Best Practices in Corrugated Manufacturing: A Path to Consistency and Control
The term “best practices” is frequently discussed in the corrugated manufacturing industry, often serving as a buzzword in production meetings, operator handovers, and continuous improvement initiatives. However, its meaning can vary widely depending on who you ask. The truth is, best practice is not about what works for an individual—it’s about what works for the plant consistently, across every shift and every run. In an industry where raw materials are volatile, downtime is costly, and customer expectations are high, process control is essential. This control can only be achieved when best practices are clearly defined, measured, shared, and applied uniformly.
It’s Not Personal Preference
One of the biggest obstacles to improvement in corrugated manufacturing is variation between shifts. For example, Shift A might increase the glue gap to avoid delamination, Shift B might reduce wrap arm tension to prevent warp, and Shift C might adjust temperature profiles based on intuition. While each operator may believe they are making the best decisions, these inconsistent practices lead to instability. What worked on one shift may not work on another, and adjustments based on personal preference rather than data create a moving target for quality, waste, and speed.
Best practice isn’t about comfort—it’s about proven methods. It ensures that decisions are not influenced by who is on shift, run settings are predictable, and results are measurable and repeatable. Standardization does not eliminate operator input; rather, it establishes a shared foundation that allows the team to build on what works and troubleshoot from a common reference point.
It’s Repeatable Performance
Achieving great results on a single shift can be a matter of luck, but best practice is about consistently delivering quality across various conditions. Repeatability is the hallmark of control, enabling manufacturers to maintain consistent board quality across shifts, stabilize specifications despite seasonal humidity changes, and sustain throughput with different paper combinations or suppliers.
To achieve repeatable performance, three key elements are necessary:
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Clearly Defined Process Recipes: Setpoints should be documented and dynamically updated as conditions change. These recipes should be based on known paper parameters such as grammage, moisture content, and heat absorption, rather than relying on operator memory.
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Closed-Loop Feedback Mechanisms: Effective process control systems not only set temperatures or glue rates but also monitor and adjust them. For instance, if glue temperature drops due to a lag in starch feed, the system adjusts accordingly. If preheater wrap contact decreases, alerts guide recovery, ensuring consistent output even as inputs vary.
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Training and Enforcement: Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) are meaningless if not followed. Operators must be trained not only on what to do but also on why it matters. Conformance should be tracked, and deviations should be investigated using data to reinforce good practices and correct errors gently.
It’s Data-Driven
Best practice without data is merely an opinion. To validate process effectiveness, manufacturers must rely on data such as board quality metrics (e.g., Edge Crush Test, Flat Crush Test, water resistance, warp measurements), machine performance (e.g., run speeds, stops per shift, changeover duration), glue consumption, temperature profiles, and starch performance. This data should be accessible through dashboards that operators, supervisors, and engineers can use to move from intuition to insight.
A critical tip: Don’t just track KPIs—visualize trends. Small deviations, such as a 5% drop in temperature stability, might not trigger alarms but could indicate larger issues on the horizon.
It’s Shared Knowledge
Many plants rely on “walking knowledge,” where critical know-how resides in an operator’s head and is lost when they leave. To make best practice a driver of plant-wide performance, it must be:
- Accessible: Clear SOPs, training guides, and run histories should be readily available at the machine, not hidden in obscure folders.
- Repeatable: Recipes and setpoints should be documented for consistent reuse.
- Understood: Operators must comprehend the reasoning behind processes, not just the steps.
One effective strategy is to create a super user network—frontline team members trained to provide deeper system support and ensure adherence to best practices across shifts. Additionally, documentation should be continuously updated to reflect changes in conditions, suppliers, or system logic, ensuring that best practices remain a living system rather than a static policy.
What Best Practice Looks Like
To illustrate, consider a corrugator running single-wall C flute with two different linerboard sources:
Paper Recipe:
- Source A: Medium gram, mid-moisture, neutral pH
- Source B: Higher porosity, more moisture variability
Defined Settings:
- Preheater wrap for Source B increased by 8° to offset higher water content
- Glue gap adjusted by 0.15 mm for Source B to maintain bond strength
- Speed capped 10 m/min lower to prevent warp under colder ambient temperatures
Feedback Control:
- Steam pressure held within ±2 PSI using closed-loop control
- Bond integrity checked every 30 minutes via manual inspection, with results logged digitally
SOP Enforcement:
- Digital checklist signed off at the start of each shift
- Alerts prompt action if glue temperature varies by more than 3°C
Operator Training:
- Monthly sessions on interpreting system feedback and understanding recipe logic
- Operators shadow super users during fault scenarios to build troubleshooting fluency
This approach ensures not only good board quality but also predictable and scalable outcomes.
True Process Control Begins Where Opinion Ends
When every operator has their way of doing things, there is no control—only chaos. Process control begins when manufacturers stop guessing and start measuring. Best practices are about creating consistency, reducing variation, delivering predictable performance, and building a plant that learns, improves, and sustains results shift after shift.
Ready to Go Deeper? Whether the goal is reducing waste, increasing uptime, or empowering operators, the first step is understanding the process. By embracing data-driven, repeatable, and shared best practices, corrugated manufacturers can achieve the control and consistency needed to thrive in a competitive industry.
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