This paper presents experimental and numerical studies of drop tests of corrugated
cardboard packaging containing different foam cushions. An efficient homogenization model
for the corrugated cardboard has been developed. In our homogenized model, the corrugated
cardboard is represented by a 2D plate. Instead of using a local constitutive law
(relating the strains to the stresses) at each material point, the homogenization gives
the global rigidities (relating the generalized strains to the resultant forces) for the
equivalent homogeneous plate. This model was implemented into the FE software ABAQUS. The
foam behaviour was experimentally determined and modelled using a crushable foam model of
ABAQUS. The packages are tested in free fall from a given height on a rigid floor. The
deceleration of the packed product was recorded using a triaxial accelerometer. The
numerical results obtained using the FE simulation with the homogenized model agree well
with the experimental results. We have also shown that the contribution of the corrugated
cardboard box to the shock response could not be neglected in the design of cushioning
package.