Ways to use Cardboard to measure durability

In the world of steel things are difficult to measure.  There are many areas from degradation, toughness and hardness to think about when it comes to choosing the correct kind of steel. There are lots of different tools to measure this and some people have chosen to use a household item or an item that is used by knives the majority of the time to create a system for understanding how good a steel is at a certain task. This has helped many people over the years to know what is worth the money or what is purely money spend on looks and brand name. Cardboard and rope have become youtube specialites for knife cutting test and I want to go over how this can help the average person.

 

Now repeatability is very important when it comes to scientific tests. So two Youtubers that run knife channels use two different mediums when it comes to testing edge retention.  One uses rope and the other uses cardboard.  Now to be more specific the cardboard is actually cheap moving boxes which are actually corrugated paper.  THere is a big difference, it is the difference between cheap moving boxes and a cereal box. We all know that is a big difference. These individuals will take a knife and sharpen it to the exact degree and grit and cut the same type of cardboard over and over again until it is dull. 

He then looks at it with a micrometer to make sure it is dull and not just an emotional reaction or a physical reaction to cutting.  Then he records the number of slices it takes to scientifically get dull.  Then that steel has a base number to compare against other steels.  This chart can tell you which steels are better than others and you can take the cost comparison between them to see how much it is worth going from one performance to another and see which is worth the cost and which is not.

 

Another youtube reviewer uses rope instead of cardboard.  This test is done in a similar fashion but the rope tends to be less dense so the cuts tend to be much higher.  Due to this I feel like a more accurate depiction is actually given due to the more refined numbers he is able to acquire on the density and edge retention. So for me I like to use the rope test to see the percentage and price difference in knife steels. 

Can you waterproof your home with cardboard?

This was a question that came to mind when we got our first hole in our roof at the new house," can you waterproof your home with cardboard?"  Well the answer is definitely no, but it is an interesting thought and the fact that thousands of Americans live in cardboard boxes every day on the streets.  So in a way you can waterproof you home with cardboard but it does need some insulation.  The question is what type of cardboard do you need if you are going to end up living in a box and I found there are indeed different kinds.

The first kind of cardboard is the stuff you see in most packaging for products and cereal boxes.  This is actually the technical name for cardboard.  The use of this is astronomical and 80% of all products that are sold on stores are actually packaged in cardboard. This means that tons of it is actually being produced. This is not the stuff you want to build a house from because it will not insulate and not waterproof in any way.  

The old pizza delivery companies found out the hard way that pizza would not last an hour in a cardboard box without getting soggy and sticking to it.  This is where corrugated boxes were invented.  Dominos patented it and had 20 years of pizza delivery success and essentially a monopoly in the industry on the use of this special type of box.

 

This corrugated box is similar to the cheapmoving boxes we are all used to seeing and using.  Cheap moving boxes actually make up a ton of home for Americans living on the street and in areas that do not rain too often are great for keeping out the wind and holding some form of heat in.  It is in a way insulated and yet does allow air to move through it. 

With a liner inside or outside of the corrugated box you are able to build a strong structure that can be taped or stapled together in order to create a larger home.  I know it does sound nuts but this is also a way that many people in the third world live and are able to get out of the elements to be healthier. So cardboard boxes are really important for shipping, and for living and without them many people would not be able to afford a way to get out of the weather.

What is Thermal Technology? How is it Changing the Label Making?

Thermal Printing

Thermal printing gives a wide range of opportunities for the packaging supplies to improve the quality and visuals of the labelings. The thermal technology has provided the improved quality, portability, speed, innovation, vibrant colors, and advanced marketing techniques of the tags, logos, and labels to the companies. Modern thermal printers can make colorful labels and flexible packaging without the use of traditional ink, toner, and ribbon. The modern technology is using thermal imaging techniques to create appealing and sturdy labeling for the packaging.

ZINK Holdings LLC is providing the ZINK technology and thermal papers for the packaging world to enhance the quality and visuals of the labels on your packaging. It has accomplished major innovative, modern, and advanced printing goals. Many big companies are using thermal printing technology, including HP and LG They have used ZINK’s technology in mini photo printers, specially designed for their customers (the HP sprocket). Recently, the ZINK has joined his hands with the Brother International Corp. Now, they are working as partners, and they have launched a VC-500W compact multi-color printer for the 2019 CES trade event in Las Vegas, Nevada. The technology or the advanced printer can implement thousands of vibrant colors to produce a digital image or text for the labels of your packaging supplies.

Zero Ink Technology

The zero ink technology had become famous in the 90s, due to the use of digital printing techniques and zero ink or ZINK for the imprints of images and texts. The digital printing devices do not use the ink to pass the colors, images, or texts. The modern thermal printed labels become more appealing, strong, and nature-friendly. The use of thermal paper and digital printing was first used by the company, called ZINK Holdings LLC. This is a USA bases business that has introduced innovation in the printing realm. Apart from the printing labels and texts for the packaging, they print photos. Well, HP, Dell, Canon, LG, Polaroid, Lifeprint, and Brothers are the few companies that are using the thermal printing technology or Zero Ink techniques for the printing of their texts, labels, and images.

How the Thermal technology or Zero Ink Printing Changing the Label Making?

For the high volume printing in a rough environment, a professional-grade thermal printer can work as the best machinery. This is the robust device that can print the barcodes, texts, images, and anything you want on your labels, tags, and packaging boxes. This is a super-fast printer that can imprint anything within a minute (according to the size and demand of text or image) and can work 24/7. It can produce labels for the packaging companies, shipping entities, sole proprietorships, stationery products, and any other business that needs thermal printing or their item. Moreover, some of the printers might use RFID technology for smart labeling and better printing on your packaging supplies.

Before the invention of the advanced thermal or ZINK printers, the prior direct thermal printing technologies use only two colors (black and white). But, with time the demand for red color has been increased and it needed innovation and advanced technology to print the multi and digital colors. The high contrast of colors can give an appealing and vibrant appearance of the images, texts, and labels.

However, ZINK's thermal printing technology does not use only two colors, black and white. It has multiple advanced options to impress and attract customers. It has completely changed the visual dynamics of the packaging labels. Well, the business owners need to understand that not every type of labeling needs zero ink technology or thermal printing. Some texts and labels still need direct thermal printing technology.