Ring Crust Test & Short Span Compression Test

In the paper industry, compression strength testing is a very common evaluation. It determines the compressive force resistance of the paper and its ability to retrieve after the force is applied for a specific period of time. In other words, the maximum load or pressure a paper can sustain is determined by the strength tests.

The most common tests to measure compression strength are ring crush and short-span compression test. While a short span compression tester tests the short-span compression, the ring crust testing machine does the ring crust testing. Both the tests are quite similar, as both measure the strength of fluting in the machine direction as well as perpendicular. However, there still exists differences between them.

Let us know about it in-depth in the below section.

Most Common Compression Strength Tests For Paper 

1. Short Span Compression Test

The short span compression test (or SCT) done through a tester rapidly and efficiently determines the compression strength of the fluting, liner, or folding box. The compression strength of a finished packaging box impacts its stacking potential. This is the reason why optimizing the strength of the fluting or liner can help make boxes stronger with fewer fibers. 

In this method, only a small length of the paper is used for the testing purpose, the outcomes are highly accurate as compared to the conventional methods. This is the reason why this test has received worldwide recognition and therefore is recommended to know the final characteristics of the packaging boxes. 

The short span compression tester by UECIN comes with touch screen menu-driven software. It helps make the choosing and setting of the parameters easy. Moreover, the pneumatic clamps hold the samples stiffly and precisely and hence prevent testing from errors. Besides the fluting, this equipment can also test containerboard having gsm of 100 to 400.

2. Ring Crust Test 

As mentioned above, the ring crush test (or RCT) is similar to the compression test in the way the fluting strength is measured. However, here, the preparation of the sample is of utmost importance, when measured on the tester. In order to determine the accurate ring crush strength, the sample and guides must be exactly parallel. 

Since this test provides information about the buckling behavior rather than the crush behavior, the manufacturers often prefer to replace it with the short-span compression test. 

The ring crush tester by UECIN is designed to accurately test paper, board, fiberboard, and corrugated board boxes. It can also test the compression of small-sized packages. It comes with an HMI or touch screen panel, just like the compression tester. This feature makes the graphical and numeric results easy to see with just a touch operation. The machine also comes with a test sample holder and a removable disc for a certain sample thickness.

Conclusion

Besides the compression strength testers, UECIN also manufactures and supplied equipment for evaluating the porosity, water absorption, freeness, folding endurance, etc. of the paper. Visit the website to explore the wide range of these machines, all at the same place.