Industry example :: Pro Carton ::
[Previous :: Packaging]
Overview
Over 50% of cartons used in Europe are made of recovered fibre, i.e. waste paper.
The diagram below shows the lifecycle of cartonboard and cartons (fibre-based packaging) that timber and paper waste is used to manufacture.
It is sent to printers or converters in the form of sheets or reels and then printed, cut and creased and folded and glued to make cartons or boxes.
Any waste at this stage can be collected and sent back to the cartonboard mills for use as raw material to make more cartonboard.
The cartons are then used by a packer filler to put the product into crates and it is then distributed to the retail sector. When the cartons are disposed of as waste after use, they can be collected and reused as raw material in the cartonboard Mills.
Figure 1 :: The Lifecycle of Paper and Board
[Source: www.procarton.com/facts/lifecycle.php]
Excellent representations of consumers' preference for carton (predominantly fibre-based) packaging are illustrated by the surveys conducted on behalf of Pro Carton. In one survey an overwhelming 41% preferred carton packaging as opposed to other types, such as tin or glass.
[See www.procarton.com/buyers/consumerappeal.php]
Carton Production
Carton Production starts with the design of the product, originating either with the printer or designers who send their work to the printer. The graphics are then transferred to a computer and from this a printing plate for each colour is prepared.
Many cartons can be printed on each sheet of cartonboard and so a layout is worked out to ensure that as little cartonboard as possible is left unused. This layout is also used to prepare the cutting and creasing forms that are used later in the production process.
Figure 2 :: Overall layout of carton production
Cartonboard in either sheets or reels, is loaded into the Printing machine and printed in one pass with each colour being added in turn. As well as the colours, a varnish is also usually printed after the colours. Digital printing although in its infancy, is still used in about half a dozen mills around the UK. Digital printing is used on flat surfaces for what is deemed by some to be greater clarity.
The sheets are then taken to a machine that cuts the cartons and also puts in the creases that enable it to be folded in a later operation. It is also possible to add embossing during this operation (when an indentation of a specific pattern is made on the paper). When the cartons have been cut and creased, they are moved through to the gluing line where the cartons are folded and glued. The cartons are then packed for shipment to the carton user who puts them onto their packing line for filling.
Figure 3 :: Machines used for cutting, stripping and creasing the carton
| Total turnover of the Carton industry | 6.6 billion Euro 7.3 billion US $ Total Cartonboard |
|---|---|
| Tonnage consumed | 3.3 million tonnes |
| This is enough to produce approx | 32 billion 500gm cereal cartons |
| The number of carton producers is approx | 1000 |
| Employees in carton production is | 57000 |
| Exports represent as a % of production | 16% Average consumption per capita in Europe is approx 10kgs per capita |
| Carton usage for food applications | 54% of total consumption |
Cartonboard
Manufacturing process
Pulp and waste paper fibre is mixed with water to create a dilute mixture. This is fed into the Cartonboard machine, which drains the water from the mixture to form a sheet. Various other processes are used to extract further moisture such as pressing and steaming. The sheet is then coated up to four times and put onto large reels where it is then cut into the desired form for distribution and sale.
Figure 5 :: Cartonboard reeling and cutting machines
[Source: www.procarton.com/education/boardmanufacture.php]
Types of Cartonboard
- Solid Bleached Board (SBB,SBS),
- Solid Unbleached Board (SUB),
- Folding Boxboard (FBB,GC),
- Whitelined Chipboard (WLC,GD)
| Total cartonboard production in Europe This is equivalent to a strip 1 metre wide 16 million kilometres long; or enough to reach the moon and back 20 more than times. |
5.5 million tonnes |
|---|---|
| Total cartonboard consumption in Europe | 4.5 million tonnes |
| Exports outside Europe | 18% |
| Number of producing companies approx | 25 |
| Number of employees approx | 9000 |
Figure 7 :: Split between Major Grades of Cartonboard
[Source: www.procarton.com/facts/basicfacts.php]
Consumer Information
The Pro Carton website contains excellent descriptions of the manufacturing process, as well as interesting and informative research and survey results. The figures indicate that not only do consumers associate cartons with a better quality product, but they also recognise products more easily when packaged in cartons.
www.procarton.com/buyers/brandenhancement.php
It is also clear from the results presented that retailers will find cartons cost effective and efficient to deal with at the checkout.
Information sourced from Pro Carton :: www.procarton.com
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