Turn waste cardboard into free packaging. Cardboard perforators (also called cardboard shredders or box shredders) run used boxes through a cutting head that converts them into cushioning and void-fill material, eliminating the cost of bought-in packaging while cutting waste-disposal volume. Mid-State Litho carries the Formax Greenwave line of cardboard converters for shipping rooms, fulfillment operations, and warehouses. For document destruction rather than box conversion, see our paper shredders.
The result is a sustainable, closed-loop packaging workflow: the cardboard you'd otherwise pay to recycle becomes the cushioning that protects your outbound shipments. MSL is an authorized Formax dealer with Michigan-based service since 1984. Contact us for a recommendation based on your daily box volume.
Choosing between the 412 and the 432
Both machines take a flattened box and cut it into a cushioning mesh you can use as void fill. They differ in infeed width and in how they are installed.
The Greenwave 412 takes a 410 mm infeed and is a bench unit. It suits a packing station that runs its own boxes and has counter space next to the bench.
The Greenwave 432 takes a 430 mm infeed and is freestanding. It suits a shipping area where the machine sits on the floor near the pack line rather than on a bench.
The question that decides it is not volume, it is footprint and box width. Measure the widest flattened carton you actually recycle. If it clears 410 mm, the 412 will not take it and the 432 is the machine.
Both are stocked and both quote same day. If you want to test your own cartons before you buy, send us three of them.
Frequently asked questions
Is a cardboard shredder the same thing as a cardboard perforator?
Yes. The machine is sold under both names, and some suppliers call it a box shredder. It cuts a flattened box into a mesh you can use as packing material. It does not destroy documents and it is not a security shredder.
What size box can each machine take?
The Greenwave 412 has a 410 mm infeed. The Greenwave 432 has a 430 mm infeed. Measure the widest carton you plan to run flat, not folded.
Does it need three-phase power?
Tell us your available circuit when you request a quote and we will confirm the requirement for the model you are considering before you order.
Can I try it with my own boxes first?
Send us three of the cartons you actually recycle and we will tell you which machine handles them. That is a better answer than a spec sheet.
Do you service these in Michigan?
Yes. Mid-State Litho has sold and serviced print finishing equipment from Michigan since 1984, and our technicians cover the Great Lakes region.