how to open flat carton and make it square

In the U.S. I would be talking to my carton supplier. Can't you?

please reply asap? How about re-post your questin asap?

seriously. you need to articulate yuor needs better.

For example: I have about 1000 1 pint milk cartons that I wish to flatten so I can use them as wall covering.

<no>

Okay well maybe this:

I have a cardboard refrigerator box that I wish to slatten into one single layer so that me and the guys in the neighborhood can sled down the snow covered hill.

You get the idea.

And as for please reply asap: My Granpa used to tell me " Boy, a lack of planning on your part does not make for an emergency on my part!"

cr3

Is this what you're looking for?

http://www.abcpackaging.com/caseErectors/erectors.htm

There are Knock-Down and Erector machinery that do this. These machines are not very expensive. They are usualy called boxing machines. They are very simple electromechanical contraptions with a few position sensors, a small PLC and some chains, sprockets, motors, levers and piston-actuators. Overall height is about 5Ft and usual footprint about 45Ft. They are efficient and work inline at the end of your P-Line.

ronald, I'd like to know what your idea of expensive is.

Volumn of production has to be very high before most of these things can pay for themselves. I maintained packaging machinery for 20 years but I would be afraid to buy a used one. Most of that stuff you really need years of experience before you would have a dogs chance of getting it to run properly. Of course if you could call in a factory serviceman it would help. I'd be sure that the factory provides good support before buying any brand.

I know of one occasion where a Mead service man flew to Germany and moved one rail 3/8 " to solve their problem.

Basically, all box erectors function on the same principle. There's nothing very complex about them. I serviced many a box erector in the past with ww.inter-strap.com. You could have two very similar machines and very large differences in price tags. There's a multitude of companies designing and building them. Their choices are endless. Most of the companies I serviced were start-ups which opted for lower end machines that worked well. What you said is true; what I meant is that they can start with small budget and grow from there? Sadly, I'm know very little about ROI or industrial economics...

°<|:{> Merry Christmas!