Show all / Hide all

Are you sure your paper sack supplier is using the right quality of raw material for your sacks?

Depending on what will be packed in the multi-walled paper sack, either natural or semi-extensible sack kraft will be used in its construction.  For commodities such as cement, semi-extensible sack kraft will be required to allow the finished sack to “stretch” on filling.  For tea, either natural or semi-extensible sack kraft will work.

Why do sacks need to cure before they can be used?

All sacks require a curing period, usually 5 days after manufacture, to dry out and strengthen before they can be used.  This is to allow the glue used in their construction to dry properly. Without this curing period the sacks will not perform.

What sort of breakage rate can I expect from EAPI’s cement sacks?

Even when using some of the best raw material in the world, it must not be forgotten that we are dealing with paper. EAPI will help determine the ideal sack size for the density of cement being packed and will make good any broken sacks beyond 0.2% of the sacks supplied.

How many plies should I use in my paper sack?

This usually depends on the distance that the sacks have to travel to market and the handling process along the way.  Both tea and cement sacks can be supplied in 2, 3 or 4-ply. 

For cement we would recommend either 3 or 4-ply sacks using 70gsm sack kraft.  2-ply cement sacks only work when palletised and not handled by hand. 

We would recommend the same 3 or 4-ply combination for tea sacks although certain Mombasa traders are able to use 2-ply sacks.

What is the difference between laminated aluminium foil using LDPE and metallised foil?

1. Aluminium foil lamininate- low density polyethylene: 70 gsm Kraft / 15 PE / 19 gsm Aluminium foil -104 gsm
2. Metallised foil Laminate:  70 gsm Kraft / 5 gsm SFA (Solvent Free adhesive) / 12 mic (17gsm) Metalised Pet Film. – 92 gsm

The construction of the two types of foil mentioned above will depend upon customer’s specification.

Why is paper superior to woven poly propylene for cement sacks?

Paper is the most enduring and environmentally friendly packaging material in existence today.  It is biodegradable and has existed for centuries.  Compared to WPP, paper cement sacks lead to less dust and spillage. 

Dust can lead to extra health & safety costs.  Lost cement through spillage can be very costly indeed.

Show all / Hide all

Are you sure your supplier is meeting your proper grammage specification? Have you even bothered to check?

We take for granted that suppliers will use the correct grammage of paper in line with those specifications previously determined or agreed with the customer but unfortunately, our audits have frequently proved that inferior quality or lower grammage papers are used with damaging effects on the goods being packed.

If you consider that the corrugated carton in terms of cost represents anywhere between 2 and 8% of the value of most packed goods, then the use of inferior quality packaging is always going to cost you, the customer, more in the end.

Did you know that cartons using the identical paper grammage can vary in strength by as much as 100%?

After deciding the appropriate design and paper grammage for a particular carton, it is still no guarantee that you will get the strength you need.

Although there may be nothing wrong with the quality of paper used, the paper goes through a conversion process that involves corrugation, lamination, printing, slotting, cutting, gluing and stitching.

If the paper used in the converting process is not properly laminated or printed or glued, you may still get a carton with inferior strength characteristics.

Do you consider possible freight savings from lighter, stronger cartons?

For horticultural and floriculture customers who export their fresh produce and flowers using airfreight the weight of the carton plays a major role in the overall cost of airfreight.

At EAPI we know how to get the maximum strength using the least amount of paper for a particular carton design.

Has your supplier ever informed you what carton strength you really need, or is he just talking price?

In the process of determining carton strength requirements, at EAPI we will recommend the range of compression strength that can be expected for a particular design and keep records of every batch of packaging made for the customer so that subsequent recalls can be verified in terms of their history of production right down to the paper that was used to produce the carton.

As the paper grammage used for a particular carton is a direct determinant of cost and hence price, quality is compromised when only considering price.

The lower the price the less paper that is used to make up the carton impacting directly on the integrity of construction.

Make sure that all commercial proposals have considered the strength requirements and that prices are compared against paper grammage used.

In other words compare apples with apples!!

 

Or, do you perhaps only talk about price?

We understand that in order to survive, customers require least cost solutions but at EAPI we prefer to discuss VALUE FOR MONEY and we can factually demonstrate that cartons using the same design can significantly vary in strength.

If you only talk price, the chances are you will get the cheapest carton but you may also get the weakest carton. Invite us for a quality audit and we will give you an in-depth analysis of your exact requirements.We assure you that EAPI’s carton is not just any box. It is simply better by design!!!