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.

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
Figure 4 :: Facts and Figures [Source: www.procarton.com/facts/basicinformation.php]

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.

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 6 :: Facts and Figures [Source: www.procarton.com/facts/basicfacts.php]