In the world of logistics and distribution, the humble corrugated fiberboard box is an unsung hero. It protects products during transit, ensures they arrive safely, and plays a crucial role in the supply chain. As companies push for more sustainable and efficient operations, optimizing the design of this secondary packaging has become a top priority. A key challenge, however, has been the complex and resource-intensive process of testing these designs.
A groundbreaking approach is transforming the landscape by democratizing the box compression test (BCT) through advanced simulation. This method makes sophisticated virtual testing accessible to a broader range of professionals, accelerating innovation and driving efficiency. By transforming a complex, multi-step process into a streamlined, user-friendly workflow, companies can now validate packaging performance more quickly and accurately than ever before.
The Importance of Corrugated Fiberboard Packaging
Corrugated fiberboard is the dominant material for secondary packaging for good reason. It offers an exceptional stiffness-to-weight ratio, as well as durability and cost-effectiveness. It is also eco-friendly, a significant advantage as businesses move toward more sustainable practices. Given the massive production volumes, even a slight reduction in material through light-weighting can lead to substantial cost savings and a lower carbon footprint across the entire value chain.
The primary measure of a box’s strength and performance is the box compression test. During a BCT, an empty box is compressed between two rigid plates until it collapses. The test determines the maximum force the box can withstand, a value that is then compared against performance requirements to ensure the package can handle the stresses of stacking, transportation, and handling.
The Challenge of Traditional Testing
Traditionally, validating a new box design involves creating physical prototypes and subjecting them to laboratory tests – this process is both time-consuming and expensive. An alternative is to use analytical formulas, like the McKee formula, to estimate BCT values. While useful, these formulas provide average predictions and often fail to account for complex design features such as handles, cut-outs, perforations, or the reinforcing effect of packaging tape. As box designs become more intricate, the accuracy of these analytical methods diminishes, making a more robust solution necessary.
A New Era: The Virtual Box Compression Test
Finite element (FE) analysis offers a powerful alternative. This numerical approach allows for the creation of a detailed virtual prototype that can be tested in a simulated environment. The virtual BCT can accurately predict how a box will behave under compression, taking into account its specific geometry, material properties, and other unique features.
Our approach models the corrugated fiberboard. The material model can be calibrated with readily available data, such as grammage, thickness, and bending stiffness, making it practical for real-world applications.
In the virtual test, a simulated top plate moves down to compress the box model, just as it would in a physical lab. The simulation captures the complete force-displacement curve and identifies the peak force, also known as the BCT value. Beyond this primary output, the simulation provides a wealth of data, including deformation patterns and stress concentrations, that are difficult or impossible to obtain through physical testing. This detailed insight allows designers to pinpoint weaknesses and optimize the structure with precision.
Democratizing Simulation for Broader Access
The true innovation lies in democratizing this advanced simulation technology. Democratization means making these powerful tools available to users who may not have specialized training in structural mechanics or simulation. It involves capturing the complex, expert-driven workflow and packaging it into a simple, intuitive, and automated solution.
The expert workflow for setting up a virtual BCT involves multiple steps:
- Creating a parametric CAD model of the box.
- Defining the material properties of the fiberboard and tape.
- Setting up the simulation scenario with plates and boundary conditions.
- Running the analysis and post-processing the results.
This process can take an expert team hours or even days to complete. Through democratization, this entire workflow is transformed into a “push-button” solution accessible through a simple web-based interface. A user can input key parameters, such as box dimensions and material grade, and the automated process handles the rest.
We have developed this solution as a two-step process:
- Material Calibration: The user inputs standard test data for a corrugated grade, and the system generates a calibrated material model.
- BCT Simulation: The user defines the box geometry, selects the calibrated material, and runs the virtual test to get the BCT performance results.
This streamlined approach empowers packaging designers and engineers to conduct complex simulations without requiring expertise in simulation, thereby accelerating the design-validate-iterate cycle.
The Business Benefits of Democratized Workflows
Adopting democratized BCT solutions offers significant advantages for any business involved in packaging. By moving validation from the physical lab to the virtual desktop, companies can unlock new levels of speed, efficiency, and innovation.
Key benefits include:
- Accelerated Development: Routine work is automated, drastically reducing the time required to test new designs and freeing up expert resources for more strategic tasks.
- Reduced Costs and Errors: Minimizing the reliance on physical prototypes lowers material and testing costs. Automation also reduces the potential for human error in the setup process.
- Enhanced Innovation: By making simulation accessible early in the design phase, teams can explore more concepts and find optimized, sustainable packaging solutions faster.
- Data-Driven Decisions: Automated workflows enable the systematic collection of performance data. This data is a vital asset for monitoring, refining solutions, and building data-driven or AI-powered models that can further accelerate the design process.
By transforming complex technical processes into accessible tools, democratized simulation empowers businesses to innovate more effectively. It represents a critical step forward in creating more sustainable, cost-effective, and high-performance packaging for the future.
Interested in the latest in simulation? Looking for advice and best practices? Want to discuss simulation with fellow users and Dassault Systèmes experts? The SIMULIA Community is the place to find the latest resources for SIMULIA software and to collaborate with other users. The key that unlocks the door of innovative thinking and knowledge building, the SIMULIA Community provides you with the tools you need to expand your knowledge, whenever and wherever.
Katie is the Editor of the SIMULIA blog, an expert in engineering and scientific communication, and a strategic digital marketer. Katie has a BA in English and Writing from the University of Rhode Island and a MS in Technical Communication from Northeastern University. She is also a proud SIMULIA advocate, passionate about democratizing simulation for all audiences. Katie is a native Rhode Islander who lives just outside of her favorite city, Providence. She is a true New Englander and loves sharing all the cool things NE has to offer. She enjoys a variety of hobbies including history, astronomy, science/technology, science fiction, true crime, fashion and anything associated with nature and the outdoors. She is also mom to a 5-year old budding engineer and two crazy rescue pups.