Packaging articles you loved this year

We've given you a lot of great packaging articles this year. So much that we want to take a look back at our most popular blog posts of 2018. Of course, none of this would be possible without you. So, THANK YOU!

There's plenty of valuable packaging content to sift through here in our IPS Knowledge Base. If this is your first time here, spend some time and look around. Our Packaging Knowledge Center contains value content on some of our top categories of packaging supplies. Can't find what you're looking for... just use the search. And if you're looking to get in touch, the easiest way is to use that form you see to your right. We'll get your information right over to an IPS Account Manager to see how they can help.

Okay, let's take a look at the top 10 packaging articles of this year.

Top 10 packaging articles of 201- IPS Packaging

10. Poly Bags

Poly Bags – How to Choose the Right MIL. Our 10th most popular packaging article of 2018 touches on poly bag MIL sizes. It's a quick reference guide to choosing poly bags based on your products.

"Having the right thickness for your poly bags is very important. If you choose a gauge that is too small, you run the risk of having the poly bag puncture or break."

9. Corrugated Boxes

Types of Corrugated Boxes. Another quick reference guide, this time for corrugated boxes. Learn about the differences between half-slotted boxes, slide type boxes, telescope type boxes, and more.

Corrugated Boxes - IPS Packaging

8. Corrugated Boxes

Corrugated Manufacturer's Joint. This blog post also made the list of our top 10 list last year. This post explains the differences between the various types of corrugated joints. It's important to know as much as you can about your packaging products. That way you'll be able to use the right supplies for your products.

"Manufacturer’s joint is an even piece of corrugated fiberboard which has been cut, slotted, and scored."

7. Strapping

Guide: Everything you need to know about strapping. The title pretty much says it all, but this packaging article is devoted to all things strapping. Steel strapping, plastic strapping, strapping applications. You name it, we probably wrote about it. It was the precursor to our Definitive Poly & Steel Strapping Guide.

strapping - IPS Packaging

6. Corner Board

Corner Board: Maximize packaging protection and support. Another packaging article that made it onto the top 10 two years in a row, this is an overview of corner board. If you've never heard of or aren't real familiar with corner board this is the place to start. It goes over applications, how to measure, and things to remember.

"Corner board is the most efficient, simple, and reliable way to protect edges, strengthen boxes, facilitate stacking, and protect against strapping."

5. Corrugated Boxes

Rules and Regulations for Corrugation: Truck and Rail Rules. An updated version to another popular post on corrugation rules, this is always one of our more popular posts each year. This packaging article takes a hard look at the Edge Crush Test for corrugated boxes. It's important to know what's legal to ship in terms of corrugated packaging.

corrugated boxes - top packaging articles - IPS Packaging

4. Corrugated Boxes

Determining Compression Requirements. Tagging onto the #5 most popular packaging article of 2018, this post highlights compression requirements for corrugated boxes. Corrugated boxes go through numerous pressures during the shipping and receiving process. The last thing you want is a box that can't support your products inside, so we give you the calculations needed.

"Compression Requirement: The minimum dynamic (in-lab) compression strength required to provide safe stacking performance throughout that container’s expected life cycle (given time, environmental/distribution conditions)."

3. Poly Bags

How to determine your bag size. Pretty straight forward but this is a very helpful post. Not all poly bags are created and measured equally. This article makes it easier for purchasing to determine what poly bag they currently use or need to order.

large poly bags - IPS Packaging - top 10 packaging articles of 2018

2. Corrugated Boxes

Packaging 101: The Corrugated Box. School is back! Don't worry, there's no blackboard here! Consider this packaging article everything you need to know about corrugated boxes, because that's what you'll get. From box types to flute types, testing to corrugated definitions, there's no other resource you'll need for corrugated boxes.

"Whatever you call them, you see corrugated boxes everywhere.  From front porches and distribution centers to moving trucks and manufacturing facilities, corrugated boxes are a part of our daily lives."

1. Poly Bags

Polyethylene (PE) vs Polypropylene (PP). The reining champ is back again to take the top spot this year. We sense that a lot of you are searching for the difference in poly bag materials. Search no more, we've made it easy for you to find out in a post that takes no more than 5 minutes of your time. Leave the page knowing you have the confidence to explain the difference between polyethylene and polypropylene poly bags.

Want more lists? Have a look at the Top 10 packaging articles of 2017.

poly bags - top 10 packaging articles - IPS Packaging


Bonus: Top packaging articles published from 2018

We published these blog posts this year and they were a real hit. Read on to see what you may have missed.

5.  5 Keys to a successful packing station

4.  How product packaging damage issues are solved with air-pillow systems

3.  What to consider when down-gauging

2.  5 ways air pillow systems reduce packaging costs

1.  Cold seal packaging benefits


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