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31st December 2007

What are Corrugated Boxes

We have all seen them but do not know what they are called. The cardboard boxes with a wavy layer (called “fluting”) sandwiched in between two thin outer layers are called corrugated boxes, and are heavily used in shipping as a reliable and protective packaging material.

Cardboard as a packaging material has been in use for over two centuries. Corrugated cardboard first made its appearance a hundred years ago when it was approved as a shipping material for cereals. Since then, it has become the preferred packing material for a vast range of goods and materials. These include liquid, granular, loose, and hazardous materials.
What makes corrugated boxes so popular with the packing and crating industry? Corrugated cardboard has -

Durability
Lightness
Adaptability
Strength
Visual appeal
Cost-effectiveness
Recyclability

Boxes made from corrugated cardboard material offer structural rigidity with good cushioning ability. This allows them to be used even for heavy and fragile goods.

It is possible to customize corrugated cardboard to yield a variety of packing boxes. The features that can be altered and modulated include board types, flute sizes, weight, adhesives, treatment, and coatings which include flame-retardant and static-control protection.

The adaptability of corrugated boxes makes them much easier to handle. It can be cut and folded into a range of shapes and sizes, and made to look graphically appealing with direct printing using techniques like lithography, flexography, etc.

The material also lends itself to uses other than packing. These include affordable and recyclable pallets, bulk bins, and castles made by children.

As a shipping material, corrugated boxes have good tear, tensile and burst strength that make them ideal for long journeys. Forces emanating from impact, drop and vibration are effectively controlled with good weight distribution.

For more information on corrugated boxes visit - Corrugated Boxes

The author is the content developer for Internet Toll Free and can be contacted at marketing@searchinfluence.com

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31st December 2007

Improve The Range Of Your Remote Keyless Entry System

Most vehicles today have a remote keyless entry system installed, which allows the driver to access the vehicle without a key. Older vehicles can be upgraded by buying an after market product to have the same capabilities. After market devices tend to have more range because they do not fall under the same FCC rules concerning power output. In any case, there are ways to improve the effectiveness of the antenna in the vehicle.

It does not matter if you vehicle has an after market system of it came from the plant; in each case the receiver will have an antenna attached to it. Some times the antenna is on the printed circuit board (PCB) in which case the following does not apply. If the antenna is a visible wire that comes out of the receiver, you can try the following. Locating the receiver and antenna inside the vehicle may be tricky. If you have it may be possible to create a longer antenna, which would greatly increase the antenna height. Increasing the antenna height would improve performance and increase the range from your vehicle that the FOB will work. It may be tricky but there are cases where this is possible. Your aftermarket device may be able to accommodate a longer antenna as well.

The length of the antenna does matter if you are able to fabricate a new one. In North America, the keyless entry system operates just above 300mHz and 315 megahertz. This tells you that antenna length is just less than one meter, 95cm to be exact, would be the ideal antenna length (one full wavelength) for that frequency. If the antenna in your vehicle is 24cm or 48cm long, that equates to a quarter and half wavelength respectively. A full wavelength or 95cm would be ideal.

In most cases, this may not be possible however there are still some tricks to remember. Many variables will change the performance of the keyless entry system. Unless you have an aftermarket FOB that has much higher power output in which case you may never find that you have poor performance, try the following.

The farther away the FOB is from the ground the better. The ground will reflect the signal preventing it from reaching your vehicle. Holding the FOB over your head will yield much better results. If you remember from above roughly one meter is a perfect antenna for the FOBs at this frequency, keeping that in mind your body will also act like an antenna. A person just over six feet tall is almost two wavelengths which is even a better antenna. That tells us that a tall man will have better performance than a young child who is much shorter will. Also parking away from vehicles and other obstacles will improve your range. The more objects that are between you and your vehicle the closer you will need to be for the FOB to work.

The final trick that creates great performance is holding the FOB directly under your chin. This method works well even though it is less scientific why it does. In some cases, this works better than holding the FOB above your head. Trial and error is really the only way to make sure. The last resort is to check the battery in the FOB. The batteries are designed to last for many years but keeping a fresh one in there will keep your range performance high.

Michael Russell

Your Independent guide to Antennas

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31st December 2007

Wallpaper Mural Tricks How to Choose and Install

You can personalize any interior space and make it your own with custom wallpaper murals. There are many companies that specialize in this unique service. They will let you send in any photograph, artwork, illustration, or anything you can imagine, and make it into a wallpaper mural just for you. Slides, digital photos, high-resolution computer graphics files, original paintings or drawings, all work great. Most of these companies will send you a small sample of what the finished mural will look like, so you can see if it is going to match your room d

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