Fragile Item Packaging Calculator

This calculator sizes protective foam cushioning using the standard cushion-curve energy approach: it treats the drop as converting the item's fall into deceleration that the foam must absorb over its compressed thickness. From your drop height and the product's fragility rating (G-factor — the peak deceleration it can survive without damage), it computes the required deflection distance as dropHeight / (gFactor − 1), then divides that by the foam's maximum compression ratio (how far it can squash before bottoming out, typically 0.4–0.7 for common PE/PU/EPE foams) to get the minimum cushion thickness. That figure is then bumped up to the next available 0.25-inch foam increment, since cushioning sheet stock only comes in fixed gauges, and the calculator works the formula in reverse to report the peak G the item would actually experience with that rounded thickness, along with the safety margin between that and the G-limit you specified.

The G-factor is the input most worth getting right: electronics typically tolerate 40-60G, hard drives and optics only 25-40G, small appliances 60-85G, and heavy machinery up to 120G — using the wrong bracket either wastes foam or under-protects the product. It also assumes uniform bearing area contact between the product face and the cushion pad, so an oddly shaped or point-loaded product will see higher real-world static loading than the PSI figure shown here suggests. Because this is a simplified single-drop model rather than a full cushion-curve chart tied to a specific foam density and material, use the recommended thickness as a design starting point and confirm actual performance with an ISTA 2A (or equivalent) drop test series before finalizing packaging.