Effects of Vibration Fatigue on Compression Strength of Corrugated Fiberboard Containers for Packaging of Fruits during Transport

Purpose: The compression strength of corrugated fiberboard containers used to package agricultural products rapidly decreases owing to various environmental factors encountered during the distribution of unitized products. The main factors affecting compression strength are moisture absorption, long-term top load, and fatigue caused by shock and vibration during transport. This study characterized the durability of corrugated fiberboard containers for packaging fruits and vegetables under simulated transportation conditions. Methods: Compression tests were done after corrugated fiberboard containers containing fruit were vibrated by an electro-dynamic vibration test system using the power spectral density of routes typically traveled to transport fruits and vegetables in South Korea. Results: To predict loss of compression strength owing to vibration fatigue, a multiple nonlinear regression equation ( $r^2=0.9217$ , $RMSE=0.6347$ ) was developed using three independent variables of initial container compression strength, namely top stacked weight, loading weight, and vibration time. To test the applicability of our model, we compared our experimental results with those obtained during a road test in which peaches were transported in corrugated containers. Conclusions: The comparison revealed a highly significant ( $p{\leq}0.05$ ) relationship between the experimental and road-test results.