The Effect of Ventilation and Hand Holes on Loss of Compression Strength in Corrugated Boxes

Corrugated packaging is used to package approxi­ mately 90% of all products that reach retail store shelves and aisles in the United States. A large number of these corrugated shippers are used to ship fresh produce and perishables through the cold-chain environment that requires these boxes to haveventing to permit air cir­ culation. In addition, corrugated boxes for that are large in size and contain heavier products, may have hand holes to facilitate manual handling. The presence of ventilation and hand holes both cause a loss of material in two or more faces of the box. As a result the com­ pression strength required for shipping and stacking is compromised and can result in damageto contents. Hand holes that do not meetthe appropriate strength requirements can be a safety issue in manual handling if the contents are released when handling. This study was initiated to understand the loss of compression strength in corrugated containers as a function of size, shape and location of ventilation and hand holes used for handling ergonomics and extending shelf life for perishables with good air flow. Based on experimental data, results show thatthe loss in strength can range between 10 to 40% and is sig­ nificantly larger than previously reported.