Abstract
Microflute has several advantages of production cost and strength compared to board. Production technology of microflute has not been fully explored. Therefore suitability of corrugating medium for microflute shape formation was analyzed by measuring (1) lengths of corrugating medium before flute formation, (2) those after flute formation but before conditioning and (3) those after flute formation and after conditioning. The suitability of corrugating medium was better when the length change before and after conditioning after flute formation was smaller, because flute sustained its form. The suitability of corrugating medium for microflute shape formation was better when the flute height after flute formation was higher. The suitability of corrugating medium was analyzed depending on properties of corrugating medium in terms of fiber bonding strength and paper stiffness. For better microflute shape formation and its preservation it was found that fiber bonding should be increased, proper stiffness was required, and resistance to water absorption from surroundings should be increased.