Paper & Board Packaging; Properties,

Specifications & Sourcing

Executing/Host Partner:

Session 3:

Supporting Partners:

Workshop: Procurement of Packaging for ExportsGuyana, 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

MDMD

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 tearMD

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

230 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)oo

MoistureContent %

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

colorseparation

printing plates

pressmake-ready

production printing

diecutting

digital proofs

mechanical proofs

sign-off

sign-off pressapproval

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

Standardreverse tuck

PDP

Frenchreverse tuck

PDP

Straight tuck

PDP

Airplane tuck

Tuck-End Carton Styles

Press-Sheet Utilization

Offset LithographyRepresents the bulk of carton printing production

RotogravureUsed where printing run lengths justify high initial plate cost

FlexographyUsed 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