We at Aopack are manufacturers and suppliers of corrugated boxes and cartons of all sizes, shapes, and qualities.

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1. What is a carton supplier?

Carton (English carton or hard paper case): It is the most widely used packaging product. Corrugated cartons, single-layer cartons, etc., are available in different specifications and models according to their materials. A carton supplier is a factory that mass-produces and sells various items. They provide cartons for those businesses that need ready-made or custom cartons and more.

Carton suppliers often supply three-ply and five-ply cartons. Seven layers are less used. According to the number of layers, it is divided into liner paper, corrugated paper, core paper, and surface paper. The color and feel of various papers are different, and the paper (color, feel) produced by different carton suppliers is also different.

2. What equipment is needed to become a carton supplier?

Here are some of the equipment necessary to become a carton supplier:

  • Press: This can be semi-automatic, manual, or fully automatic.
  • Forming equipment: nail box machine, plastic box machine, also divided into fully automatic and semi-automatic.
  • Laminating machine, which covers a layer of transparent plastic film on the carton.
  • Paper splitter, thin knife machine: cut the raw cardboard into the required cardboard size.
  • Laminating machine, manual version of laminating machine.
  • The paper feeder, the paper feeding at the front of the printing machine, is equivalent to fully automatic paper feeding, faster than manual paper feeding.
  • There is also other equipment: such as die-cutting machines, which can produce special-shaped cartons or small cartons with high processing precision.

Carton Supplier FAQ Guide-01

3. What is the working process of the carton supplier?

The production process of the carton factory:

1) order

Cartons are also customized products. After receiving the order, determine what kind of paper the customer needs. The surface paper is divided into a white paper and kraft paper, and the bottom paper is generally kraft paper. The weight is chosen by the customer. There are several layers of corrugated paper in the middle, including A, B, E, and corrugated paper. See which one or several kinds are produced in your factory.

2) Cardboard production

The order taker calculates the size, places the order, and goes to the workshop to produce the cardboard. Some carton factories belong to first-class factories, and they arrange everything from base paper production to cardboard by themselves. Some carton mills buy cardboard from outside manufacturers. They don’t need to produce the cardboard themselves, they only need to order the corresponding size of cardboard from other manufacturers. The produced cardboard bobblehead parts are all pressed. At that point, you can simply print directly.

3) Prepare the printing plate

The cardboard is made and needs to be printed. Where do printed words or pictures come from? Generally, large factories have their own printing rooms, and the staff in the printing room will engrave their own plates. Some printing factories also process outside. They only need to give the carton samples to the engraving company, and the engraving company can engrave the plate according to the samples. After the production is completed, it is sent to the carton factory. Currently commonly used resin version. Of course, the engraving efficiency of your own company will be higher.

4) Printed cardboard

Cartons generally have watermarks, and the color is relatively single. Generally, there are one or two colors in the middle. Color printing is generally more than four colors. Before cardboard printing, the machine needs to be adjusted according to the size, and one or two sheets should be printed to check the printing content and color size. In the manufacturing process, it is important that the cardboard printing machine can slot multiple items at once.

5) Glue or staple the carton

Once the cardboard is printed, the next step is to bring the two ends of the cardboard together. Whether to use glue or nails depends on the customer’s requirements. Gluing is to manually glue the two ends together with special glue. When nailing, you need to use a stapler to staple the ends together. If it’s a special-shaped carton, it’s not like shaking your head up and down. It requires one more process, mold opening, and after printing, it is made into a special shape with a die-cutting machine.

6) Packaging and storage

The final step is packing. When packing, five boxes or ten boxes are usually used as a group, and the boxes are packed by a box packing machine. According to the order quantity, put the carton into storage, and wait for the customer to pay for the delivery.

Carton Supplier FAQ Guide-02

4. What are the costs and benefits for the carton supplier?

The gross profit rate of cartons is generally 10%-40%, of course, there are higher ones, but this mainly depends on the supplier’s public relations. If you are a small carton supplier, it is best to have a certain amount of business before you start buying machines and renting workshops.

However, for unfamiliar fields, it is still necessary to listen to the opinions of experienced people. Because the carton is a supporting product for consumer goods, it can be said that as long as people have consumption and enterprises have products, there will be no shortage of product packaging. In terms of packaging materials, carton packaging accounts for a large part of the weight. Therefore, the carton factory is very optimistic about the prospects.

For carton suppliers, it is best to have their own business, otherwise, it is like fighting a war without confidence. But if your personal business ability is better, you can also publicize it to other manufacturers. After all, it is impossible to have relatives and friends who need cardboard boxes. Without “relationships”, we can become bigger and stronger. However, carton suppliers are different from ordinary companies that produce products.

Ordinary enterprises are aimed at direct consumers and need to have their own sales network, sales staff, and sales methods. Carton suppliers need to find the right customers and use their tools to win business. Perhaps, the food factory, electrical appliance factory, furniture factory, and toy factory you entered can become your customers.

In addition to having a business, you have to choose your own factory. Cartons are flammable and afraid of water. This is the disadvantage of the carton. If handled properly, there will be no problems. It is best to avoid low-lying, rainy, and watery places for site selection.

Do not stack cardboard directly on the ground. Brackets are a good option. At the same time, smoking and open flames must be prohibited in the factory area, and fire-fighting equipment must be equipped to ensure production safety as much as possible. The initial plant area should be more than 500 square meters or smaller. Some of our customers build houses in rural areas for production, of course, this is only a minority. The factory site is preferably located in or near the industrial park, which is convenient for business expansion and can also reduce transportation costs.

If we have businesses and factories, we need machines now. Facing manufacturers from all over the world and salesmen from all over the world to sell their products to you, how should you choose? What configuration is best for you? This is what experienced people will tell you.

The two most basic machines needed by general carton suppliers are ink printing slotting machines and nail box machines. The ink printing slotting machine is the production equipment, and the nail box machine is the forming equipment.

Carton Supplier FAQ Guide-03

5. What safety issues should be paid attention to as a carton supplier?

Here are some tips:

  • The layout of the production workshop should be closely combined with the requirements of production technology, sanitation, fire protection and explosion protection.
  • The stacking height of the produced cardboard and cartons shall not exceed 2 meters; people and vehicles shall be separated into lanes, and the roads shall be smooth;
  • In places prone to failure and flammability, eye-catching safety colors and safety signs should be configured;
  • The location of fire extinguishers and escape routes must be clear;
  • The warehouse where the cartons are stored must have strict management systems and fire prevention measures. Base paper, ink, and fuel oil should be stored separately with protective walls.
  • The general transportation channel is 2.1m-3.3m wide, which is convenient for forklift employees to pass through.
  • As a result of the characteristics of carton production plants, the general production area is relatively large, and the stacked cardboard and cartons are generally large and tall in height, which affects the lighting and lighting of the workshop to a certain extent.
  • Check out the content presented above if you have a friend who wants to open a carton factory.