Impact Oscillator Model for the Prediction of Dynamic Cushion Curves of Open Cell Foams

Cushion curves enable packaging designers to optimize a design solution for a given product fragility and expected distribution environment drop height. The industry accepted techniques for developing these curves are time intensive and devoid of a physical understanding of the materials and the physics involve in energy absorption. This paper delves into a qualitative understanding of the dynamics of a platen impacting an open cell foam cushion material. An hyperelastic material model is used to describe the foam's nonlinear stress–strain relationship, while its damping and hysteretic behaviour are represented with linear viscoelasticity. Using a simple nonlinear, discontinuous model of a drop test along with numerical simulations, the study examines the physics of the impact. The numerical studies show that the model is able to provide predictions of the shock pulse's shape, duration and amplitude at various static stresses and drop heights. The dynamic cushion curves generated by the model retain the characteristic concave upward 'trough' shape of the experimental curves. Furthermore, the model shows that the optimal amplitude of shock absorbed for a given set of drop conditions depends on the foam's thickness and cross-sectional area. Lastly, the model is validated using the comparison of a predicted curve and experimental data captured using a cushion tester. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.