Double Wall Corrugated — Heavy-Duty Packaging Explained

What Is Double Wall Corrugated?

Double wall corrugated is a heavy-duty construction of corrugated fiberboard that uses two layers of fluted medium separated by three sheets of linerboard. This five-ply structure typically measures 5 to 7 mm in caliper and provides significantly more strength, rigidity, and cushioning than standard single wall board.

The two flute layers can use different profiles to combine the strengths of each. Popular combinations include BC-flute (B-flute plus C-flute) for maximum strength and EB-flute (E-flute plus B-flute) for a balance of strength and print quality.

When to Specify Double Wall

Double wall corrugated is the right choice when single wall board cannot meet the performance requirements of your application. Common situations include:

• Heavy products: Items exceeding 60 to 80 pounds that exceed the capacity of standard single wall grades.
• Fragile goods: Products requiring extra cushioning and shock absorption during transit.
• High stacking: Warehouse environments where pallets are stacked multiple levels high.
• Long-distance shipping: Extended transit times that expose packaging to more handling and environmental stress.
• Hazardous materials: Regulatory requirements that mandate enhanced packaging performance.

Double Wall Flute Combinations

The performance of double wall board depends on which flute profiles are combined. Each combination offers distinct advantages:

• BC-Flute: Combines B-flute and C-flute for a board measuring approximately 5.5 to 7 mm. This is the most common double wall combination, delivering excellent compression strength and cushioning for heavy-duty shipping.
• EB-Flute: Pairs E-flute with B-flute for a thinner board (4 to 4.5 mm) that offers good transit protection along with a fine outer surface suitable for high-quality printing.
• AC-Flute: Combines A-flute and C-flute for maximum thickness and cushioning, typically used for very heavy or extremely fragile items.

Double Wall vs. Heavy-Duty Single Wall

In some cases, a heavy-duty single wall board with high basis weight papers can approach the strength of lighter double wall constructions. However, double wall offers advantages that single wall cannot match: greater cushioning due to two air-cell layers, higher board grade potential, and more resistance to puncture because of the additional linerboard layer.

The packaging engineers at President Container will evaluate whether double wall is necessary for your application or if an optimized single wall solution can meet your requirements at a lower cost.