Compression Strength
Measurement of the peak load a specimen of corrugated board can support in a direction parallel to the flutes defines the vertical durability of the material. The edge crush test provides a primary value used to calculate the stacking strength of finished shipping containers. It evaluates the combined performance of the liners and the medium when subjected to top-to-bottom pressure.
Component Influence
Strength depends on the stiffness of the individual paper layers and the quality of the adhesive bond between them. If the fluting is crushed during the manufacturing process, the ability of the board to resist vertical loads is greatly reduced. The test is performed on a small rectangular sample that is compressed between two platens until failure occurs.
Box Performance
Designers use the results to predict how a pallet of goods will behave when stacked in a warehouse. A high edge crush test value allows for the use of lighter weight boards while still maintaining the safety margins required for transport. This measurement is preferred over the traditional burst test for modern logistics because it relates more directly to the actual stresses faced by a box.
Regular monitoring of this metric ensures that the board remains within the tolerance levels required by the packaging specification.