AP Sheets Vs. Corrugated: A Side-by-Side Comparison That Might Surprise You

By Jacob Smiley

At Badger, we try to do things a little differently. Whether it’s our one-of-a-kind production lines across the country or our industry-leading quote turnaround times, we know there’s a better way to get you the chipboard products you deserve. 

Our auto palletizer (AP) sheets are one example. Engineered to outperform traditional corrugated sheets and chipboard sheets in automated production environments, our AP sheets are helping companies across the country save space, time, and money.

A New Way to Solve an Old Problem

Traditionally, corrugated cardboard pallet sheets are best suited for high-volume automated production lines. The thicker sheet is easy for robotic palletizers to pick up, one at a time, and place on the pallet. 

On the other hand, typical chipboard sheets are too thin and lack the necessary density/porosity, as they allow air from the robotic suction cups on the palletizer to pull through a single sheet and unintentionally pick up multiple sheets at once. This results in material waste and can even require the line to be shut down.

That’s when my team at Badger set out to find an innovative solution to eliminate the headaches that can come along with these machines. Instead of continuing to tweak the machinery, they created our proprietary AP sheet, designed specifically for this task.

“In the industry, we’ve always tried to fix the suction cups. We’ve always tried to fix the machine. Finally, we realized, why not build a sheet that’s made for that application?” Chad Kravick, our vice president, recalls about creating our proprietary AP sheet. “The way the fibers are overlaid reduces the porousness and allows the robot to pick up one sheet at a time.” 

Our Side-By-Side Comparison of AP Sheets vs Corrugated Sheets

Whether you’re aiming to reduce storage space, cut down on freight costs, or make a more sustainable choice, it’s important to compare options. Below is a comparison that highlights how our Badger AP Sheets outperform corrugated sheets in key areas.

Benefits of AP Sheets from Badger

There are multiple benefits to using our AP sheet instead of a traditional corrugated cardboard option. 

“A truckload of corrugated sheets is 6,000 sheets. We can get that same number of sheets on two pallets,” Kravick points out. “That means freight space and costs can be drastically reduced. And with warehouse space at a premium, you can dedicate less of yours to storing pallet sheets.” 

When it comes to annual costs, AP sheets are about 30-35% cheaper than the corrugate alternative. 

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, you may wonder how the thinner chipboard stands up to corrugated. 

We have a little test that we do. We give our customers a golf tee, and they shove the golf tee through the corrugated sheet, and we also put it through our chipboard sheet. They have a much harder time getting it through the chipboard sheet.

Innovation From Badger 

If you’re looking for a better pallet sheet that can perform on your automated line, you aren’t going to find it anywhere else but from Badger. 

“There is not another AP sheet on the market that I’ve ever seen,” Kravick explains. “Most of the high-speed applications people just left alone. There’s not a lot of innovation in chipboard. But we addressed the opportunity by developing our own sheet.” 

And most importantly, our customers are seeing the benefits of this product. 

“I can walk into a place and say, listen, I can get you a sheet that performs equally or better [than corrugate]. I can save you 30 to 35 percent, reduce your freight by 80 percent, and free up your warehouse,” he adds. “I’ve never had anybody say, No, I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

Learn More About AP Sheets

For more information about our AP sheets, visit our product page and request a sample today.