CONVERTING THE NEW LIGHTWEIGHTS

Rethinking Processes, Retrofitting Equipment and a Better Way to Monitor Board Performance

Ralph Young, AICC Technical

Director

Sarilee Norton, President

Randy Banks, President,

Sharp-International

AGENDA

Consolidation, Economic Metrics, Lightweights—

The New Industry Dynamics

Quality and Consistency—We Can Do Better

Crushing the Board--What Do We Really Know

About Where We’re Losing It?

2

THE NEW INDUSTRY DYNAMICS

Same Old, Same Old or Finally a Different Take?

CONTAINERBOARD’S CHANGING LANDSCAPE

Consolidation Recap

4

2011—A BANNER YEAR FOR TRANSACTIONS

RKT/SSCC; IP/TIN

– Long-term positive for the industry

– But a lot has to happen first

‘Discipline in the containerboard and corrugated box markets’

– TIN and SSCC—5th and 6th out of six

– Someone has to do it

– TIN—better cost structure and high integration strategy

Kapstone and Boise

What else? What’s next?

5

WHAT’S NEXT?

G-P/PCA?

– Cultural history

– Attractive geography

– But what does Koch want?

– If ain’t it broke…

Pratt marches to its own tune

Boise, a buyer or a seller?

Still a lot of 1-2% players out there

Multi-plant independents and sheet feeders

6

NEW INDY CONTAINERBOARD—THE NEW NORMAL? Oxnard and Ontario CA mills produce 550,000 tons

Together Schwarz Partners and Rand-Whitney operate more than 20 converting facilities

If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em—benefits of scale and supply source ownership

“This investment represents a generational commitment by both families to the industry. We have been looking for opportunities to grow, and these two California mills are located in what we believe to be a very strategic market for the future of our industry. They represent two assets that would be very difficult, if not impossible, to replicate today.”

7

CONTAINERBOARD SHARE BY COMPANY

8

Interstate Resources

Atlantic/New Forest

Simpson Paper

Orange County Cont.

Sonoco Products

Durango Group

1.0-1.5% each

0.5-1.0% each

Shown in ‘All Other’:

Shown in 3 unlabeled wedges:

Hood Industries

International Paper 34%

Rock-Tenn 20% Georgia-Pacific

11%

PCA 7%

Norampac 3%

Pratt 3%

Kapstone 2%

Boise 2%

Rand Whitney+ Schwarz

2%

Green Bay 2%

Greif Brothers 2%

Longview Fibre 2% All Other

7%

REGIONAL CONVERTING IMPLICATIONS

Access to New Local Markets, Plant Consolidations, or Both?

9

SIZE MATTERS

For the large integrateds, it’s usually about scale and synergies

– IP had 140 plants after Weyco, closed over a dozen

– Smurfit-Stone ~110 in 2008, RKT less than 100 today

– TIN closed several, IP has closed four more already

Pick the best facility in overlapping local markets or shut down and

start over

For smaller integrateds and regionals, a good way to enlarge

capabilities and extend geographic reach

For the independents, a great time reinforce quality, service and

responsiveness you provide

10

THE ‘CURRENT’ ROCK TENN

Even more capacity along the Route 95

corridor—MA, NJ and into the Carolinas

Legacy Rock Tenn presence in TN, GA, AL

Mega resources in Chicago-to-Milwaukee

stretch

Only US based supplier with major position in

Canada

11

ALL OVER THE EASTERN US AND CANADA

12

THE ‘NEW’ IP—BOX PLANT NETWORK

Southern CA and Chicagoland ‘thickets’ of box

plants

Northern CA, upper Midwest, eastern PA, the

Carolinas, northwest GA, TN, central FL and LA-TX

are also capacity pockets.

Except for the Dakotas, the Rocky Mountain states

and sparse coverage in New England, they are

EVERYWHERE!

And 10 box plants in Mexico

13

SEEING RED?

14

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR THE EVERYONE ELSE IN THE INDUSTRY?

For converters, not really about reducing capacity

For consolidators, ‘synergies’ imply fixed cost

reductions—headcount, bricks and mortar, services,

property obligations, inventory baseload

Where are the two major networks saturated?

