Paper & Board Packaging; Properties,

Specifications & Sourcing

Executing/Host Partner:
Session 3:
Supporting Partners:
Workshop: Procurement of Packaging for Exports
Guyana, April 19-23, 2010
Supported with funding from:
Paper & Board Packaging
specifications
Product considerations:
Type/nature of the product: solid, liquid, etc.
Quantity/weight/volume to be packed
Critical attributes/characteristics of product
Filling/packing method and conditions
Product protection requirements physical,
climatic, biological, security, etc.
Commercial Considerations:
Quantities required/ordered
Delivery required/agreed
Packing & shipping instructions
Pricing, if agreed
Delivery clauses/insurance/terms of
payment
Paper Board and Packaging
specifications
Paper & Board Packaging Specifications
Technical Considerations:
Designation of the pack (type, style, if known)
Pack raw material(s): grade, quality, weight
Construction of pack, if known
Relevant dimensions & tolerances
Special features/properties/accessories
Graphic design/printing/decoration required
Applicable standards & test methods
Measuring paperboard
Paper and Board Specification Concerns
Cellulose fibre sources and significance of fibre length
Fibre directionality and related physical properties
Common paperboard grades
Paperboard properties
Paperboard packaging styles
Source Fibre length
hardwoods 2mm
softwoods 4mm
straw, bagasse < 2mm
recycled paper wide range, depending on source
Sources of Cellulose Fibre
Physical properties of paperboard such as tear strength,
burst strength, fold ability and stiffness increase as fibre
length increases
Mechanical economical
(ground wood) high fibre degradation
environmentally unstable,
poor colour
relatively weak papers
Chemical extraction costly
low fibre degradation
with sulphate makes strongest papers,
(Kraft process) environmentally stable
Paper Fibre Extraction (Pulping)
Bleaching: increases whiteness and brightness
causes some loss of strength
Brightness:
not the same as whiteness
measured on an arbitrary scale of 1 to 100
brighter papers provide more brilliant printing
paper of brightness 78 to 85 most commonly
used in packaging applications
Paper Bleaching and Brightness
Top liner: bleached
short fibre furnish
Fillers: low quality recyclate
Bottom liner: recycled newsprint
Typical construction of single white-lined newsback board
Bottom under-liner:
longer fibre recyclate
Under-liner: bleached
longer fibre furnish
Example of Cylinder (Vat-lined) Board
Common Name Description
Chipboard mostly low quality recycled paper
Bending chipboard mostly recycled with some longer fibre
Lined chipboard (SWL) single white lined for one side print
(DWL) double white lined for two side print
Clay coated newsback (CCNB) SWL with a gray newsback liner
Solid, unbleached (SUS) 100% chemical pulp
sulphate (may contain hardwood pulp)
Solid bleached sulphate (SBS) 100% bleached chemical pulp
Common Paperboards
coated unbleached coated unbleached virgin fibre
unbleached kraft unbleached virgin wood fibre
CNB clay coated newsback
coated newsback variations of SWL board
coated recycled
greyback
duplex
Term Description
food board typically highly sized SBS
Other Paperboard Terms
Paper Directionality
Paper is stiffer when bent across the grain (MD)
than along the grain.
Stiffness and Grain Direction
MD
MD
Paper is stiffer folded across the grain (MD) than
along the grain
Folding and Grain Direction
Tear strength across the grain (MD) is higher than
along the grain
Longer fibre length increases cross-grain tear strength
MD tear
MD
CD tear
Tearing and Grain Direction
All paper properties change with moisture content
Paper expands and contracts with moisture changes
typically 0.8% in MD and 1.6% in CD
Papers gain or lose moisture due to ambient humidity
Paper is always tested under standardized conditions
23
0
Celsius and 50% R.H.
Hygroscopic Behaviour of Paperboards
Dimensional changes can cause register problems
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
% Relative Humidity at 24 C (75 F)
o o
Moisture
Content %
Paper Moisture Content
Paper/foil laminate
at 40% R.H.
Paper/foil laminate
at 80% R.H.
Paper/foil laminate
at 20% R.H.
Humidity Change & Paper Curl
Folding boxes tube styles tray styles
&cartons baskets novelties
Set-up boxes cannot be knocked down flat (KDF)
Liquid containers gable top Tetrapak /Combibloc,etc.
Fibre cans spiral wound convolute wound
Carded displays blister packs skin packs
Paperboard Constructions
Corrugated Board Box for Bottled
Water
Corrugated board with
re-applied offset-
printed
paper liner, for 24 PET
water bottles.
Print carries brand
name,
bar code and implies
tropical -sourced pure
water
Folding carton for Tea, Tanzania
Standard-tuck
folding carton with
foil liner for export
tea bags.
Offset print carries
product data, bar
code, use-by date
and Standards
Bureau (TBS)
Certification
Paperboard basket for fresh produce
Flexographic
printed, lined,
Ventilated
corrugated board
box with clip-on
plastic handle, for
fresh peaches
Set-up box with tray, for tea, China
Rigid set-up
box with
separate lid
and divided
tray, for
ginseng tea
bags
Liquid holding cartons, Prismapak style
Paper/plastic
film/foil cartons,
VFFS type, for
processed soup
and fruit juice,
with security seal
and pour feature
Wound paperboard drum for salt, France
Spiral-wound
board drum
with plastic or
cork lids and
security seal
Card blisterpack for saffron, Spain
Paperboard
hanging card
with PET
blister
containing high
value saffron.
Theft and
tamper
resistant
Up to 1/2 lb. (230 g) 0.015 to 0.018 (380 to 450 mm)
1 lb. (450 g) 0.020 to 0.024 (500 to 600 mm)
2 lb. (900 g) 0.028 to 0.032 (700 to 800 mm)
Over 2 lb (>900 g) consider using E- or F- flute corrugated
Superficial characteristics of paperboard :
Colour and brightness Opacity Sizing level
Smoothness Gloss Cleanliness
Product weight Suggested paperboard caliper
Selection of Paperboard
structural
design
finishing
operations
CAD
sample
one-up
die
art dept.
production
die
machine
test
approved
art
color
separation
printing
plates
press
make-ready
production
printing
die
cutting
digital
proofs
mechanical
proofs
sign-off
sign-off
press
approval
Typical Carton Production
Sequence
Depth
Manufacturer's
joint
Width
Front panel
(principal display
panel)
Manufacturer's
joint
Working
crease
Working
crease
Rear panel
Tube-Style Carton Nomenclature
Incorrect grain direction Correct grain direction
Grain crossing the corner creases contributes to panel
flatness
Tube-Style Cartons - Grain Direction
PDP
Standard
reverse tuck
PDP
French
reverse tuck
PDP
Straight
tuck
PDP
Airplane
tuck
Tuck-End Carton Styles
Press-Sheet Utilization
Offset Lithography
Represents the bulk of carton printing production
Rotogravure
Used where printing run lengths justify high initial plate cost
Flexography
Used for board cases and plastic films; not often for cartons
Improved quality has encouraged carton printing applications
Hot-stamp printing, embossing, windowing etc. are
off-line operations that require separate preparation
Carton Printing and Decorating
Inch Gauge Mil Micrometre
0.001 inch = 100 gauge = 1 mil =25 mm
0.0005 inch = 50 gauge = 1/2 mil = 13 mm
0.002 inch = 200 gauge = 2 mil = 51mm
Metric measure definitions (ISO) & conversion factors:
Micron is an abbreviation for micrometre
One inch = 25.4 millimetres and
0.001 inch = 25.4 micrometres
Paper & Board Thickness Measurement