Classification of packaging cartons

Packaging cartons are frequently employed in the sales packaging of a wide range of products, including food, medicine, and electronics. With varying transportation and sales requirements, the types of cartons and paper boxes are becoming increasingly diverse; thus, how can we classify cartons and paper boxes, and what are the methods of classification? The following is based mostly on two areas of analysis.

1. Classification of packaging cartons

Packaging cartons are more complex and diverse than cartons. The common classification method is according to the processing method of cartons to distinguish. Generally, it is divided into folding cartons and pasted cartons.

Folding carton is a kind of sales packaging with wide applications and many structural changes. It is generally divided into tube folding cartons, tray folding cartons, tube tray folding cartons, non-tube non-tray folding cartons, and so on.

Like folding cartons, sticker cartons can be divided into three categories: tube, tray, and both tube and tray according to the molding method. Each major type of carton can be subdivided into many subcategories according to different local structures, and some functional structures can be added, such as combinations, window openings, additional carrying handles, etc.

2. Classification of cartons

The common classification is according to the corrugated shape of cardboard. There are four main types of corrugated cardboard fluting: A flute, B flute, C flute, and E flute. Generally speaking, cartons used for outer packaging mainly use A, B, and C fluting; medium packaging uses B and E fluting; and small packaging mostly uses E fluting. In the production and manufacture of corrugated cartons, the distinction is generally made by the box type of the carton.

The box type structure of corrugated boxes is generally based on the box type standard jointly developed by the Federation of European Corrugated Box Manufacturers (FEFCO) and the Swiss Association of Cardboard (ASSCO). This standard is approved by the Corrugated Board Association and is commonly used throughout the world. According to the box type standard, box structures can be divided into two categories: basic and combined.

The basic type, or basic box type, is illustrated in the standard and is generally expressed in four digits, with the first two indicating the type of box and the last two indicating different carton patterns within the same box type.

China's standard GB6543-86 reference box type standard series provides the basic box type of single corrugated carton and double corrugated carton for transport packaging, and its box type code is shown in the table below. However, in the late 1980s, with changes in distribution channels and market sales forms, several non-standard corrugated cartons with novel structures emerged, and with each new structure came a set of corresponding fully automated packaging systems or packaging equipment, greatly enriching the market for carton applications.

These new non-standard cartons mainly include wrap-around cartons, split cartons, triangular column cartons, and large cartons.