Finite-element simulation with a homogenization model and experimental study of free drop tests of corrugated cardboard packaging

This paper presents experimental and numerical studies of drop tests of corrugated cardboard packaging containing different foam cushions. An efficient homogenization model for the corrugated cardboard has been developed. In our homogenized model, the corrugated cardboard is represented by a 2D plate. Instead of using a local constitutive law (relating the strains to the stresses) at each material point, the homogenization gives the global rigidities (relating the generalized strains to the resultant forces) for the equivalent homogeneous plate. This model was implemented into the FE software ABAQUS. The foam behaviour was experimentally determined and modelled using a crushable foam model of ABAQUS. The packages are tested in free fall from a given height on a rigid floor. The deceleration of the packed product was recorded using a triaxial accelerometer. The numerical results obtained using the FE simulation with the homogenized model agree well with the experimental results. We have also shown that the contribution of the corrugated cardboard box to the shock response could not be neglected in the design of cushioning package.