A corrugated box is made in two big steps. First, a corrugating line turns paper reels into flat sheets of board. Then converting machines turn those sheets into printed, cut and glued boxes. Here is how the stages fit together, with links to the machines in each category.
1. Making the board
The wet end of the line forms the board. Mill roll stands, preheaters, single facers, the bridge, the gluing machine and the double facer combine liners and fluted mediums into 3, 5 or 7 ply board.
2. Sizing the sheets
At the dry end, the slitter scorer and cut-off cut the continuous board to width and length and add the fold lines. NC machines change sizes quickly between orders.
3. Printing, slotting and die-cutting
Most boxes are printed. A flexo printer slotter die-cutter prints the sheet, cuts the slots that form the flaps and, where needed, die-cuts handles or shapes in one pass. Semi-automatic VT series machines and automatic KM-900 to KM-1400 lines cover different sizes and outputs.
4. Precise shapes
For complex shapes, trays and retail packs, die cutting and creasing machines cut and crease the sheet with a die. Chain-feed rotary machines handle simpler corrugated cuts.
5. Laminating printed sheets
High-quality retail packaging often starts as a printed paper sheet. A flute laminator bonds that printed sheet to corrugated board before it is die-cut.
6. Closing the box
The flat blank becomes a box at the folder gluer or stitcher. Folder gluers fold and glue the joint automatically; stitchers close heavy boxes with wire.
7. Stacking, strapping and finishing
Stackers, feeders and strapping machines move boards and boxes between machines and bundle finished goods for dispatch.
Indian carton machinery
Some box makers prefer individual machines for each step. Our range of Indian carton machinery covers flexo printing, reel stands, pasting, rotary cutting, sheet cutting, stitching, die-punching and slotting.
Whatever stage you are planning, the details that matter are your board, your sheet sizes and your daily output. Share them with us and we will suggest the machines that fit.
