How to specify a corrugated cardboard cat scratcher for retail
Six things belong in a cardboard scratcher specification: flute, grammage or layer count, adhesive, density, odour and packing. Name all six against the reference you are quoting, then check each one on a physical sample before you place a production order.
Ask for the six figures in writing against the exact reference you are quoting.
Then check them on a sample: cut a corner, count the layers, pull a glued edge, weigh it, smell it and measure the pack.
The board specification for each reference is confirmed on your quotation.
Which flute, and at what pitch?
Ask for the flute type and the pitch of the corrugation, and ask for both against one reference rather than the whole range.
Write the answer into your specification so a repeat order is measured against the same board.
The flute for each reference is confirmed on your quotation.
What grammage, or how many layers?
Ask for the grammage of the liner and the fluting, or for the number of glued layers in the finished piece.
Decide which of the two your own inspector will check on arrival, then ask for that one by name.
Grammage and layer count for each reference are confirmed on your quotation.
Which adhesive?
Ask which adhesive holds the layers together, and ask for it by name rather than by description.
Put the name in the specification you send with your artwork file, so it is quoted rather than assumed.
The adhesive for each reference is confirmed on your quotation.
What density, and in which unit?
Ask for density in kilograms per cubic metre, and write that unit into your specification.
Buyers ask about paper crumbs on the floor, and about how long a board lasts in a home with several cats. Put both questions to the desk in writing.
Density for each reference is confirmed on your quotation.
What does the board smell like?
Ask for a plain statement on odour, and ask what the board is made from.
Then open a sample in a closed room and smell it before the piece airs.
The board make-up for each reference is confirmed on your quotation.
How does it pack?
Ask for the packing figures early, then work out what the order costs you to move.
A folding scratcher opens to 220 mm diameter × 110 mm and folds to 110 × 100 × 70 mm. It packs 36 pieces to a carton of 360 × 336 × 340 mm. Net weight is 310 g and gross weight is 345 g.
An assembled sofa scratcher of 678 × 300 × 240 mm packs at 420 × 300 × 140 mm. Four pieces go to a carton of 435 × 575 × 330 mm, at a net weight of 1.3 kg.
The folding scratcher is supplied in kraft, and the sofa scratcher takes a customisable pattern. Both are made in China.
Ask for the unit box, the carton dimensions and the pieces per carton, from the packing list for that exact product. Work from those figures rather than an estimate.
The six questions in one table
| What to name | How to ask for it | What to check on the sample |
|---|---|---|
| Flute | Flute type and pitch, per reference | Cut one corner and look at the wave across the edge |
| Grammage or layers | Liner and fluting grammage, or glued layer count | Count the layers on a cut edge |
| Adhesive | The adhesive named, not described | Pull a glued edge apart by hand |
| Density | Density in kilograms per cubic metre | Weigh the piece against the stated weight |
| Odour | A plain statement on odour and on what the board is made from | Open it in a closed room and smell it before it airs |
| Packing | Unit box, carton dimensions, pieces per carton | Measure the packed piece and count what fits one carton |
What to do with the sample
A sample is approved before production runs. Do the six checks below on it first.
- Cut one corner and look at the wave across the edge.
- Count the glued layers on that same cut edge.
- Pull a glued edge apart by hand, and see whether the layers separate or the paper tears.
- Weigh the piece and compare it against the weight on the specification.
- Smell the board on opening, in a closed room, before the piece airs.
- Measure the packed piece, then check the carton figures against the packing list.
Scratch one corner hard for a few minutes, and look at what has come off onto the table. Stand on any lounge or sofa shape, and watch where it flexes.
Keep the approved sample, and keep a photograph of it beside your specification.
Ordering details
Four order routes run through the scratcher range. A sample, a product from the current range, the same product in your own packaging, or a product developed to your design. The minimum for each is confirmed on your quotation.
Send only logos, images, characters and names that you own or have written permission to use. Your brand and your artwork stay yours, and Baiwei Pets uses them only to quote, to proof and to produce your order. If a design looks like it belongs to someone else, the desk will ask before anything is printed.
Your quotation and proforma name the contracting seller. Bank details are issued once, on the proforma, and never changed by email. Call the number on the site before paying a changed account.
- Flute, grammage or layer count, adhesive and density for a reference are confirmed on your quotation.
- Pieces per carton and carton dimensions for other references are confirmed on your quotation.
- Colours and patterns beyond the ones named are confirmed on your quotation.
- The minimum for each order route is confirmed on your quotation.
- Prices are quoted per enquiry.
Ask for the board specification
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Or email the sales desk: sales@baiweipets.com