Multi-instrumented technological evaluator for elastic properties identification in bio-based tertiary packaging

The objective of this publication is to illustrate the benefits of using the Multi-Instrumented Technological Evaluator (MITE) to identify the properties of a bio-based material for use in a logistic unit (LU) as tertiary packaging. MITE allows candidate materials to undergo representative working conditions within the final structure. This study is based on recent research 1 that identified the mechanical properties of a homogeneous material through inverse identification in a multiscale framework from a LU. However, this approach proved insufficient for achieving satisfactory local-scale test – calculation correlation. Since the final structure does not yet exist, it is impractical to directly identify the elastic properties of its constituent material. The MITE, larger than an elementary test coupon, provides a specific geometry and loading path to address specific problem classes within the intended structure. The study begins by examining past applications of MITE in literature. It then revisits the finite element model (FEM) of the LU developed in earlier research and introduces a multiaxial testing bench for applying realistic stresses on the MITE, mirroring the operational conditions of the LU’s zone of interest (ZI). Next, a FEM of the MITE that incorporates kinematics, which allows to restore the mechanical response of the LU’s ZI under compression is developed. In the end, an adjustment approach is shown, based on the local fields obtained numerically on the MITE, and compared to the qualitative and quantitative data obtained experimentally on the MITE. A difference of approximately 70% is obtained between the elastic property values of the equivalent homogeneous material through the thickness (identified on elementary coupons by mechanical tensile tests) and the updated property values within the studied MITE.