Corrugated cartons or boxes is the most preferred way of packaging for long transits. It is supposed to keep the consignment intact and safe from the external environment. The condition in which the box reaches its destinationdepicts the quality control awareness of the manufacturer and the transporter too. Thus, it becomes imperative to keep a close look on the quality of corrugated boards and boxes. And to ensure the safety, there are several tests that are performed to calculate the strength and load bearing capacity of the box. There are many quality conscious box manufacturers who invest good money in conducting different tests on their boards. But to begin with, following mentioned tests can be considered.
Vibration test
It is natural that a packaged box undergoes a lot of jerks, wrenches and pulls during handling and transit. It is very important for the corrugated carton to withstand the sudden movements to a certain level. To calculate the load it can bear under different movements without damaging the contents of the package a vibration test is very important. Having this information prior in hand will help to avoid overloading and thus preventing any damages during transportation. In a vibrations test, a specimen of the box is placed on the vibration table and subject to a certain frequency of jolts that are expected during handling. The simulated vibration highlights the damage prone areas of the box.
If a corrugated box is carried in the air, how much load it can handle without any wear and tear is estimated by a box bursting tester. Not to overload the carton, this test gives the exact figure of load that a box can bear. This test is usually conducted on the corrugated board instead of a box and usually done by box manufacturers. A box bursting tester applies different types of pressure, say pneumatic or hydraulic pressure to burst the corrugated board and this force is calculated in kg/cm².
Box Compression Test
Stacking up of cartons is a very common practice in storage and transportation. However, stacking cannot be avoided, but it can be estimated how much load a carton can bear, from the top, without damaging the content of the consignment. With box compression test, crush strength and top load strength of the carton can be easily calculated. Box tester applies a certain load on the box placed on the platform till it collapses. It then gives the reading on the display to estimate the load bearing capacity of the box. Box compression tester is a must have testing instrument in the packaging industry, so as to minimise the damages of consignment during transits and storage.
