Corrugated
board is made largely of recycled paper and most commonly
comprises three components: an outer and
inner “liner”, (the flat, surface components), and a “corrugating
medium”, the “fluting”, which is glued between the liners
It is this sandwich-type construction that gives corrugated
board its excellent rigidity and structural strength as
well as its unique cushioning characteristics.
Over the decades, corrugated
board has evolved and developed to provide a wide range
of products for different applications. Standard and non-standard
categories of corrugated board are based on the type of
flute, whether coarse, fine or extra fine and the number
of fluted walls whether single, double or triple layered.
For the purpose of 3-D
modeling, options include single
face-, single wall – and
double wall corrugated board, each of which can be made
in a variety of weights and thicknesses.
The standard range includes
the coarse ‘A’ and ‘C’ flute, fine ‘B’ and extra fine ‘E’
and ‘F’ flutes. The ‘B’ flute is the most widely used. It
is very robust (difficult to crush) and has good compression
strength. The ‘C’ flute is larger with greater compression
strength but offers less crush resistance and requires more
space.
Single
face corrugated board
is manufactured in standard widths ranging from 56” to 36”.
It is easily transported in rolls. Its ability to
withstand compression (an important factor for the stability
of a 3-D model) is determined by the quality and thickness
of the liner and the corrugating medium. For 3-D modeling,
the liner and the corrugating medium should be at least
185 g/m2 and 150 g/m2 respectively.
The best solution is to request a specially manufactured
corrugated board making use of a liner (175 - 185 g/m2)
and a kraft liner (175 –185 g/m2).
The thickness of corrugated
board (an important dimension in respect of scaling 3-D
models) is conventionally measured as detailed in the
Table below.
If transport is not a
constraint, you may wish to consider procuring single or
double wall corrugated board, making sure that you get the
best possible quality in terms of strengths as discussed
above.
Provided you order a minimum
quantity, depending on the goodwill of the manufacturer,
corrugated board sheets can be cut to the desired size ahead
of the modeling exercise.
In this case, the size
of the board should possibly match that of the base table
and the base map.
Single
and double-wall corrugated boards are classified
as detailed in the Table below and offer additional resistance
to compression.
The choice between the
various media will depend on their availability or readiness
of manufacturers to produce them according to the desired
specifications and to the transport facilities available
to you to haul the material to where the model will be assembled.
Rolls of board are easier to transport, as they can easily
fit into the back of a pick up. Large carton board sheets
are necessarily placed on the roof of a vehicle or in a
truck you may want to get for the purpose.
