Compression Strength Estimation of Corrugated Board Boxes for a Reduction in Sidewall Surface Cutouts—Experimental and Numerical Approaches

Abstract

Corrugated cardboard boxes are generally used in modern supply chains for the handling, storage, and distribution of numerous goods. These packages require suitable strength to maintain adequate protection within the package; however, the presence and configuration of any cutouts on the sidewalls significantly influence the packaging costs and secondary paperboard waste. This study aims to evaluate the performance of CCBs by considering the influence of different cutout configurations of sidewalls. The compression strength of various B-flute CCB dimensions (200 mm, 300 mm, 400 mm, 500 m, and 600 mm in length, with the same width and height of 300 mm), each for five cutout areas (0%, 4%, 16%, 36%, and 64%) were experimentally observed, and the results were compared with the McKee formula for estimation. The boxes with cutout areas of 0%, 4%, 16%, 36%, and 64% showed a linear decreasing tendency in compression force. A linear relationship was found between compression strength and an increase in cutout sizes. Packages with 0% and 4% cutouts did not show significant differences in compression strength (p < 0.05). Furthermore, this study shows a possible way to modify the McKee estimation for such boxes after obtaining empirical test data since the McKee formula works with a relatively high error rate on corrugated cardboard boxes with sidewall cutouts. Utilizing the numerical and experimental results, a favorable estimation map can be drawn up for packaging engineers to better manage material use and waste. The results of the study showed that the McKee formula does not appropriately estimate the box compression strength for various cutout sizes in itself.