A Simplified Method of Cushioning-Package Design Using Structural Corrugated Boards

Cushioning packages are used to protect products from shocks during transport. Cushioning materials can be roughly divided into two groups, namely, expanded plastic and paper. The design method using expanded plastic cushioning materials applies a cushion curve based on the results of dynamic-compression tests. However, because no efficient packaging-design method yet exists for paper cushioning materials, packaging engineers must rely on previous experience and the so-called trial-and-error method to design packaging. Therefore, this study focuses on corrugated boards, the most widely used paper cushioning material, and develops a simplified design method needing only one dynamic-compression test. To verify the validity of our method, we use it to design a cushioning package and confirm that the difference between experimental and predicted results is less than 5%, which can be considered sufficient accuracy.