Shutdowns always put some accounts in jeopardy

For most customers, this is still a local business

For the containerboard supply, may be fewer mills, but

capacity not likely to shrink

15

INDUSTRY KEY DRIVERS

Please Check the Security of your Seatbelt…

16

US BOX SHIPMENTS FELL 13% 2007 – 2009

Steepest decline for the market since the 1970s

Shipments recovered 3.5% 2010, far more subdued

than the growth in manufacturing

Since 2010, essentially flat through the third

quarter 2012, continued strong headwinds for the

US economy will prevail before market accelerates

to 3% (?) growth in 2013 and 2014

Long-term, box shipments may average 1.5%

– Containerboard to grow at a more sedate 1.0% rate

– Shift to lightweight liner takes hold in North America

17

CONTAINERBOARD EXPORT MARKETS WERE VOLATILE IN 2009-2010, BOOMED IN FIRST HALF 2011, STABLE NOW?

2009-2010 due to numerous factors

– Global credit crisis and economic shocks

– Black liquor credit for US mills

– Shortages that developed following capacity closures

– Fluctuating domestic demand

By and large, exports supported containerboard prices at higher levels than the historical norm but growth in China’s capacity may have a dampening impact going forward

Latin America a growing export market, but can it make enough of a difference

18

0.76

0.79

0.82

0.85

0.88

0.91

0.94

0.97

1.00

1.03

90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13

OPERATING RATES INCREASED DRAMATICALLY IN 2010, EASED IN 2011, STABLE GOING FORWARD?

19

2.5

3.0

3.5

4.0

4.5

5.0

5.5

6.0

1.8

2.0

2.2

2.4

2.6

2.8

3.0

3.2

J99 J00 J01 J02 J03 J04 J05 J06 J07 J08 J09 J10 J11 J12

Million Tons

Weeks of Supply (R)

2011 CONTAINERBOARD INVENTORIES ‘BALANCED’, WEEKS OF SUPPLY SWELLED, THEN DECLINED IN 2012

Million Short Tons Weeks of Supply

20

VIRGIN VERSUS RECYCLED When the Economics Shift, So Does the Story

21

0

50

100

150

200

250

90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

IF ASIAN DEMAND WEAKENS, SO WILL US OCC PRICES, OR NOT?

$/Short Tons

22

CONTAINERBOARD PRICES

How Does This All Play Out?

23

ARE PRICES ON THE WAY UP, STAGNANT…

24

…OR UNSUSTAINABLE?

LIGHTWEIGHT CONTAINERBOARD UPDATE

What’s News?

25

MAJOR LIGHTWEIGHT INITIATIVES SINCE 2006

Company Location Capacity Material Origin

International

Paper

Pensacola, FL 500,000 Kraft linerboard Conversion from

uncoated free sheet

New Forest Scarborough, ON 250,000 Recycled liner/

medium

Greenfield

Pratt Industries Shreveport, LA 350,000 Recycled liner/

medium

Greenfield

KPAQ St. Francisville, LA 220,000 Kraft linerboard Conversion from fine

paper

Abitibi Bowater

SP Newsprint

Coosa Pines, AL

Dublin, GA

100,000

?

Recycled

containerboard/

paper

Conversion from

newsprint

Greenpac Niagara Falls, NY 540,000 Recycled

linerboard

New machine adjacent

to existing site

26

KapStone is also focused on lightweight kraft linerboard and Longview

markets lower basis weight grades

GREENPAC BASICS

Partnership which includes

– Norampac (60%): Canadian based, 6 machines, primarily recycled, ~3% share of North America

– Jamestown Container, Containerboard Partners and affiliated box plants

– Integration of newly purchased Bird Packaging

328-inch multi-fourdrinier recycled linerboard machine; 540,000 tons capacity; will represent almost 2% of N.A. linerboard capacity in 2013.

Basis weight range 20-35#; will trim 3-out to meet modern corrugator requirements

27

WHY WOULD THEY DO IT?

Separate what’s good for the industry from what’s

good for the company

3% of the market, will be 6th, after PCA and Pratt

5 mills; 1.1 million tons, mainly recycled (inc. Trenton)

– No virgin liner capabilities

– Machines are narrower, slower, older

– Will trim only 2 or on some just 1 roll for 98- and 110-inch

corrugators

– Highest cash costs of the top six

28

LIGHTWEIGHTS—SOME MIGRATION, NO INFLUX…YET The Norampac machine is 12 months away—not too soon

for them to be developing customer opportunities and marketing strategy

Pratt is producing lightweight recycled liner and medium at three mills, day in, day out

Kapstone, Longview, Atlantic and others are marketing lightweight grades

Reports that additional companies are quietly running lighter weights for specific customers

Some Europeans would love to find a way to serve the US market.

