The ECT or Edge Crush Tester measures the ability of a corrugated board to protect goods during storage or transportation. It plays an important role in the paper and packaging industry as it helps assess the compressive forces a box can withstand to ensure the security of goods and products.

What is the edge crush test?

The Edge Crush Test is a method of measuring the lateral force required to crush a sample of corrugated board to the breaking point. This is especially useful for today’s lighter-weight cardboard, which contains recycled composites that are lighter than their traditional counterparts yet can withstand higher pressures.

Industries such as paper and packaging use the Ring Crush Test (RCT), Flat Crush Test (FCT), and Edge Crush Test (ECT) to measure the cross-sectional crush of corrugated boards. This test provides the necessary information about the resistance of corrugated boards to crushing forces. It helps in the manufacture of boxes, packages, and other products, taking into account the protective properties of the material. In other words, this test provides information about the strength of the box and its resistance to compressive forces. When you are getting these appliances always make sure to buy them from a well-renowned lab testing equipment supplier as there can be many people selling these machines which are fake or of no standard use.

Advantages of edge crush tester

The advantage of the Edge Crush Tester Digital is that it recognizes the security measures of goods boxes during transit. It makes it possible to determine the exact weight or force that the cardboard can withstand. In other words, it guarantees product protection for quality results. Edge Crush Test Digital measures the strength of cardboard boxes

The ECT or Edge Compression Test method evaluates the edge crush strength of single or multi-layer corrugated board or paper.

Which method is used for edge crash testing?

ECT compresses a sheet of paper or cardboard between two rigid plates. Apply pressure perpendicular to the direction of the board groove until the sample collapses and breaks. The amount of force required to push the specimen to failure is used to determine its ECT rating.

How is the edge crush test calculated?

The ECT rating is calculated by determining the force per linear inch (pounds/inch) of the load-bearing edge a specimen can withstand before failure. Get a clearer picture of how ECT compares to other test methods with our ECT conversion chart guide.

Which machines support edge crash testing? There are various precision devices that can help you get consistent ECT results. For example, the 17-40 Series Box Compression Tester, provides high-resolution load cells with accuracies better than +/-0.5% to 1/1000th of load cell capacity.

What is the TAPPI standard test method used in edge crash testing?

ECT uses the TAPPI T 838 and TAPPI T 839 standards. TAPPI T 898 is a single, double or triple wall short column corrugated in a contracted, unreinforced sill configuration, It can measure the crushing strength in the lateral direction parallel to the corrugation. TAPPI T 898 refers to the determination of edge crush strength by measurement perpendicular to the shaft axis. Both can be used to predict the durability of shipping containers, compare the compressive strength of different batches of similarly assembled panels, or compare different material combinations.

Are there other criteria used for edge crash testing?

FEFCO 8 is another standard for measuring the edge crush strength of corrugated boards of various thicknesses.

All standards are related and their test methods are similar, but there are differences in the corrugated sample and clamp geometry.