This paper presents experimental and numerical studies of drop tests of corrugatedcardboard packaging containing different foam cushions. An efficient homogenization modelfor the corrugated cardboard has been developed. In our homogenized model, the corrugatedcardboard 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 givesthe global rigidities (relating the generalized strains to the resultant forces) for theequivalent homogeneous plate. This model was implemented into the FE software ABAQUS. Thefoam behaviour was experimentally determined and modelled using a crushable foam model ofABAQUS. The packages are tested in free fall from a given height on a rigid floor. Thedeceleration of the packed product was recorded using a triaxial accelerometer. Thenumerical results obtained using the FE simulation with the homogenized model agree wellwith the experimental results. We have also shown that the contribution of the corrugatedcardboard box to the shock response could not be neglected in the design of cushioningpackage.