29

LIGHTWEIGHTS–TAKEAWAYS

The case for lightweighting

Technological considerations

Lightweights are mainstream in Europe

The pull of global CPGs and retailers

30

Virgin versus recycled—who wins?

Will Norampac be the first or the only?

QUALITY AND CONSISTENCY

We Can Do It Better!

WHY SHOULD I BE INTERESTED?

Continued consolidation-reduced supply

Containerboard price fluctuations coming

International companies buying in Europe

Elevated combining and converting technologies

new flutes M, R, S, and T

Methods to evaluate sheet suppliers

New packaging designs

Prepare for shelf and retail ready packaging

Financial savings could be substantial

32

QUOTE FROM GENERAL MILLS

“…We realized that most of that innovation that

was happening was coming from small

companies.”

“Most of the innovation is also happening

outside the U.S”

“We want to drive cost savings through a focus

on performance needs.”

Joe Piton , Buyer, FBA 2012 Annual Meeting

33

WHY ULTRA LIGHTWEIGHTS?

Europe linerboards tons <35# at 45% +

US linerboard tons below 35# at 17%

European paper making and combining highly

sophisticated

Australians are here, Europeans are coming—

fifteen years ahead of us

Cost effectiveness and sustainability

34

RECENT INDUSTRY HEADLINES--USA

Converting plants energy self-sufficient

Solar panel fields at RFC and Maxco

OCC prices still high, wood unchanged

Collection of OCC at 91%-an all time high

Export of US OCC now over 40%

Recovered fibre inclusion in containerboard

at 46%- all time high in US, Europe 85%

Mills reduce fresh water usage, burn biofuels

35

WHERE ARE LIGHTWEIGHTS PRODUCED?

Atlantic Packaging and Rock-Tenn Solvay

IP Pensacola (all export) UFS machine

SP Newsprint-GA

Kapstone-NC and SC

Converted SBS machines- KPAQ-LA

Norampac (GreenPac) Niagara Falls

Grupo Unipak Mexico?

Longview Fibre: Port Townsend-WA

On the drawing board-newsprint

Imports?

36

Engineering Parameters for 20# Linerboard-a working document

Unit BEST TEST TAPPI

of IN LINER TEST Longview KPAQ SP KapStone Greenpac Rock-Tenn

Measurement CLASS 2 PROCEDURE Newprint Solvay

PHYSICAL PROPERTIES

Moisture Content Percent T-412

target 8 8 7 7 8 7

CD variation +/- 1.5 +/- 2.0 +/- 1.5 +1.75/-2.6 nr

moisture streak

Internal Bond (Z tensile) 0.001 ft lbs/in2 138 100

Cobb (sizing) T-441

Top 2 minute min/max g/m2 32 28 50 and 105 30 and 65 50 25 and 70

Bottom 2 minute min/max g/m2 TBD 112 50 and 105 30 and 65 50 35 and 75

Smoothness- Sheffield units 280 TBD T-538 360 target 390 365

Porosity-Gurley sec/100 cc 50 36 T-460 50-200 18 20

Burst- Mullen lb-f/in2 67 31 T-807 60 55 45 60

RC lb-f/6 in or units T-822 36 25

STFI 11.4 6.9 T-826 11.5 12.5 9.5 12.6

MD Slide Angle degrees 18 min TBD T-815 26 target 20 25

MD Tensile Strength ft-lbs/in 58 TBD T-494

CD Tensile Strength ft-lbs/in 29 TBD T-494

MD Stiffness ft-lbs/in 5543 TBD T-494

CD Stiffness ft-lbs/in 2229 TBD T-494

MD Tear gf TBD 1.61 T-494

CD Tear gf TBD 2.26 T-414

Luminous Reflectance L value TBD TBD T-414

Hard Caliper 0.001 inches 5.1 7.6 T-411 6.5 6.2

Basis Weight #/msf 20 T-410 20 +/- 1# 20.5 20.5 20

Scuff # strokes TBD TBD target 30

Wax Pick Dennison # 16 TBD T459

Dirt mm2/m2 TBD TBD T-563

Date of document 2/18/2011 RAY RAY 1/1/2012 1/14/2011 5/11/2012 6/15/2012 TBD TBD

© 2012 Association of Independent

Corrugated Convertors Still In

develop-ment 37

Single Stream Waste Headed Where?

