A compression figure for a paper edge protector means nothing unless the method is stated with it. Specimen length, how the profile is supported, the rate of loading, the moisture condition and whether the load is applied to the edge or across the faces all change the number. Two suppliers can quote the same figure from tests that are not comparable.
What is actually being measured
An L profile tested on edge behaves as a short column with an unsupported leg. Tested with the legs restrained, it behaves as a panel. Those are different structures and they give different numbers.
For a pallet application, the useful question is not the peak load of a 100 mm specimen. It is how the profile behaves at the strap line and at the corner on the packed load, over the handling sequence.
Specification at a glance
The table lists the variables that must be stated for a compression figure to be comparable at all.
| Variable | Why it matters | What to state |
|---|
| Specimen length | Short columns test differently | mm, and number of samples |
| Support condition | Free or restrained legs | Described, not assumed |
| Load direction | Edge or face | Direction and jig |
| Loading rate | Paper is rate sensitive | mm per minute |
| Conditioning | Moisture changes stiffness | Temperature and RH |
| Failure mode | Crush, buckle or delaminate | Photographed |
A test you can run in your own warehouse
Strap a real pallet with the candidate profile, handle it the way it will be handled, and inspect the strap line and the corners afterwards. Photograph the result. That is a slower test than a press, and it is the one that predicts the claim rate.
For a like-for-like comparison between two suppliers, run the same trial with each profile on the same pack, and change nothing else.
Why we do not publish a single figure
Because the number would be quoted without the method. What we will do is state the board build, the wall thickness and the construction, and support a trial on your pack, which is the only figure that transfers to your product.
Questions buyers ask before ordering
Do you publish a compression rating?
No, because a figure without its method is not comparable.
What test should I ask for?
Either a fully described press test or, better, a trial on the actual pallet.
Does moisture change the result?
Yes. Conditioning has to be stated or the figure is not repeatable.
How many samples are needed?
Enough to see the spread. One specimen tells you almost nothing.
Can you support a trial?
Yes, with samples of the proposed build on your own pack.
For a quotation, post the diameter, ring width and destination port to mona@hengnicepacking.com.
