How Strong Is A Heavy Duty Cardboard Box?

When you look at the humble cardboard box, you may not be confident of the strength of the material. It is made of paper and you can fold it or modify it with your hands. But do not be under the misconception that these are weak in any way. This is no ordinary packing material. Cardboard boxes are made with flutes which are present between the layers of the material. It is this arrangement which provides immense strength to the packaging material.

Did you know that at one point of time, these corrugated boxes were produced as an attempt to replace the wooden boxes completely? Before you become judgmental, let me clear the air. If you think that you can store heavy products in single corrugated boxes and expect it to bear the weight easily then you are mistaken. The packaging will give away in this case. There are special heavy duty shipping boxes that are designed specifically for heavy duty usage and these usually have three layers of flutes or a single layer of large sized flutes. This particular arrangement makes the material as strong as any piece of lumber.

As is evident from the above explanation, you need to find out the most suitable customized boxes for your specific needs. If you have heavy products then you should go for a tri-layered corrugated box or a dual layer box. For light weighted requirements, a single layered corrugated box would be more than sufficient. The material in itself is durable enough and can hold up to external forces but there should not be any wear and tear or damage on the material as this could prove to be a weakness.

Moreover the design of the box matters a lot also. If you consider an egg, you would believe it to be fragile. But if you were to apply pressure on its ends, then you would be amazed at the amount of force that it can bear. It has been known to support heavy objects when placed in the appropriate balanced position. The same applies to heavy duty shipping boxes. You may not be able to judge their strength by merely looking at it but when you see it in action, you would be amazed at the capabilities of this simple yet durable packaging material. 

How to Protect Your Deliveries When Selling Online

Auction sites and online market places have really made it convenient for the common man to sell his wares. This is even good for small businesses who are on the lookout for low risk ecommerce facilities that could give their products a good enough platform. While these platforms may offer assistance with the logistics, the packaging has to be done by you.

In this business arrangement, you are the seller even if you are an individual wishing to sell out a used product. As a seller, you are responsible for ensuring the safety of the product till it reaches the buyer. In case the product is packaged in a damaged manner or it gets damaged during transit, the cost of the damages have to be borne by you. However, if you do push your luck and send the damaged product to the customer, then it is bound to be returned accompanied by complaints and negative feedbacks which would affect your profile as well as reliability on the platform. Moreover, you would have to bear the costs that were applicable for the particular transactions. With a little precautions and proper packaging, you can avoid all of these hassles completely and in the process, you would be able to make your customer very happy.

How do you understand the packaging requirements for your product? Surely you do not want to just buy heavy duty shipping boxes and stuff your products in it. It would be a fruitless endeavour. Try and understand the specific requirements of the products that you intend to send. This will give you a list of requirements such as fragility of the product, the need for protecting it against static electricity or moisture, specific storage environments, etc. All of these information will help you to come up with the perfect packaging solution that is not only compliant with the specifications of the product, but also with its protective storage requirements.

The next consideration that you need to make is to understand the duration of the packages’ journey. If it is being sent overseas then you need to find the appropriate mode of transport in keeping with the product’s characteristics. There could be temperature or other requirements that would have to be complied with. Moreover, you would have to check whether the packaging is in lines with the international standards for packing and labelling. Even a minor mistake could prevent your product from being shipped beyond national borders.

As soon as you are aware of the possible weaknesses of your product and the risks that are evident during their transit, you can go about coming with the perfect package design. The following is a brief overview of some common products and their packaging requirements.

PRODUCT	PROTECTION REQUIREMENTS
	Bubble Wrap	Foam Wrap	Cushioning	Anti-Static	Corner	Moisture
Electronics	Yes	Yes		Yes		Yes
Apparel						Yes
Glassware / Fragile Items	Yes	Yes	Yes
Metals / Corrosive Substances					Yes	Yes
Pictures / Posters (with Frames)	Yes	Yes			Yes	Yes
Heavy Weight Products			Yes
Porcelain Items	Yes	Yes	Yes
Wooden Products						Yes
Books		Yes				Yes

White corrugated boxes (available wholesale) are best for shipping your products as the white background helps to showcase your brand and even displays the labels clearly. By selecting the right package size, your can minimize packaging and logistics costs. Single fluted corrugated boxes are good for light weighted and small items while double fluted ones may be needed for those that require extra protection. Metals and heavy weight products should necessarily be packed in triple fluted corrugated boxes or the ones in which the size of the flutes is big. This should give the package added protection. These precautions will help you to ensure that the product reaches your customer safely and in the best manner possible with minimal expenses being levied on the way.