What products do you use strong 7-ply cartons for?

Although 3-ply and 5-ply cartons are very popular and readily used in the transport, packaging industry, they have insufficient strength and resistance due to contact with very heavy goods. The solution is 7-layer cartons – less available, but very desirable. Where are they most often used?

What parameters should a good cardboard box meet?

Every cardboard box should have the right dimensions (inner and outer), construction (standard or individual design), type of cardboard and grammage (the higher, the higher the cardboard strength).

Waves in cardboard

Cardboard can be of different types, defined by so-called waves (corrugations). In 3-ply cardboard we distinguish between:

• E-wave (microwave) – with a thickness of 1.1-1.7 mm,
• B-wave – 2.5-3 mm thick,
• Wave C – 3-3.7 mm thick.

Wave C is the ultimate parameter that a lightweight 3-ply carton can achieve. Stronger 5-ply cartons have greater strength and durability. They will accommodate heavier items. When choosing such a box, you have a choice of cardboard with:

• EB wave – with a thickness of 3.7-5 mm,
• BC wave – over 6 mm thick.

The heaviest type of cardboard packaging is 7-ply cardboard boxes. These have a triple corrugation, expressed by the AAC and BCA wave – about 13 mm thick. They are very durable, almost indestructible cardboard boxes.

What is worth knowing about corrugated cardboard?

Corrugated cardboard is the paper-based material from which cardboard boxes are made. It is usually brown in colour, although it can also come in other sizes, shapes and colours. It is very strong. This characteristic is determined by a number of tests – crush flat (FCT), compression (BCT), column crush (ECT). The higher the density of corrugated board, the tougher, more resistant to mechanical damage the board is. The grammage can vary depending on the type of packaging:

• 3-ply cardboard has a weight of 280-560 g/m2,
• 5-ply cardboard has a weight of 570-1200 g/m2,
• finally: 7-ply cardboard has a weight of over 1200 g/m2.

What are the characteristics of 7-ply cardboard?

7-ply cardboard boxes retain all the main characteristics of lighter 5-ply and 3-ply cardboard boxes – ecologically and qualitatively. They are produced from incredibly strong corrugated cardboard with corrugations – as already mentioned – AAC and BCA (they oscillate at around 13 mm). They can be glued or sewn, made in any design (according to the FEFCO catalogue and additional customer guidelines).

Manufacturers of 7-ply cardboard boxes take care to make boxes available in many sizes. Carriers have their own rules and determine what dimensions shipments should have.

7-ply cardboard boxes vs. type of corrugated cardboard

7-ply corrugated cardboard has very resistant triple-thickness walls – heavy items can be packed in such cardboard boxes thanks to their construction. What about other types of cardboard? Boxes made of 5-ply corrugated cardboard are slightly lighter, although just as strong, resistant to moisture, mechanical damage – they can simply handle lighter items. Rigid packaging made of 3-ply cardboard is used more for packing lightweight goods.

Use of 7-ply cardboard boxes

7-ply cartons are mostly used for the transport of heavy and expensive goods. In addition, they are used in the automotive, foundry and metal industries. It is worth mentioning that 7-layer cartons are also suitable for the shipment of hazardous products. Wondering what it is like to ship dangerous goods – which packaging to choose for the transport of dangerous goods?

At RAJA, you can find special cardboard boxes for hazardous products (necessarily marked ONU). The largest of these (DAP55 and DAP70) are made of 7-layer cardboard, while others are made of 5-layer cardboard. On the outside, they have been additionally coated with ecological kraft paper. This is no coincidence – the additional kraft paper prevents crushing and possible abrasion. After use, they can be recycled.

For which cardboard boxes is 7-ply cardboard used?

7-ply cardboard (and more) is mainly used for the production of popular flap boxes. These consist of several distinctive flaps, placed at the bottom and top. Shipments, parcels? Only in flap boxes! This is a valued solution in the transport industry, for removals. The greater the thickness of the corrugated cardboard, the stronger and more durable the box. Not surprisingly, the shipment of heavy, bulky items is carried out using 7-layer or 5-layer cardboard boxes.

There are also other types of carton, including facade (die-cut) cartons and telescopic cartons. The former are closed with special overlaps (implemented grooves). A so-called die-cutting machine is used to produce them. Telescopic cartons are elongated, adjustable in length (from a few to several cm). They can accommodate several ordered products – no wonder they are popular in the e-commerce sector.

Regardless of the type of cardboard box, it is worth knowing, among other things, how to assemble cardboard boxes. This knowledge will save you time and nerves.

Ecological 7-layer cardboard boxes – what does this mean?

7-layer cardboard boxes are made of corrugated cardboard that is three times thicker than normal packaging. They can accommodate objects and goods weighing more than 100 kg. This is an impressive result.

The 7-ply cartons have been produced with ecology in mind. They are made – not coincidentally – from naturally derived materials, so they decompose easily in the environment and can be reused.

What do you need to know about 5-ply cardboard boxes?

Now that you’ve learned all about 7-ply cardboard boxes, let’s take a look at their lighter counterpart – 5-ply cardboard boxes. Their basic technical parameters are:

• high-grade corrugated cardboard,
• resistance to moisture, extreme temperatures, compression and mechanical damage, among others,
• excellent adhesion of adhesive tape to the packaging.

They can be purchased in two colours – grey or white.

Wondering what you use 5-ply cartons for? To be more precise, they are usually used for lighter household appliances, electronic equipment (e.g. cameras, laptops).

Ecological corrugated cardboard boxes – only at RAJA

In the RAJA shop you can find ecological and biodegradable (this is important) corrugated cardboard boxes, made of three types of cardboard: 3-ply, 5-ply and also 7-ply. You can expect them to be durable, strong and resistant to various mechanical damages.

The most commonly purchased cardboard boxes are flat, long, reinforced, with an automatic bottom, with adjustable height.

Interested customers can also choose from a variety of packaging accessories (e.g. various adhesive and self-adhesive tapes, tags, cardboard safety corners), parcel fillers, bubble and paper envelopes. There are even transport pallets among the range.