Packaging functions

Packaging functions: Today, the packaging is a large and lucrative industry and is often a way to convince the buyer. We see only part of the cycle, when we open the box remove and discard the packaging of the products. However, the package allows you to store all resources, including energy spent in production and transportation of the product in the first place. Therefore it is important that we know he main reasons of packaging development. What is the main purpose of the packaging design?

1> Protective function
The product must be falling down, protected, and suffers vibration during transportation. Perishable food such as fruit must be of rigid packaging, such as laminated container are protected. In addition, the packaging must be capable of withstanding without a variety of static and dynamic loads to which it is subjected to during transportation, handling and storage. The assets are common, the protection from climatic conditions such as temperature, radiation, humidity, rain and sun, which may require different packaging measures.

2> Loading and Transport function
Easy management of activity is the development of transport packaging so it will be carried out, lifted, moved, are defined and fixed easily, efficiently and safely. The packaging is a crucial factor on the efficiency of the transportation, processing and storage of goods. Loading and transport function makes demands on the outer packaging by weight of the goods are placed inside and convenience packaging. The package of power is necessary for the installation of the goods on the other hand, the close relationship between the load and the transport-function displays, and protective.

3> Sales and Marketing
The purpose of this function make the sales process easier and more effective. The promotional material on the packaging is designed to attract the attention of potential buyers and have a positive influence on purchasing decisions. Promotional materials for the packaging plays an important role in the sales package, because it speaks directly to the consumer. This is only a minor role in the original packaging.

4> Storage function
Packaging materials and containers are required for packaging of goods must be stored in different places and for the packaging and all contents of the package were used. The packaging should also be the repository.

In addition, the package also warranty and service function, package, and the basis for brand products, consumer protection and product liability. There are legal requirements that the goods are clearly marked, indicating their nature, date of composition, weight, number and expiration date, etc. Packaging plays many functional roles for content protection, but perhaps the most important work is still regarded as to help sell the product at the point of purchase.

Tubular box structural design http://ping.fm/54CLp

Tubular box structural design

The theory of carton box design is a little complicated, In this article we will talk about the structural design formula and some commonly tubular box structure.

Size	E	EX	B4	V	FX
D＝Caliper
<0.45mm	B-D	D	B-D	D	D
046－0.65mm	B-D	D	B-D	D	D
0.66－0.99mm	B-D	D	B-D	D	D
1.00-1.80	B-D	D	B-D	D	D
Size	ZX	Z4	YH	S	N	FS
D＝Caliper
<0.45mm	3	3	D+0.5	D	F/4 mm	D
046－0.65mm	3	3	D+0.5	D
0.66－0.99mm	3	3	D+0.5	D
1.00-1.80	3	3	D+0.5	D

Note: When FX and Y equal 0, E=B

A	17mm<=A<=30mm	30mm	100mm	A>150mm
	F=10mm	F=13mm	F=15mm	F=18mm

-----C-----	----YZ------	-----G-----
Glued Piece	Rule A>60 Y=7.5,Z=5.0	Dust Flap Formula1 Formula 2 The following can be ignored ------------------------------ Note：The following parameters can be changed according to requirements G=1/2 or G=B4 Formula 3

Structure of the end of the tubular folding carton box

1、Tuck end

2、Lock-End

3、Self Lock End

4、Glue End

Cardboard packaging boxes design and production http://ping.fm/5qZ9f

Cardboard packaging boxes design and production

Cardboard packaging boxes design and production

There're lots of complicated steps before a cardboard packaging boxes produced in the factory, each step can not be wrong. The main production process of the packaging box can be divided into: Design-> Design Draft->Final Design->Film ->Printing template->Packing.

For packaging designer, the work mainly include draft design and some prepress works:

1> Confirm the cardboard type and the size of the packaging box, for example, if the product size is 150*120*300, the designer should bear in mind the virtue spaces to input and out the product. The preliminary width of the flat pattern would be: 160+130+160+130, here we do not consider seal width and offset. The hight of the packaging box can be 310 according to the same reason, then the length, width and hight of the packaging box would be 160*130*310. According to the weight of the product the designer can choose related cardboard type because the cost must be take into consideration here. For example if we choose 350g ivory board here, caliper 0.5mm.

2>Drawing the die line according to requirements with CAD software. Offset shouldn't be ignored during this process.

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Lots of people in packaging industry might not know much about the packaging box structure, or haven't spent too much time drawing the box structure on the computer, here we can use Packmage CAD software, first user need to download and install it. Then we can login the software choose box template from the library.

In Packmage CAD software library, all the box templates are listed as folding, unfolding and half-folding status, the colored boxes have been activated, the gray boxes need to be activated, and the box templates are classified as material, structural and usages, which is more intuitive and easy for user to select the right box template. If we chose FJ039 for example.

Modify the length, width and depth with 160,130 and 310. caliper 0.5. Once the box structure confirmed, it can be exported as DXF format directly from packmage CAD software, ordinary laser die-cutter has CAD plug in for bridges and calculate the total length of die-line and folding line.

The next step is to design draft. Designer can import the structural design into photoshop for graphic design. Then import the graphic design into Packmage CAD software to match with the structural design to check the 3D color sample. When the final design confirmed, if the quantities of the boxes are huge, it should proofing first, there should have prototype machine, also called box cutting machine.

There are two more processes called Film and Print plate need to be done before producing the box. There're 3 ways to check the final effect before printing:

1> Get the high definition draft before film（It's cheap but not so accurate）;
2>Get few digital print samples, after confirmed then start film and printing if the quantities are huge, else digital print directly.
3>Ask the film company print few samples when making film, that's the most traditional way, the cost is a little expensive and time consuming.

Software might be used: Photoshop and AI for graphic design, Step and repeat(CDR, In design, Quarkxpress etc.)

After this step, we will need to make printing template and send to printing factory for massive production. The last step is Packing, all the cardboard boxes are flattened and packaged into the boxes to falicitate transportation.

During these steps, the hardware machine need to be used include: Computer, printing-down machine, print machine, prototype machine, laser die-cutter, Zapi machine and glued machine.

Software: AI,PS, CDR and Packmage CAD software work together to save time.

Successful packaging design http://ping.fm/quNjy

Cigarette case design

To start the cigarette case design work, usually we need to draw the die line on CAD software and doing graphic design work on photoshop software. For skilled packaging designer it is easy, those work can be done in hours. In this article I'd like to suggest another way for cigarette case design.

Packmage CAD software is a free packaging design software for corrugated cardboard and folding carton box design. It has a rich box templates library classified as the box material, structure and usages. The first step is to find out the cigarette box template in the library.

From: http://ping.fm/swfMC