Virtual Crash Testing of Palletized Loads through Physics-Based Simulation

Crash tests on loaded pallets are essential to ensure cargo stability during transport, as sudden accelerations or decelerations can cause loads to shift, topple, or become damaged. However, physical testing is costly, time-consuming, and destructive. To address these challenges, we present a virtual approach using physics-based simulation to model pallet behavior under realistic transport scenarios. In our method, both boxes and the stretch wrap are simulated using Extended Position-Based Dynamics (XPBD). Boxes are treated as rigid bodies, while distance constraints applied to the outer layer of the stack reproduce the compressive forces of real wrapping. Wrap failure is modeled by removing overstretched constraints, enabling the simulation of tearing events. Moreover, the widespread use of plastic wrapping has driven research into eco-friendly alternatives. Our simulation provides a safe, cost-effective way to evaluate such materials, supporting the study of pallet crash scenarios and laying the foundation for future improvements in physical realism, contact handling, and validation against real-world test data.