38

NEW FIBRES TO NORTH AMERICAN CONTAINERBOARDS

Sugar Cane

Ground wood (newsprint)

Eucalyptus

Hemp

Northern European hardwoods

Mixed office waste with coatings

39

Challenges to waste paper dealers,

papermakers, combiners, converters, and

corrugated users

LEADING EDGE CORRUGATOR TECHNOLOGY

Automatic web tension controls

IR temperature sensors at six locations

Crews, quality personnel, or lab technicians that

conduct temperature audits every shift.

Moisture sensors at two locations and a

manual moisture analyzer for combined board

at the dry end of the machine

Speed sensitive warp arm adjusters on the

preheaters and preconditioners.

40

LEADING EDGE CORRUGATOR TECHNOLOGY

Precise glue applicator gravure rolls.

Containerboard from only two paper machines with specific fibre length and sheet formation.

Automatic load controls on the double facer

Concise recipes (machine settings) for each board combination

Controls to monitor and adjust adhesive temperature and viscosity

41

STATE OF ART: CONVERTING

Three minute change anilox rolls

Ink control systems: now temperature

Bobst PolyJoiner, AMS’s Tri-Feeder

New prefeeder systems

Lighter weight back anvil covers

42

STATE OF ART: CONVERTING

Flexos 15,000-20,000 blanks/hour

Continuous run, set up while running

Non-crush converting-Emba and others

Robotic bundle handling-Automatän

Optical scanners: adhesion and slots

43

Courtesy of Mid-Atlantic Packaging

SHELF-READY AND RETAIL-READY PACKAGING

44

REQUIRES INNOVATION AND REDESIGN

Doublewall: E/B, B/B, E/E, E/F

Design for smaller boxes, boxes with master

pack, RRP, SRP, counter displays, headers

Faster merging of small flute and folding carton

applications

Greater opportunities for small flute now that

emerging containerboards are available.

Carton within a carton

45

CHALMERS TORSION TESTER

46

AICC EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES

47

THIRD EDITION: END USER NEEDS

48

STAYING INFORMED

49

EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES

50

RESOURCE: 2ND SCIENCE OF PAPER SCHOOL

51

EVEN MORE RESOURCES

52

MD TORSIONAL STIFFNESS AND BOX PERFORMANCE

It’s All About Crushing the Board

WHAT DOES THIS RAILWAY BRIDGE…

…AND A PIECE OF CORRUGATED BOARD HAVE IN COMMON?

54

CORRUGATED BOARD C

alip

er

Bending Stiffness = Tensile Stiffness of the

Liners x Board Caliper²

55

MD TORSIONAL STIFFNESS

Why is MD Torsional Stiffness Important?

1. MD Torsional Stiffness is a measure of the

“Structure” of the whole board but especially

the flutes

2. MD Torsional Stiffness failure leads to Bending

Stiffness Failure

3. Bending Stiffness Failure leads to Compression

Failure

4. Compression Failure leads to Box Failure

5. Box Failure leads to very unhappy clients

6. If you don’t measure it you can not control it

56

WHAT PROPERTY BEST DEFINES ‘STRUCTURE’

MD Torsional Stiffness

57

Liner movement indicated by arrows

Unstrained board flute profile

MD TORSIONAL STIFFNESS

There are three important times when you need

to know about MD Torsional Stiffness

1. When you are making it

2. When you are destroying it

3. When you are guaranteeing your box

performance

58

MD Torsional Stiffness Testing

An easy and accurate way to measure MD Torsional

Stiffness using a natural resonance technique

59

BUILDING IN TORSIONAL STIFFNESS: CORRUGATOR INFLUENCES

Selection of liners and mediums – type, quality, basis weight

Corrugating temperature, moisture, friction, drag

Corrugating rolls – profile, size, wear

Glue application – film thickness, evenness, quality

Adhesion – pressure roll, tack development, temperature

Pressure rolls during drying

Slitting

Feed rolls anywhere 60

CORRUGATOR LABYRINTH – THE CONVERTOR’S INPUT

61

FLUTE PROFILE

C4 more triangular than C2

C4 better bracing, higher MDTS

Lower ECT and takeup factor (TUF)

