Impact energy absorption mechanism and packaging cushioning application of multilayer paper honeycomb structure

In the field of packaging design, the use of paper honeycomb structures largely relies on empirical experience, which often leads to material waste. This study develops a rapid design method for packaging structures based on the fragility theory, under equal thickness constraints, utilizing the buffering characteristics of multi-layer paper honeycomb structures. By conducting static compression and dynamic impact tests, the force-displacement curves and energy absorption characteristics of different honeycomb configurations were obtained. Simultaneously, numerical simulation methods were used to reveal the deformation modes and mechanical response mechanisms of various configurations during the loading process. Based on the structural buffering characteristic data obtained from the experiments, a rapid parametric design of multi-layer honeycomb packaging structures was achieved, and the buffering performance of the design scheme was verified through finite element models. The results show that in the static compression test, the triple-layer paper honeycomb absorbs 65.1% more energy than the single-layer paper honeycomb structure, and its stress-strain curve exhibits multiple distinct plateau stress regions. Under impact loading, the triple-layer paper honeycomb does not enter the densification stage when subjected to an impact energy of less than 81.6 J, whereas the force value of the single-layer paper honeycomb structure increases sharply under an impact energy exceeding 53.8 J. These findings indicate that the multi-layer paper honeycomb structure possesses better energy absorption characteristics under impact. Based on the fragility and the experimentally obtained buffering characteristics of the multi-layer honeycomb structure, a reverse design method for structural packaging is developed and validated through finite element modeling, confirming the effectiveness of the design approach. Compared with existing honeycomb packaging structure design methods, this proposed approach demonstrates significantly higher efficiency and accuracy. It not only reduces redundant design iterations，but also holds considerable promise for applications in cushioning packaging structure design and other impact fields.