1
Stacking crush
A box that holds 20 kg on a bench can still fail at the bottom of a pallet. Edge crush (ECT) predicts stacking strength; a burst figure does not. Ask for the ECT on the spec sheet.
ECT
Custom Boxes · Corrugated
Corrugated Box Manufacturer
Corrugated boxes for shipping and retail, made in our own workshop in Dongguan. Board, flute and wall are chosen from the packed weight and how far the box travels, then cut to your size from 100 pcs per size and design.
Corrugated box types
Five builds, five different jobs.
The flute sets the cushioning and the print surface; the closure sets how the box opens and how much space it takes in the container. Most orders are one of these five.
Single Wall
Everyday shipping cartons in single-wall corrugated. Carries most consumer goods and stacks two or three high in a warehouse; the flute is chosen from the packed weight.
Double Wall
Two fluting layers. For heavier products, pallet stacking and long sea transit where the bottom box carries the load.
Mailer Style
Self-locking mailer with a tear strip, so the customer opens it without a knife. Sized to the parcel tier rather than a pallet.
Tuck-Top
A one-piece carton with a tuck-in lid: no tape, ships flat, assembles in seconds. For lighter retail goods that travel in an outer carton.
Printed Corrugated
Flexo for one or two colours straight on the board; litho-lamination when the artwork needs full colour and fine detail.
In transit
What actually breaks a corrugated box.
Most damage is not the box being too thin. It is the wrong kind of strength for the way the box travels. These four are where it goes wrong, and what to specify instead.
Ask for the board spec
2
Puncture and corner damage
Parcel hubs damage corners, not panels. A second liner (double wall) or a corner protector takes that hit. More print does not make the corner stronger.
Double wall
3
Moisture
Corrugated loses a large share of its strength in high humidity. For sea freight, specify a moisture-resistant liner, or keep the outer carton sealed until it reaches the pack line.
Sea freight
4
Print against strength
Heavy ink coverage and printing across a fold weaken the crease. If the box has to carry weight, keep large solid areas off the fold lines and print one or two colours.
Print
Board selection
Start from the packed weight, not the box.
A starting point for a first quote. The final grade is confirmed against the packed weight, the stack height and the transit time, because a light box that travels by sea needs more board than the same weight going by road.
01
Under 5 kg, short transit
Single wall, E-flute around 1.5 mm. The standard shipping carton, printed flexo in one or two colours.
02
5-15 kg
Single wall A-flute around 5 mm, or a light double wall. We confirm from the packed weight and the stack height.
03
15-30 kg, stacked
Double wall. At this weight edge crush becomes the deciding figure, not burst.
04
Over 30 kg, or fragile
Double wall plus corner protection, or a pallet-fit base so the load sits on the pallet, not the walls.
05
Printed retail carton
E-flute. Thin wall, smooth surface, prints close to a folding carton — the choice when the box is seen on a shelf.
06
Sea freight, long dwell
Moisture-resistant liner; the flute choice stays the same. Humidity, not distance, is what softens the board.
Inner and outer size
A corrugated box has two sizes, and the wall is between them.
A folding carton is thin enough that the difference barely matters. A corrugated box is not: the board adds real millimetres, and quoting the wrong one is the most common reason a box does not fit.
01
Inner size is what the product sees
The usable space. Measure the product in its packaging position, then add 2-3 mm per side for wrap and inserts. This is the number a quote should start from.
02
Outer size is what freight sees
The footprint on the pallet and in the container. It is the inner size plus the wall on both sides, plus any handle or lid overhang.
03
The wall is not zero
E-flute around 1.5 mm adds roughly 3 mm to each dimension overall; A-flute around 5 mm adds about 10 mm. A box quoted on inner size and built to outer size will not fit.
04
Send both if you have them
If you are replacing a box, send the inner size and the board grade. If you are starting from the product, send the product dimensions with a photo and we will work the box size out.
Choosing the board
Three decisions, in this order.
1. The wall, from the packed weight
Single wall carries lighter products over short distances. Double wall adds a second fluting layer for heavier items, pallet stacking and long sea transit. Everything else follows from this choice.
2. The flute, from the print and the cushion
A fine flute (E, around 1.5 mm) gives a smooth surface for detailed print and a thin wall. A coarser flute (A, around 5 mm) gives more cushioning and stacking strength, with less print detail.
3. The liner, from the colour and the climate
Kraft liner is unbleached and stronger per gram; white top gives a cleaner base for print. For humid routes a moisture-resistant liner matters more than either.
Corrugated specifications
The four lines on a corrugated spec sheet.
These are the numbers that change both how the box performs and what it costs. Ask for all four on any quote you compare.
- E-flute
- Fine, ~1.5 mm
- The usual choice for printed mailers and retail cartons. Thin wall, smooth print surface.
- A-flute
- Coarse, ~5 mm
- More cushioning and stacking strength than E, with a rougher print surface.
- Double wall
- Two flutes
- Two fluting layers for heavy products, pallet stacking and long sea transit. The flute combination is confirmed per order.
- Kraft / white top
- Liner
- Kraft is stronger per gram and unbleached; white top prints cleaner. Both can take a moisture-resistant grade.
Inside the box
A box that fits is not a box that protects.
The carton stops the product leaving. The inside stops it moving. Those are two different parts, and only one of them is the box.
01
Folded paper insert
Cut from the same board, folded to a cavity that holds the product. Light, sorts with the carton, and the cheapest way to stop movement.
02
Corrugated fitment
A heavier insert for products with a base or a handle. Cut to the outline so the product sits at a fixed height inside the box.
03
Divider or partition
For several units in one carton. Keeps them from touching, which matters as much for printed surfaces as for glass.
04
When no insert is needed
A box cut to the product with 2-3 mm clearance and a tight fold can hold a rigid item without any insert. Tell us the product and we will say which case you are in.
What drives the price
Where the money goes on a corrugated run.
Four lines, in order of size. Knowing which one you are changing is the difference between a useful cost-down and a box that fails in transit.
01
Board is the largest line
The flute and the wall decide most of the unit price. Moving from single to double wall roughly doubles the board in the box, and the board is the biggest component.
02
Tooling is charged once
A cutting die is made for your size and charged on the first order. A repeat run at the same size and design does not pay it again.
03
Print: flexo or litho
Flexo prints one or two colours straight onto the board and is the cheaper route. Full-colour artwork needs litho-lamination, which adds a printed sheet and a mounting pass.
04
Freight: flat beats assembled
Unassembled boxes take a fraction of the container volume of assembled ones. Assembling at destination is often cheaper than shipping the empty space.
Buyer questions
Corrugated questions buyers actually ask.
The six that come up when a spec is being fixed, answered with numbers where a number exists.
Send the packed weight and the route and we will confirm the board before quoting.
Get a quote
Send the packed weight, not just the size
The weight and the route decide the board. Send both with the product size and quantity and we will come back with the grade, the price and the lead time.
Email
sales@boxeschina.com
Phone
+86 132 1510 9191
Address
Weiyuan Road, Humen Town
Dongguan, Guangdong, China 523900
Hours
Mon–Fri, 9:00–18:00 (Beijing time)
Inquiry
Send the details
Share the product, the packed weight and the destination.
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