Package Structural Design Calculator

Box compression strength and stacking limits from corrugated specs.

Box Length (in)

Box Width (in)

Box Height (in)

ECT (lb/in)

Board Caliper (in)

Product Weight (lbs)

Tab to move between fields

Box Compression (lbs)

498

Safe Stack Weight (lbs)

166

Max Stack High (boxes)8

Boxes per Pallet Layer16

Max Pallet Layers1

Est. Burst Strength (psi)38

Board Grade (1-3)2

How to Use This Calculator

Enter corrugated board grade (E, B, C, or BC flute) and carton dimensions (mm).
Enter top-to-bottom compression load requirement (kgf or lbs) and stacking height.
Read box compression strength (BCT) estimate using the McKee formula.
Verify BCT exceeds the required compression load with a 3:1 safety factor for palletized storage.
Adjust board grade or carton dimensions to achieve the required structural performance.

How the result changes with ECT (lb/in)

Box Length (in): Interior box length.
Box Width (in): Interior box width.
Box Height (in): Interior box height.
ECT (lb/in): Edge Crush Test value. 23=C-flute single wall, 32=standard, 44=heavy duty.
Board Caliper (in): Board thickness. C-flute: 0.16", B-flute: 0.10", BC double wall: 0.25".
Product Weight (lbs): Weight of product inside the box.

Identify Input Parameters
4 parameters
Box Length (in) = 12, Box Width (in) = 10, Box Height (in) = 8, ECT (lb/in) = 32 = 6 input(s) provided
Calculate Box Compression
Box Compression = 5.87 * ectLbPerIn * sqrt(caliperIn * perimeter)
498 = 498
Calculate Safe Stack Weight
Safe Stack Weight = bct / safetyFactor
166 = 166
Calculate Max Stack High
Max Stack High
8 = 8
Calculate Boxes per Pallet Layer
Boxes per Pallet Layer = floor(48 / lengthIn) * floor(40 / widthIn)
16 = 16