Calculate corrugated board or cardboard sheet weight from its size and a typical board type or your own GSM, or derive GSM from liner and flute weights.

Typical combined weights; check the supplier spec for exact GSM.

Optional settings
Blank uses 1 sheet.

Only adhesive or coating not already in the board GSM. Blank uses 0.

Corrugated Board Weight Formula

Use measured or supplier-specified finished board grammage when available. Thickness alone does not determine corrugated board mass: paper weights, flute take-up, adhesives, moisture and coatings vary. For a layer estimate, sum the liner GSM and each medium GSM multiplied by its own take-up factor, then add any adhesive/coating mass not already included.

CBW (kg) = BL (m) × BW (m) × GSM × Q / 1000

Variables:

  • CBW is the corrugated sheet or blank mass (kg)
  • BL is the flat sheet or blank length converted to meters
  • BW is the flat sheet or blank width converted to meters
  • GSM is the finished board grammage in grams per square meter; Q is the number of sheets
  • For layer estimates, apply take-up only to fluting, not liners. Finished board GSM already includes all its layers.

How to Calculate Corrugated Board Weight?

The following two example problems outline the steps and information needed to calculate the Corrugated Board Weight.

Example Problem #1

  1. First, determine the corrugated  board length (in).
    • The corrugated  board length (in) is calculated to be 30.
  2. Next, determine the corrugated board width (in).
    • The corrugated board width (in) is measured to be 20.
  3. Next, determine finished board GSM and sheet quantity.
    • Use 500 g/m² and 1 sheet.
  4. Finally, calculate the Corrugated Board Weight using the formula above: 

CBW (kg) = BL (m) × BW (m) × GSM × Q / 1000

The values provided above are inserted into the equation below and computed.

A 30 × 20 in sheet has area (30 × 0.0254) × (20 × 0.0254) = 0.387096 m². CBW = 0.387096 × 500 × 1 / 1000 = 0.193548 kg (about 0.4267 lb).

Example Problem #2

The variables required for this problem are provided below:

corrugated  board length (in) = 40

corrugated board width (in) = 50

finished board grammage = 500 g/m²; quantity = 1 sheet

Test your knowledge and check your answer with the calculator.

CBW = (40 × 0.0254) × (50 × 0.0254) × 500 / 1000 = 0.64516 kg (about 1.4223 lb).