Corrugated Board Selection Calculator

Box strength from weight, stacking, and handling.

Product weight (lbs)

Box length (in)

Box width (in)

Box height (in)

Stacking layers

Handling severity (0-2)

Tab to move between fields

Recommended flute (1=E, 2=B, 3=C, 4=A, 5=BC, 6=Triple)

Required ECT (lb/in)

5.9

Required compression (lbs)322

Stacking load (lbs)92

Wall thickness (in)0.06

Est. burst strength (PSI)41

Board area per box (sq ft)12.83

Relative cost index1

How to Use This Calculator

Enter the product weight (lbs or kg) and stacking load requirement (lbs).
Enter distribution environment (parcel, LTL, truckload) and hazard level.
Read recommended corrugated board grade (single, double, or triple wall) and flute type.
Verify the BCT (box compression test) rating meets your stacking requirement with safety factor.
Match board grade to ISTA or ASTM test protocol requirements for the distribution environment.

What each input means

Product weight (lbs): Weight of the product inside the box.
Box length (in): Internal length of the shipping box.
Box width (in): Internal width of the shipping box.
Box height (in): Internal height of the shipping box.
Stacking layers: Number of boxes stacked vertically (including this one).
Handling severity (0-2): 0 = mild/warehouse only, 1 = normal shipping, 2 = rough handling (e.g., freight).

Recommended flute (1=E, 2=B, 3=C, 4=A, 5=BC, 6=Triple): 1=E-flute, 2=B-flute, 3=C-flute, 4=A-flute, 5=BC double wall, 6=Triple wall.
Required ECT (lb/in): Minimum Edge Crush Test strength needed.
Required compression (lbs): Box Compression Strength needed to withstand stacking.
Stacking load (lbs): Total weight from boxes stacked above.
Wall thickness (in): Board thickness of the selected flute profile.
Est. burst strength (PSI): Estimated Mullen burst strength.
Board area per box (sq ft): Corrugated board area for one RSC-style box blank.
Relative cost index: Relative material cost (1.0 = E-flute baseline).

Identify Input Parameters
4 parameters
Product weight (lbs) = 20, Box length (in) = 18, Box width (in) = 14, Box height (in) = 12 = 6 input(s) provided
Calculate Recommended flute
Recommended flute
1 = 1
Calculate Required ECT
5.9 = 5.9
Calculate Required compression
Required compression = stackLoad * safetyFactor
322 = 322
Calculate Stacking load
Stacking load = grossWeight * (stackingLayers - 1)
92 = 92