The first advantage of ECT packaging is that an ECT box offers greater safety to transported goods since the level of protection offered by it during the distribution cycle has been calculated.įurthermore, in addition to offering an exact value for the material’s resistance, ect packaging allows for the use of fewer materials. This test is a useful tool both for cardboard manufacturers wishing to perform quality control, and for box manufacturers looking to test the protective ability of their raw material. These values will always be minimum and varied, since different processes may be used to manufacture the same type of corrugated cardboard. Therefore, this test shows the resistance in pounds per lineal inch (lb/in), though it is usually expressed as ECT. The edge crush test machine can calculate the resistance to compression at the edge of corrugated cardboard. A standard that offers a measurement tailored to modern-day transportation, where boxes are stacked on pallets. However, nowadays this new standard, which is directly related to the stacking resistance, is seeing increasing use to test the resistance of corrugated cardboard. Historically, the Bursting Strength Test (BST) would be used to measure the force that was required to pierce corrugated cardboard, anticipating how rough or careless handling could affect the material. This test can be performed using specific, in-house machinery, or commission it to laboratories and research centers for the packaging industry. Therefore, performing it means knowing the strength of the factor that contributes the most to a box’s resistance. The test measures the resistance of the edges to crushing since it is the corners and edges of the boxes that are mostly responsible for bearing the loads. Using this data, it is possible to manufacture boxes, packages and other products taking into account the material’s protective capabilities. When performing an edge crush test, a cross-sectional load is applied on corrugated cardboard until it collapses, thereby calculating the maximum compression force that the material can withstand without failing.Īn edge crush test for corrugated boxes yields the exact resistance of a material. This offers the necessary information to determine the ability of a sheet of corrugated cardboard to resist crushing forces. 4 The edge crush test formula: how to calculate it, step by step What is an edge crush test?Īn edge crush test (ECT) is a laboratory test method used to measure the cross-section crushing of corrugated cardboard.

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