Finite Element Simulation Analyses of Load-Bearing Capacity of RPP Material-Based Shoe Box

The shoe box plays a significant role in daily life. Traditional shoe boxes have problems with poor moisture resistance and unclear load-bearing capacity. In this study, recycled polypropylene (RPP) was used as the shoe box material, and its mechanical properties were analyzed through a combination of experiments and finite element simulations to determine its load-bearing capacity. Firstly, the structure of the shoe box was designed, and experiments were conducted on the RPP shoe box to determine the load-bearing failure range. Secondly, the finite element software ANSYS WORKBENCH 2023 R1 was used to evaluate the load-bearing capacity of the shoe box in open and closed states. Finally, the results obtained from the simulation were analyzed. The failure range of the open state obtained by simulations is 13.5–15.5 kg, which is consistent with the experimental results (13.2–15.4 kg), and both results exhibited lower buckle failure: the maximum stress and strain both occur at the lower buckle. At 14.5 kg, the maximum stress is 29.67 MPa, exceeding the flexural strength, and the strain is 0.025, exceeding the fracture elongation, which meets the failure conditions. This study provides theoretical and technical support for the lightweight and high-load-bearing design of RPP shoe boxes.