Corrugated boxes are designed to protect products during storage, handling, and transportation. However, many packaging manufacturers and box converters face a recurring challenge throughout the year—box cracking, especially during extreme weather conditions. Sudden changes in temperature, prolonged heat, low humidity, or high moisture levels can weaken box structures, leading to cracks, splits, and bonding failures.
Understanding why boxes crack and how the right adhesive solution can prevent this issue is essential for maintaining packaging quality, reducing rejections, and ensuring customer satisfaction.
Corrugated boxes are made from paper-based materials, which are naturally sensitive to environmental conditions. Temperature and humidity directly influence paper fibers, affecting their strength, flexibility, and durability.
During extreme heat or dry weather, paper fibers lose moisture rapidly. This moisture loss makes the fibers stiff and brittle, especially at fold lines and creases. When boxes are folded, stacked, or transported, the rigid fibers fail to absorb stress, resulting in visible cracking along edges and joints.
In humid or monsoon seasons, paper fibers absorb excess moisture. This causes swelling, reduced stiffness, and lower compression strength. When moisture levels fluctuate, uneven expansion and shrinkage occur, weakening the structure and increasing the chances of cracks and adhesive bond failure.
Frequent shifts between day and night temperatures create continuous expansion and contraction in paper fibers. Over time, this repetitive stress leads to micro-damage, making boxes more prone to cracking during handling or transportation.
While paper quality and flute design are important, adhesives play a critical role in maintaining box integrity. Adhesives act as the binding force that holds the structure together and helps distribute stress evenly across bonded areas.
Standard or low-grade adhesives often fail to adapt to changing weather conditions. In hot weather, they may dry too quickly, resulting in weak bonding. In humid environments, they may lose tack, absorb excess moisture, or fail to cure properly. This leads to seam opening, edge cracking, and box failure.
Using a well-formulated, weather-resistant adhesive can significantly reduce cracking issues and improve overall box performance.
High-quality modified starch adhesives remain flexible even when paper fibers become dry and brittle. This flexibility allows the bond to move with the paper, reducing stress concentration at folds and joints.
Advanced adhesive formulations help maintain the right moisture balance in the bonded area. They minimize excessive drying in hot conditions and resist over-absorption during humid weather, ensuring consistent bonding strength.
The right adhesive penetrates deep into paper fibers, creating a strong mechanical bond. This deep penetration improves resistance to cracking, especially in high-speed automatic and semi-automatic corrugation plants.
Weather-resistant adhesives are designed to perform reliably across varying temperature and humidity ranges. This consistency helps maintain box strength during production, storage, and transportation—regardless of climatic conditions.
At Maheshwari Starchtech Pvt. Ltd. (MSPL), adhesive solutions are developed with real-world operating conditions in mind. With over two decades of experience in manufacturing modified starch adhesives, dextrin, and white dextrin, MSPL focuses on formulations that address seasonal challenges faced by box manufacturers.
With manufacturing facilities in Mumbai, Pune, and Nashik, MSPL ensures timely supply and technical support to customers across India.
Industries such as FMCG, pharmaceuticals, textiles, electronics, and e-commerce benefit significantly from reliable, weather-resistant packaging.
Box cracking during extreme weather is a common yet preventable challenge. While environmental conditions cannot be controlled, the right adhesive solution can dramatically reduce cracking and improve box durability.
By using high-performance, season-adaptive adhesives from experienced manufacturers like Maheshwari Starchtech, box manufacturers can ensure consistent quality, lower losses, and stronger packaging performance throughout the year.
sales@maheshwaristarchtech.com
+91 93219 84356
