Technological watch

This paper provides a systematic design process of the moulded pulp packaging using topology optimization and the superimposed method. The new designs from the proposed method reduce the stress level dramatically, and it leads to a decline in material usage. The figure shows similar stress levels when the new design has 0.065 inch of thickness while thickness of the original design is 0.1 inch.Moulded pulp is a paper?based packaging solution that is fully biodegradable and has been growing in demand due to environmental considerations. While demand has been growing, many moulded pulp packaging designs are based on the experience and knowledge of the package designer, which can lead to avoidable design issues. To solve this issue, this paper introduces a moulded pulp packaging design method using topology optimization. Topology optimization provides a systematic way to find the conceptual optimum design by minimizing strain energy. Taking the results of the topology optimization and implementing a superimpose method, the design process can be more efficient than the conventional design method. As a result, the proposed method provides a design that reduces the maximum stress of the packaging structure. With the reduction in stress, an exhaustive search method is then used to reduce the thickness of the package to decrease material usage while maintaining stress reduction.