Mechanics of brim forming in paperboard containers - An experimental investigation

In this paper, an experimental study of paper cup brim forming will be presented. A laboratory device to simulate the formation of paper cup brims has been constructed. This machine can form brims at a rate of 150/min. The force during brim formation has been measured using a piezoelectric load cell nd charge amplifier system. The force trace during brim forming has a characteristic shape, with tow peaks in the early stage followed by a plateau region. A systematic study to understand the significance of this characteristic brim-forming force curve and identify the dominant modes of deformation during various stages has been conducted. Based on the experimental results, a mechanistic description of the brim-forming process is offered. The effect of temperature and board thickness is also reported.