What The Flute! What is a Flute and Why It’s Important?

Understanding Corrugated Flutes

You might be wondering why we, Juicy Flutes—a print and packaging company—are talking about flutes. No, we don’t mean the musical instrument. The flutes we are talking about here are corrugated flutes, more commonly known as the “wavy things in the middle of cardboard sheets.”

Corrugate consists of three main layers: two liner boards that sandwich a middle fiber layer that has wavy arches known as the flutes. The flutes are glued in between the two liner boards creating what is called a corrugated board. Now, what purpose do flutes serve? Corrugated flutes are very important, and in fact, even the direction of the flutes in a structure or box needs to be considered in every project to ensure it holds up properly without collapsing. The flutes serve as a cushion to protect the contents inside the box, they also serve as insulation, and allow air to flow through easily in the case of temperature and climate changes.

The arches within the flutes protect the corrugate from bending and release any pressure coming from all directions. The direction of the flutes should always be vertical on the side with the largest surface area to avoid the structure from tumbling and folding over.

There are 5 different flute profiles, and they are: A, B, C, E, and F-flutes. The difference between each type of flute is the size of each wavelength and its thickness.

A-Flute

• Largest and the original flute profile.
• 33 flutes per foot with a thickness of ¼”
• Best used for fragile items as it provides the best cushioning from its thickness.

B-Flute

• 47 flutes per foot with a thickness of ⅛”
• Its density in flutes and flat surface area makes this flute profile ideal for printing high-quality graphics.

C-Flute

• 39 flutes per foot with a thickness of 3/16”
• Developed as the next most commonly used corrugate for shipping containers and has great cushioning.

E-Flute

• 90 flutes per foot with a thickness of 1/16”
• Due to its flat surface, it also has enhanced printing capabilities and its thin build takes up little storage space.

F-Flute

• 125 flutes per foot with a thickness of 1/32”
• Commonly used for point-of-purchase displays as it has enhanced graphics and structural capabilities.

Since each flute style has different qualities, its properties should always be considered when determining which flute to use for a specific project. Our Juicy experts can assist you in designing custom displays or packaging suitable for your next project. To start designing your box or display, click here. Let’s make your vision for your brand a reality!