can help to insulate the contents inside. Corrugated boards and boxes are and incredible material that plays a large role in the world we live in today. We will be offering a variety of posts in the future to explain the benefits and advantages of corrugated boxes.

These are only a couple of paperboard grade that are used in packaging the products in the world we live in. There are several interesting facts and features about paperboard that can be covered in the future.

 

Different Paper Types

Posted on by Standard Respond

We are going to write a few posts highlighting the variety of paper types, grades, and some common terms when dealing with paper. Paper is a matted or felted sheet, usually composed of plant fiber. Over the years, paper has been made from a variety of materials including: hemp, cotton, sugar cane, and straw. Today paper is mostly made from cellulose fiber derived from wood.

Cellulose fiber can be derived from a variety of plants. The cellulose fibers construct each type of paper. The longer the fiber, results in stronger paper. The negative aspect of long fibers, is they tend to have a rougher texture and surface. Different pulping methods can also impact the strength and the structure of the paper being produced. Mechanical pulping extracts the cellulose from the wood by cutting it. This is the most economical method of pulping. The downside is that the mechanical pulping reduces the cellulose fiber length. Chemical pulping allows the cellulose fibers to remain intact and undamaged, resulting in stronger paper.

The following list of paper types gives a general description of  different paper products available.

Newsprint- Newsprint is composed of 95% economical wood pulps. Newsprint commonly has a low brightness, and a high oil absorbency rate. Newsprint is commonly used for printing newspapers. In packaging, newsprint is often used for void-fill and cushioning. At U.S. Packaging & Wrapping, we sell recycled newsprint for void fill, while keeping the environment in mind.

Book Papers- Shares many characteristics with newsprint. Book paper is cut to a variety of sizes to fit multiple book sizes. A clay coating is often added to help enhance visual appearance.

Greaseproof Papers & Parchment Paper- Greaseproof papers are derived from chemical pulps and packed tightly to keep from absorbing fluids. Often times the paper is coated with a special poly coating to further enhance the ability to resist grease. Poly coated Kraft paper is different from parchment paper, but can also be used to resist grease.

Kraft Paper- One of the strongest papers available, is used when maximum strength is needed. Kraft paper can be used for paper bags in the grocery store, void-fill, cushioning, interleaving, and a variety of other uses. The long fibers in Kraft paper make it strong, but poor for printing.

Bleached Kraft Paper- Bleached Kraft paper is ideal for when appearance is an issue. When the Kraft paper will be printed on, the paper is coated and smoothed.

Tissue Paper-  Tissue paper is a term commonly used to refer to a lighter paper. Tissue paper is often used in packaging for void-fill in baskets and smaller objects.

Label Paper- Similar to book paper, often coated to allow better printing qualities. Label paper can be coated on one or two sides.

Pouch papers- Pouch papers are virgin Kraft papers treated with plasticizers to make them more pliable. A common use for pouch paper is soap wrappers.

Container boards- A container board is a Kraft board made for the liners of corrugated fiberboard. A container board is a strong board that is composed of long cellulose fibers. We sell a variety of corrugated boxes and boards on our website.

These are only a few common paper types and their characteristics. Our goal is to give consumers a brief overview of paper types to assist them when buying paper. We are not a paper company, but we do sell a variety of paper products that are used for packaging. Feel free to click on any of the links above to view the specific products in our store.