Box styles and technical details
RSC
The RSC (Regular Slotted Container) style (or variant) is the most common type of box used throughout the world. When closed, the outer flaps of an RSC meet in the centre.
Used for virtually every type of product that is packed in a corrugated box
Diverse – able to be produced with gaps in flaps or overlapping flaps.
Board area
The above box uses 0.91m² of The above box is the same cubic volume
board and is 53% above mini- but only uses 0.63m² of board and is 0%
mum board area for an RSC above minimum board area for an RSC
Substantial savings can be made by changing the shape of an RSC type box, to improve board area used. Other advantages may be found by reduced top weight when palletising allowing reduction in board grade https://www.boxologist.com.au/box-performance/
HSC
Half slotted container is an RSC with no top flaps
Mostly used for fresh produce and packaged A4 printer paper. Often combined with an HSC lid (no bottom flaps) that can be full or partial depth.
Full flaps
Fairly specialised pack style
Requires considerably more board than RSC – higher cost
Used where the top and bottom of the box provide most of the support to the primary pack / contents
Most commonly used for hardware items like nails, bolts etc, loose in bulk in the box, often with length and width the same size (square box) so that there are 4 full length flaps on top and bottom of the box.
Other variants of RSC style
Numerous other variants, including many die cut styles, can be seen in Fefco 0200 series. http://www.fefco.org/technical-information/fefco-code
Box and lid
There are many different types of box and lid, such as Half Slotted Container or HSC, box and lid, HSC box with scored and slotted lid, scored and slotted box and lid and the list goes on
The half slotted container is an RSC with no top flaps
Mostly used for fresh produce and packaged A4 printer paper. Often combined with an HSC lid (no bottom flaps) that can be full or partial depth.
The Fefco 0300 series shows numerous different styles of box and lid
Folders
There are many different styles of folders. Their function is generally to wrap around bulky products that would otherwise be very difficult to pack into a made-up box. Styles include wraparound blanks, archive boxes, post packs, fresh produce and many more
Many of these styles are delivered flat to the packer, then formed up and erected by machinery
The Fefco 0400 series shows numerous different styles of folders.
Slide style
A small number of styles in this range and they are not commonly used in Australia
The Fefco 0500 series shows numerous different styles of slides.
Rigid style
A small number of styles in this range and they are not commonly used in Australia
The Fefco 0600 series shows numerous different styles of rigid styles.
Ready glued
A diverse range of box styles are included here. Many of them are commonly used
Crash bottom – tuck in top 6 bottle carry pack – crash bottom
The Fefco 0700 series shows numerous different ready glued styles.
Fittings
Fittings are mostly inserted into boxes (although not always) to provide support and protection to the product. In some instances the fittings are designed to provide strength or other properties to the box
Partitions, liners, pads and a host of other fittings are available for use
The Fefco 0900 series shows numerous different fittings styles.
Bibliography
Fefco guide to box styles: http://www.fefco.org/technical-information/fefco-code