Design and Testing

The design and testing of corrugated packaging involve several steps, from material selection to structural engineering, to ensure that the packaging can withstand the conditions it will encounter during transport and handling.

Linerboard: The smooth outer and inner surfaces of the corrugated sheet.

Medium (Fluting): The wavy, middle layer that provides strength and cushioning.

Structural Integrity is determined by a series of tests designed to simulate the conditions that a package will experience during transportation, including:

Edge Crush Test (ECT)
The ECT measures the amount of force needed to crush the edge of a corrugated board. It provides an estimate of how well the packaging can resist forces during stacking and transport.
The test is performed by placing a sample between two plates and applying pressure until the board is crushed. Higher ECT values indicate stronger packaging, which is essential for heavier products or shipments that will experience significant stacking.

Drop Tests: Simulates the effect of dropping a package from a certain height to assess its ability to withstand impact.

Compression (Stacking) Tests: Simulates how packages stacked on top of each other will behave, ensuring the bottom boxes do not crush under pressure.

Climate and Environmental Tests: Simulates various environmental conditions (humidity, temperature, etc.) that can affect packaging performance, particularly in transit across different climates.