As Taiwan-based Champion Machinery explains, these days, corrugated boxes can be used in a wide range of applications. In fact, corrugated packaging can be used for almost all consumer goods and lifestyle products, including electrical appliances, computers, toys, gift items, food, and even large items like furniture, equipment, machinery, and so on.

 

In addition, many companies now print their logos, product names, and even product specifications on the outside of the corrugated boxes they use, and if the box's exterior surface deteriorates or becomes damaged or deformed, this carefully designed artwork can lose its appeal and important information may become obscured or lost, Champion notes. 

 

Making a smooth corrugate surface might sound simple, the company continues. However, if you want to make 1,000, 10,000, or even a million corrugated surfaces with a uniform smoothness, this is definitely not an easy thing to do, it adds. When paper is heated or cooled, the degree of humidity in the air can lead to unevenness in the board and even cause a deterioration in quality, which can not only cause the corrugated surface to change but may also lead to a loss in the functionality of the box in protecting the contents inside.  

 

During the past 40 years, Champion Machinery has come to specialize in one thing—making the smoothness of every corrugated surface uniform, it says. The company was selected 2011 Taiwan Number 1 Brand. Its corrugated machine production line system has more than 40 international patents. Champion also has more than 60 international clients, including Sony, MSI, Zespri, Starbucks (Taiwan), and Double A, all of which use corrugated products made by their machineries.

 

These past few years, however, in addition to its commitment to quality, Champion has also continued to consider carefully how best to help its clients save money. After undertaking a series of processes to optimize its equipment, the company has now launched three new and important transformations to its machinery and systems that will bring increased ease and savings to its customers, it points out.

 

Champion has been able to reduce the temperature in its corrugated box production process by 20 degrees C (from 170 degrees C down to 150 degrees C). In addition, the vapor pressure now required is only 66% of the original (from 2.5 ton-steam/10,000 sq. meters down to 1.65 ton-steam/10,000 sq. meters). These dramatic transformations mean that energy consumption has been significantly reduced. At the same time, carbon dioxide emissions have been reduced by 25%.

 

A traditional machine takes about 12 people to operate, but Champion Machinery's new machine system requires only eight people. In addition, each production line is now capable of producing 30 meters of corrugated product per minute, which means production capacity has increased 1.3 times.

 

 

 

With traditional machines that require higher temperature and pressure, warping of the corrugated surface and broken scoring lines often occur during the wintertime. In addition, during the rainy season, traditional production lines face challenges because of the extra moisture absorbed by the board, which weakens its edges. Normally, the raw paper's density (GSM) must be increased by about 3% of the total original paper weight to compensate for this weakness. However, with Champion's low temperature, low pressure system, annoying problems like these can be avoided.

 

Furthermore, in traditional production lines, the original paper roll usually shrinks about 0.8% in both length and width due to temperature changes during the conversion process, Champion points out. With the company’s new production process, there is less paper width waste, which means a dramatic reduction in paper usage. In fact, this new machinery can mean average savings of up to 5.8% on raw paper usage.

More information is available online.