This Code was developed by the European organizations FEFCO (the European Federation of Corrugated Board Manufacturers) website: www.fefco.org and ESBO (the European Solid Board Organization) website: www.esbo.nl as an official catalog designed to replace voluminous and complex verbal descriptions of structures corrugated cardboard packaging with simple, international symbols that are understandable to everyone, regardless of language or other differences.
References to the code and catalog may be used in orders and specifications for corrugated packaging. Additions and changes to the code can only be made by FEFCO and ESBO.
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Drawing symbol |
Computer code |
Description |
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Cuts, scoring lines, creasing, die cutting, etc. |
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 |
CL |
Contours of finished boxes or cut edges |
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SC |
Cut-out grooves |
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CI |
Creasing, folding line, folding inward |
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CO |
Creasing, fold line, outward folding |
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SI |
Inward cutting line |
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SO |
Outward cutting line |
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DS |
Double fold |
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PL |
Perforation |
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SE |
Soft edge, random break |
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TP |
Tear-off perforation, tear-off line perforation |
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Assembly and gluing lines |
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SJ |
Connection, wire stitching; Stapling with a stapler |
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TJ |
Gluing with tape, adhesive tape |
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GJ |
Glue seam, overlapped with glue |
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Holes for handles |
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 |
PC |
Hole cut out for handle |
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UC |
Not completely cut out (top) hole for handle |
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NC |
Not completely cut out (bottom) hole for the handle |
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Corrugation direction |
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FD |
The direction of the corrugated layer is fluting |
Dimensions for corrugated cardboard packaging drawings in this code are internal.
If other parameters are not specified in the cardboard packaging drawing, then all dimensions are considered internal. Dimensions are indicated in millimeters and are marked in the following order: Length (L) x Width (B) x Height (H) In this case: Length (L) – maximum size of an open box Width (B) – minimum size of an open box Height (H) – the size from the lid of the open box to its bottom. Three sizes – L, B, H – must be indicated in each packaging drawing. In some cases, the width of the box (B) may exceed its length (L). All box dimensions must be measured under standard climatic conditions (temperature, humidity, pressure, etc.), on a horizontal, flat surface. Measurements are taken from and to the center of the corrugated cardboard bend, its thickness is taken into account. For telescopic type packaging (with a separate lid), the height of the lid walls (h) is specified as an additional dimension in the form of a fraction, the height of the box is written first, and after the slash – the height of the lid walls: 355x205x120/40 (L) (B) (H) ( h) The fourth size is also indicated for boxes with top flaps or overlaps. In this case, the additional dimension (o) is also assigned to the height (H) in the form of a fraction, through a slash: 355x205x120/40 mm (L) (B) (H) (o).
The dimensions of corrugated cardboard sheets, unless otherwise specified, are expressed in millimeters, taking into account the direction of the corrugated layer, for example: 1st size x 2nd size, where: 1st size is the size along the lines of the corrugated or wavy layer of the corrugated cardboard sheet; 2nd size – the size across the lines of the corrugated layer of corrugated cardboard.
Some boxes may have variants derived from them without creating a new style. In this case, the version number is added to the design number, separated by a dash. Example: 0201-2. Manufacturers of corrugated cardboard packaging may have their own unique versions of boxes.
In the case where a box design is a combination of several basic box designs, for example different types of valves, the descriptions may refer to other types of boxes. For example – the top flaps are like 0204, the bottom of the box is like 0215, the entry will look like this – 0204/0215. The illustration shows the result of this combination:
The box designs presented in the code can be changed depending on the type of assembly chosen by the manufacturer – this can be gluing with glue or tape, or stitching with metal staples. In these cases, it is necessary to provide the boxes with an additional valve for adhesive connections or stitching with staples. When gluing with tape, no additional valve is required.
The figure shows all three drawing options for different types of assembly of one box design:
Each packaging design option has one of the following designations:
Designations for assembly types are based on current manufacturing practice and are intended to provide additional information for catalog users and packaging manufacturers. For example, some types of packaging that indicate “manual assembly” can be assembled on a machine, automatically.
The correct and effective way to close a box is as important as the design of the box itself. To close boxes and corrugated cardboard boxes, the following methods are used, separately or in combination:
Gluing boxes with tape can be done in one of the following ways:
Stapling using a stapler is carried out in accordance with the samples given below:
Please note that some types of boxes classified in one group may also be classified in other groups.
