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3-1 Purpose and Method
Cushioning is important because, if there is enough cushioning material in a mailing container, it absorbs and distributes forces of shock, pressure, and vibration.
Cushioning should keep an item from touching its mailing container and should separate multiple items from each other. In other words, cushion each item above, below, and on all sides.
3-2 Materials
Examples of cushioning include foamed plastics, rubberized hair, corrugated fiberboard, and loose-fill material such as excelsior, polystyrene, and shredded newspapers.
Combinations of several types of cushioning (such as corrugated fiberboard pads and less dense, loose-fill material) can be effective. Such combinations help dissipate shock and pressure by spreading these forces over the surface of the items.
The inside of the mailing container should be slightly overfilled with cushioning material to hold items in place and prevent their movement toward an inside surface of the container or toward other items in the container. The container should not be distorted by overfilling.
When several items are packed together, they should be protected from one another and from external forces.
The illustration on this page shows some ways to cushion several fragile items to be packaged together. The items can be individually wrapped in paper or foam packing material and boxed separately. The boxes can be fortified by surrounding them with corrugated cardboard stiffeners. The boxes can then be placed in the external container and cushioned on all sides and on the top and bottom with styrofoam particles or "peanuts."
Concentrated heavy items should not be packed with fragile items unless they are carefully separated. Heavy items must be adequately blocked or stabilized.