62

FLUTE SHAPE EFFECTS

C4 is 34% Stiffer than C2

--------------MDTS bpi----------------

63

Construction, #s Construction, grammes Model est. C2 C4 ECT C2 ECT C4

36/31/36 K175(D150)K175 14.4 12.2 16.1 6.1 6.2

42/31/39 K205(D150)K190 15.6 13.3 17.9 7.0 6.1

42/31/42 K205(D150)K205 16.1 13.3 19.3 6.9 5.7

42/39/39 K205(M190HP)K190 21.2 17.7 23.2 8.1 8.0

42/39/39 K205(M190HP)K205 21.6 17.8 23.4 8.6 8.2

Averages 17.8 14.9 20.0 7.3 6.8

% Differences -16.4 12.4 -6.8

CORRUGATING ROLL WEAR – C FLUTE

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

9-Nov 19-Nov 29-Nov 9-Dec 19-Dec 29-Dec 8-Jan 18-Jan

BP

I an

d E

CT

ECT

BPI

Worn module

New module

64

PERFORMANCE – BASIS WEIGHT VS. TORSIONAL STIFFNESS MEASURE

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

Combined Basis Weight (#s/MSF)

Box Performance Index (BPI)

Lightweight B/C DW (24.6/16.4M/16.4M/18.4M/20.5)

96.3 14.2

Standard B/C DW (42.0/23.0M/29.0/23.0M/42.0)

159 15.3

B/C DW – PITCH RATIOS

BC flute with conventional pitch ratio of 11/9

BC flute with adapted pitch ratio of 4/3

BC flute with adapted pitch ratio of 3/2

TYPICAL IMPROVEMENTS ON CORRUGATOR USING MD TORSIONAL STIFFNESS

Kiwi Fruit Board Grade BPI Comparisons # Paper Make up Comments BPI

1 DCK170(M190HP)K175(D115)K230-BE 2011 Grade 31.6 CONTROL ML's MB's

2 DCK170(SC180)K135(D115)K230-BE 2011 Exisiting B

flute Rolls 34.8 9.2%

SC adds 9.2% BPI ambient even

after reduction of middle liner.

3 DCK170(SC180)K135(D115)K230-BE New B flute Rolls

13.3.12 37.1

6.6%

(14.8%)

New B fresh rolls (no flank or

profile change) adds a further

6.6%

4 DCK170(M190HP)K175(D115)K275-BE 2011 Grade 31.4 CONTROL I T's

5 DCK170(SC180)K135(D115)K275-BE 2011 Exisiting B

flute Rolls 34.8 9.8%

SC adds 9.2% BPI ambient even

after reduction of middle liner.

6 DCK170(SC180)K135(D115)K275-BE New B flute Rolls

13.3.12 40.6

14.3%

(29.3%)

New B fresh rolls (no flank or

profile change) adds a further

14.3%

Ian, i'm sending this to you in confidence. F.Y.I. and you may find interesting. The calipers have also

increased & ECT only marginally. M

The xls is pretty self explanatory but we have 3 sets of figures from numerous tests Dec '11 though to last

week in 4'12 comparing old 2011 CONTROL & failing Kiwi Fruit Trays to new Semi Chem data & recently

new B flute rolls installed 13.3.12 ..NOTE the new B flute is not a new flank clearance/profile/T//Up its just

a straight replacement.

67

Without knowing the MDTS, these impressive

improvements would not be identified

BOARD PROPERTIES VS CRUSH

68

C FLUTE CRUSH VS MDTS AND CALIPER

R2 = 0.9903

R2 = 0.9627

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

0 5 10 15 20 25 30Crush (%)

Va

ule

(%

)

DST

Caliper

69

MDTS BEFORE & AFTER CONVERTING - USA

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

C1 C2 C3 C4 C5 C6 C7 C8 C9 C10

DS

T (

bp

i)

