Corrugated fibreboard is made up of linerboard and the corrugated medium. The flat linerboard is adhered to the “wavy”, fluted medium to form the corrugated board. The flutes are made of fiberboard, the same as the linerboard, and provide corrugated sheets with strength, cushion, and compression resisting qualities. This can also be used for custom print. Board strength will vary depending on the various board and medium combinations.
There are 3 main types of corrugated board:
1. Singleface – Singleface consists of one liner adhered to one corrugated medium and is generally used as wrapping material, padding or for interior packaging.
Flutes – The “waves” on the corrugated medium are called flutes which, depending on the direction and the distance between the flutes, can provide stacking strength and/or cushioning. Corrugated board can be manufactured with different flute profiles. The Larger the flute, the greater the vertical compression strength and cushioning. Smaller flutes provide enhanced structural and print for use in retail packaging.
There are 3 standard flute shapes or profiles, which are distinguished by the distance between them.