Fragile Item Packaging Calculator

Cushioning thickness from product weight and drop height.

Product weight (lbs)

Product fragility (G)

Expected drop height (in)

Foam max compression ratio

Cushion bearing area (sq in)

Tab to move between fields

Recommended cushion (in)

1.25

Peak G with recommended pad

Minimum thickness (in)1.02

Safety margin %18

Static loading (PSI)0.25

Impact energy (in-lbs)450

Required deflection (in)0.61

Total foam volume (cu in)150

How to Use This Calculator

Enter product weight (lbs) and fragility level (G rating from product fragility testing).
Enter drop height (inches) expected in the distribution environment.
Read required cushioning thickness (inches) for the specified foam type and fragility.
Review foam cushion curve data — select foam density that peaks G below the product fragility level.
Validate packaging design with ISTA 2A or equivalent test series before releasing to production.

How the result changes with Product fragility (G)

Product weight (lbs): Weight of the fragile product.
Product fragility (G): Maximum G-force the product can withstand. Electronics ~40-60G, hard drives ~25-40G, appliances ~60-85G.
Expected drop height (in): Drop height per ISTA/ASTM guidelines. 30 in is typical for <50 lb packages.
Foam max compression ratio: Maximum compression ratio of the cushioning foam (PE foam ~0.6, PU foam ~0.7).
Cushion bearing area (sq in): Contact area between the product face and the cushion pad.

Recommended cushion (in): Cushion thickness rounded up to nearest 0.25 in standard increment.
Minimum thickness (in): Absolute minimum foam thickness before rounding.
Peak G with recommended pad: Actual peak deceleration G with the recommended cushion thickness.
Safety margin %: How far below the product's G-limit the cushion design sits.
Static loading (PSI): Static stress on the cushion — used to select foam density from cushion curves.
Impact energy (in-lbs): Kinetic energy the cushion must absorb on impact.
Required deflection (in): Minimum deflection distance needed to stay under the G-limit.
Total foam volume (cu in): Volume of foam needed for top and bottom cushion pads.

Identify Input Parameters
4 parameters
Product weight (lbs) = 15, Product fragility (G) = 50, Expected drop height (in) = 30, Foam max compression ratio = 0.6 = 5 input(s) provided
Calculate Recommended cushion
Recommended cushion = ceil(minCushionThickness * 4) / 4
1.25 = 1.25
Calculate Peak G with recommended pad
41 = 41
Calculate Minimum thickness
Minimum thickness = requiredDeflection / maxCompression
1.02 = 1.02
Calculate Safety margin %
18 = 18