This paper firstly analyzes the technical requirements and basic principles of carton packaging structure design. The paper introduces in detail the current trends in the carton technology of various types of goods and the market trends in international carton packaging. The paper also summarized the development and application status of cosmetic packaging cartons and micro-corrugated cardboard boxes.

Carton Design Overview

Carton structure design basis

The structure of the carton is divided into two major categories: Set-up Carton and Folded Carton.

Stationary carton - pre-cut, indentation, use of bonding, sewing, nailing and other methods of molding, fixed structure so that it can not be disassembled, folded, flattened during transport and after use. It is suitable for packaging containers that require high protection and more expensive goods. Most of them are handmade and have low productivity.

Folding carton - pre-cutting, indentation, slotting, mainly by folding forming, when used to expand, when transported and after use can be flattened, flattened. The folding paper box has the advantages of innovation, convenience, practicality, beauty, and saving, and is suitable for industrial production.

The form of the carton structure should be closely linked with the attributes of the goods. The basis for the design of the carton structure is:

1 The nature of the product: heat resistance, moisture resistance, fragility, flammability, mildew resistance, insect resistance, and other performance requirements of the interior product.

2 Product morphology: liquid, solid, paste, gas, block, particle, powder and other material forms.

3 Positioning of commodities: consumer objects, sales markets, etc.

4 storage and transportation of goods: transportation routes, storage environment, transportation tools, storage and transportation conditions.

Basic requirements for carton design

1 Convenient and practical: The material, structure, shape, decoration, and shape of the carton must be easily stored, circulated, displayed, sold, carried, and used.

2 Protection: It is a key issue for paper packaging containers because protection is one of the main functions of packaging. Its materials and internal and external structures should be sturdy and reliable, impact resistant, pressure resistant, and moisture proof.

3 Rationality: Paper packaging should be scientific, reasonable and appropriate. That is, we strive to achieve simple structure, material saving, light weight, good strength, and opposition to exaggeration, luxury, and waste.

4 innovation: a wide range of goods, increased consumer demand, paper packaging should also continue to change and introduce new. Innovative design should reflect individuality and characteristics, be innovative, and be coordinated with the value of goods, purchasing power and practicality.

The basic principle of carton design

1 The concept of three-dimensional structure: the use of paper material characteristics of easy deformation, bending, twisting, stretching, compression, indentation, cutting, socketing, bonding, superimposed, encircling, cross-connect and other means, plus the use of linear , Body mass, color, texture, texture, perspective and other visual languages, creating a rich and colorful three-dimensional image.

2 box bottom structure: plug insert tongue type, insert lock type, adhesive seal type, automatic lock bottom type, folding back type, partition wall type, shallow disk type.

3 box body structure: through the incision at the different parts of the carton body surface, increase and decrease, pressure lines, arc pressure, folding, shape combination, taking into account the practicality and appreciation, to obtain a variety of physical variation.

4 carton classification structure: swing cover type, buckle cover type, portable, pumping type, open window type, Chen Zhan type, easy open type, modular type, special-shaped box, gift box and so on.

Carton Packaging Technology Development Trend

Carton packaging gives people an orderly, safe and reliable impression, with original natural flavor, easy to open, easy to handle, simple to handle, especially in conveying product brand name and natural flavor more effective. The carton pack exudes a pleasant feeling: warm, breathable, and even scented. The product does not seem to be bound by the packaging, but also takes into account the surface layer, solid and light effects. In particular, it matches the atmosphere of a certain culture, and it is an ideal packaging for advanced products. It complements each other and makes a difference.

Carton packaging can better reflect the product's brand connotation: color tone, design style, pattern and surface texture. Therefore, carton packaging is favored by many famous cosmetics brands, especially as a gift, or when it is necessary to remind attention to the correct use. The carton pack used for frozen foods has the following characteristics: the quantity of the contents is small, and the product demand is large; the original contents are original, the description texts attached to the products are readable; the packaging is easy to open and capped; the contents of the package are well protected; Gives a solid, reliable and stable impression; products are sold under a prestigious brand.

In terms of pastry packaging, the carton has an indisputable advantage. It maintains and maximises the joyful atmosphere that the cake brings. The fresh, delicious and fragrant tempting of the cakes are reflected through the packaging; the trays are easy to open and pleasant, and they stimulate people's appetite. Similarly, the refined effect of carton packaging materials, orderly placement, and colorful exterior decoration all make the cake the best gift and meet the needs of customers.

