Ward & Kennedy supplies businesses nationwide with traditionally die-cut and high-precision digitally cut corrugated cardboard. From product displays to shipping boxes and everything in between, you can trust Ward & Kennedy’s nearly 100-year history for fast turnaround times and dedicated service and support.
Corrugated cardboard is a durable packaging material made of two flat linerboards with a fluted layer in between, giving it strength and cushioning while remaining lightweight. It's widely used across food and beverage, retail, electronics, automotive, and e-commerce industries to protect products during shipping and storage.
Common products made from corrugated cardboard include:
Corrugated cardboard's fluted construction gives it a distinct set of physical properties that make it well suited for protective packaging and structural use.
| Property | Description |
|---|---|
| Flute profile (A,B,C,E,F) | Determines board thickness and the cutting pressure needed for clean, consistent cuts |
| Board caliper (thickness) | Thicker boards require higher tonnage presses and sharper die blades to avoid tearing |
| Flute direction | Affects how cleanly the board scores and folds along crease lines |
| Crush resistance | Boards with higher crush resistance hold shape better during cutting but can cause more blade wear |
| Scoring capability | Determines whether the board creases cleanly for folding without cracking the liner |
| Liner type (kraft, test, white top) | Impacts cut edge quality and how easily the surface holds print registration after cutting |
slices completely through the material, and both digital cutters and traditional dies can perform it depending on thickness and volume.
Perforation creates a line of small cuts for easy hand separation, achievable by both die cutting and digital cutting.
Creasing forms a fold line without cutting through the material, handled well by digital cutters through adjustable pressure and by dies fitted with the right rule type.
Corrugated cardboard is one of the clearest examples of a material that benefits from both digital and die cutting, depending on the stage of production. Digital cutting is the better choice for prototyping, since it requires no tooling and allows design changes to be tested quickly and affordably before committing to a full production run. This makes it ideal for sampling new box styles, testing die lines, or producing small batches for client approval.
Once a design is finalized, die cutting becomes the more cost-effective option for production runs. Die cutting requires an upfront tooling cost to create the custom die, but that cost is offset by faster cutting speeds and lower per-unit costs at higher volumes, making it the standard choice for manufacturing corrugated cardboard packaging at scale.
At our facility in Milwaukee, WI, our team of designers and fabricators can help bring your vision to life. Whether you have existing design files or assistance with their creation, we’re here every step of the way.
Along with fabrics, we die cut materials like:
Ward & Kennedy has been designing, fabricating, and supplying industries all over the world since we were founded in 1928. Whether you’re in our Wisconsin backyard or located across the world in Asia, we can supply your die cut materials.
Along with fabricating parts for businesses across America, we supply them with the necessary tools, supplies, and gear to keep them running at full capacity. We stock abrasives, adhesives, PPE, and more from major brands like 3M, Dynablade, Superior Glove, Wendt and Mirka.
