Dura-Fibre, Menasha, Wis., USA, says that its heavy weight folding carton line presents an alternative to mini-flute, offering superior quality graphics and high stacking strength—without the hassle of outsourcing lamination or offset printing. Traditionally, mini-flute has been the go-to for larger packaging applications that also require printed graphics. However, this requires folding carton converters to either offset post print directly on mini-flute, or outsource the lamination of lightweight bleached board to single face corrugate, the company explains.
Both options carry drawbacks, Dura Fibre notes. Outsourcing increases supply chain costs, impairs efficiency and quality control, and often entails minimum run requirements. Offset post printing may cause warping of the board, which affects press and die-cutting speeds. In addition, there are make-ready time and material losses.
According to Dura-Fibre, its folding carton substrates—Forte, Eclipse, Integrity, Blanc, Glacier, and EcoEarth—feature high-caliper constructions that address the limitations of mini-flute. The laminated construction of Dura-Fibre’s board eliminates the outsourcing process, as well as rippling and wash boarding for full-angle viewing on store shelf. The board is press ready for faster response times, and fewer converting steps increases speed-to market.
"Our laminated constructions offer a distinct advantage to folding carton converters by eliminating the outsourcing process for lamination," said Debbie Koschmann, director of sales. "We have seen outstanding growth in this segment and will continue to expand our offerings to meet demand."
Dura-Fibre heavy weight folding carton substrates have been reviewed and qualified to run on most Heidelberg, KBA, Komori and Manroland presses.
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