Inline corrugated board creasing

Abstract

Corrugated board sheets that are used in corrugated boxes have to be cut and creased before being folded and glued in the shape of the final box. Cutting and creasing are done by rolling a sheet of corrugated between rollers, carrying ribs that either cut or crease the corrugated. This technology is applied for decades and performs very well. However the rollers have to be prepared in advance and one pair of rollers is required for each type and each dimension of a box.In case boxes have to be produced on demand, each and every box might have a specific size. Cutting and creasing between rollers is not possible and an alternative method is required. A corrugated board is put on an air permeable carpet. Underneath the carpet vacuum is created to prevent the board from moving. It is then cut using a sliding or a rolling knife. Creasing is done by a small wheel that is rolled over the cardboard along the folding lines, called top side creasing.Numerous types of corrugated board exist in terms of flute sizes and paper types. Creasing can be done parallel to the flutes or under an angle. There is a lack of knowledge regarding the optimal shape of the creasing wheel used for top side creasing. This paper presents experimental research aiming at the optimal shape of a multi-purpose creasing wheel.