Cardboard cartons are a wide variety of widely used sales packaging containers. Its manufacturing process is relatively complex, and it needs to go through the process of fixed-width paper cutting - decorating printing - varnish coating - die-cutting indentation - folding and pasting boxes. In the past, each process was mainly based on single-function single-function production, and some were supplemented by manual operations. The production efficiency was low, the labor intensity was high, and the quality of the paper box was not high. With the application of CAD/CAM, CNC, laser and other high-tech technologies in the carton industry, the mechanization and automation of the carton have been greatly improved. For example, the emergence of high-speed automatic flat die-cutting presses is nearly 10 times faster than the manual work of the past, and the successful development of the fully automatic folder-gluer has ended the history of commonly-used carton binders. The use of CAM equipment such as automatic knife cutters, automatic machete cutters, carton proofers, and CNC laser pattern cutters can be described as a technological revolution in the production of carton dieboards.

In March 2005, Lipton, a subsidiary of Unilever Foods, installed the Markem SmartLase laser coding system on 13 tea cartons. Lipton previously used the waxing equipment to mark and code the carton. Because the coding of the waxing equipment was insufficient, the company felt that it was necessary to replace the existing equipment. Wax-based coding may be physically damaged and may be wiped off the packaging. The factory installed 12 SmartLase systems. SmartLase laser encoders are low-power carbon dioxide digital systems that can process high-quality, permanent codes quickly. These encoders are compact and provide clear and clear marks and codes. Low operating costs, high reliability, and compact design. The laser encoder accelerated the production speed of Lipton's packaging line, greatly improved the coding quality of printing, and did not use toxic ink or consumables.

In November 2004, the University of Neuenkamm, the company Akztier, which manufactures lasers, and Elopak, which manufactures carton packs, used industrial UV lasers, polyethylene pre-pressed and aluminum coated cardboard containers. Bacterial spores on the inner surface kill. Through research, it has been found that using a laser to emit ultraviolet rays can quickly and effectively sterilize carton packs in a total of 5 seconds, and it can completely kill bacterial spores in carton packs without the use of hydrogen peroxide. Studies have shown that if hydrogen peroxide remains in carton packs for food and beverages, the shelf life of the product will be significantly reduced. Although it is possible to manufacture laser sterilizers in commercial production at present, it is difficult to do so because of excessive costs.

The French packaging industry is increasingly producing biodegradable packaging bags or reducing packaging to reduce waste. This is the latest information from the International Packaging Show held in Verpante, Paris.

According to statistics, from 1997 to 2003, consumption in France increased by 11%, while packaging waste decreased by 3%. In the past, the packaging industry was seen as a supplier of waste. Today, packaging can add value to products without generating waste. Environmental protection has become the consensus of the packaging industry. From the perspective of future development trends, the packaging industry will highlight two features: First, use natural materials to make bags, such as corn starch to make degradable bags; second, do not use polystyrene pads in the box. To reduce packaging waste.

At present, German companies have put forward three new requirements for packaging cartons (boxes) used in exporting food in China: 1. The outer box cannot have wax paper or oily paper; 2. It should be sealed with glue as much as possible. PVC or other plastic tape. If you have to use plastic tape, but also use PE / PB tape; 3, the outer carton (box) can not use any metal plastic nails or clips, glue can only be glued to all sides. The purpose of these new requirements put forward by German companies for food packaging cartons (boxes) is to facilitate the recycling of cartons (boxes), to reduce the pollution to the environment, and to prevent the packaging papers from causing food contamination.

There is a gap between the performance of China's paper packaging container manufacturing equipment and the advanced level of similar foreign equipment, mainly reflecting on the technical content of equipment. Paying attention to the application of high-tech has become the main way to improve the advancedness and reliability of the equipment. In the future, modern design methods such as CAD, CAE, finite element analysis, optimization design, reliability design, parallel design, and modular design should be widely used in the development of paper packaging container manufacturing equipment, and modern manufacturing technologies such as CAM, CNC, and CAPP should be vigorously adopted. In order to improve the design and manufacturing level of the equipment. It is also necessary to vigorously promote and apply microcomputer control technology, on-line monitoring and display technology to meet the requirements of multi-functionality, high reliability, easy operation, and low cost, and to increase the flexibility and adaptability of the equipment.