Parker, Anthony James (2007) A method of characterisation of the nonlinear vibration transmissibility of cushioning materials. PhD thesis, Victoria University.

Abstract

The majority of mechanical damage to packages or products in shipment can be ascribed to shocks and vibrations experienced during transportation. Vibrations can cause resonance, which has the potential to damage the product or cause the failure of critical elements within due to the repetitive application of stresses. The response behaviour of cushioning or protective packaging materials under vibration excitation is central to the effective design of product packaging. The response characteristics of the cushioning material guide the design parameters of the product-transport cushion system. Conventionally, this is achieved by the measurement of the transmissibility or Frequency Response Function (FRF) of the product/cushion system by a Single Input-Single Output (SISO) approach assuming a linear relationship. However, the product/cushion system can exhibit strong nonlinear behaviour. The Reverse Multiple Input-Single Output (R-MISO) approach has shown a greater ability to more accurately characterise the nonlinear package/cushion system. This greater accuracy will allow for the use of fewer materials with the benefit of cost and environmental savings. The R-MISO approach revealed a significant difference in the natural frequency estimate between the SISO linear assumption and the linear frequency response function estimate of the R-MISO approach. A considerable difference in the magnitude of the transmissibility at the estimated natural frequency was also shown. These differences were accompanied by an improvement in coherence. This work adds to the knowledge of the package designer through the study of the significance of the nonlinear behavior of a common cushioning material using the R-MISO method. This new approach to the vibration analysis of cushioning materials will allow the package designer to assess the nonlinear behavior of a packaging material.

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