Sample Number

0

20

40

60

80

100

C1 C2 C3 C4 C5 C6 C7 C8 C9 C10

DS

T %

Reta

ine

d

Sample Number

70

USA DATA

DST (bpi) Caliper ECT % Change board to box

Sample Flute Board Box Board mm Box mm Board Box DST Caliper ECT

1 C 11.02 6.96 4.34 4.06 66.84 51.03 -36.8 -6.4 -23.7

2 C 5.74 3.32 3.89 3.63 36.32 33.65 -42.2 -6.5 -7.4

3 C 14.28 11.58 4.17 4.19 50.14 50.42 -18.9 0.6 0.6

4 C 9.16 1.5 4.04 3.73 40.86 37.81 -83.6 -7.5 -7.5

5 C 8.52 7.52 3.96 3.99 37.8 34.52 -11.7 0.6 -8.7

6 C 8.28 5.52 4.14 4.09 48.48 49.69 -33.3 -1.2 2.5

7 C 6.86 6 3.81 3.78 33.84 33.99 -12.5 -0.7 0.4

8 C 11.68 7.24 4.11 3.97 45.1 42.7 -38.0 -3.5 -5.3

9 C 10.52 7.62 4.11 3.99 48.81 43.76 -27.6 -3.1 -10.3

10 C 10.06 4.84 4.16 3.86 47.3 41.4 -51.9 -7.2 -12.5

Ave 9.6 6.2 4.1 3.9 45.5 41.9 -35.7 -3.5 -7.2

Min 5.7 1.5 3.8 3.6 33.8 33.7 -83.6 -7.5 -23.7

Max 14.3 11.6 4.3 4.2 66.8 51.0 -11.7 0.6 2.5

71

HOW PRINTING AFFECTS CRUSH

72

TCY40 PRINTER

73

4.1

13.5

4.1

4.0

8

4.1

2

4.1

2

10.8

12.2

13.6 13.6 13.6

7.9 7.6

11.2

11.9

4.0

1

3.9

3.9

8

3.9

5

4.0

2

4.0

8

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

Feed ex Corrugator TCY 40 no setting

changes as we found it.

1st TRIAL increased

Infeed rollers 0.75 to 1.7

(not calibrated) BPI not

recorded. Estimate

between 7.6 to 7.9

2nd TRIAL increased

stacker infeed from 7.5

to 9.0

3rd TRIAL decreased #

1 print station Green 2.7

to 3.5

4th TRIAL decreased #

2 print station Blue 2.8 to

3.2

Trial Action

Ca

lip

er

B

PI

Corri

Caliper

mm

Corri BPI

Conv

Plain

Caliper

mm

Conv

Plain BPI

Conv

Print

Caliper

mm

Conv

Print BPI

Log—Conv. Print Caliper

Exponential—Conv. Print BPI

Exponential--Conv.

Plain BPI

(Conv

After gap adjustments

Increase in MDTS = 35.6%

MDTS AND STACKING PERFORMANCE

74

EFFECT OF CRUSH

75

COST SAVINGS MODEL

Medium Offset

Actual = tested DST ALTER board grades & prices Use -5.057

lbs to gsm x = 4.882 RF -5.057

SC -2.057

USA Board Grade - C Flute

Cost/1000ft² DB Medium SF Actual Theory DST

Old Board $ 27.44 Now 35 23 35 9 11.0

New Board $ 25.20 New 31 23 31 10.0

Cost Savings $ 2.24

Cost % savings 8%

Weight savings (lbs) 8

Wgt % savings 8%

Australia

Austria

Belgium

Chile

Czech Republic

Denmark

26

Australasia/Pacific

88 Europe

USA - ?

Estonia

England

Fiji

France

Germany

Holland

Hungary

Ireland

Italy

Lithuania

New Zealand

Papua New Guinea

Poland

Scotland

Spain

Sweden

Thailand

USA

WHO IS TESTING MD TORSIONAL STIFFNESS?

77

MD TORSIONAL STIFFNESS IS:

The missing major strength property of corrugated board

The property that tells you how well you make your board

The property that tells you how badly you crushed your board

The property that tells you how well your board will perform in

the service environment

The property that leads to box failures in a stack

The major property you need for quality control

The property that allows you to optimize board grade

performance

78

IMPLEMENTING AN MD TORSIONAL STIFFNESS PROGRAM WILL ALLOW YOU TO: Improve the quality of corrugated board off the corrugator.

Improve the quality of finished boxes off the RDC/FFG.

Reduce damage during conversion

Setup a QC system to guarantee optimal performance

Reduce board weight

Shift money from raw material cost to the bottom line

Reduce customer complaints

Keep an eye on your competition

79

CONVERTING THE NEW LIGHTWEIGHTS

Rethinking Processes, Retrofitting Equipment

and a Better Way to Monitor Board

Performance

Ralph Young, AICC Technical

Director

Sarilee Norton, President

Randy Banks, President,

Sharp-International