ISO 3036:2025

Board - Determination of puncture resistance using a pendulum device

This document specifies a method for determining the puncture resistance of board using a pendulum device. This document is applicable to all types of board, including corrugated fibreboard and solid board, especially those used in the manufacture of packaging cases.

Carton — Détermination de la résistance à la perforation à l’aide d’un pendule

General Information

• Status: Published
• Publication Date: 18-Mar-2025
• ICS: 85.060 - Paper and board
• Technical Committee: ISO/TC 6/SC 2 - Test methods and quality specifications for paper and board
• Drafting Committee: ISO/TC 6/SC 2 - Test methods and quality specifications for paper and board
• Current Stage: 6060 - International Standard published
• Start Date: 19-Mar-2025
• Due Date: 04-Jul-2025
• Completion Date: 19-Mar-2025

Relations

• Revises: ISO 3036:1975 - Board - Determination of puncture resistance
• Effective Date: 07-Jul-2022

Overview

ISO 3036:2025 specifies a laboratory method for determining the puncture resistance of board using a pendulum device (puncture tester). Applicable to all types of board - including corrugated fibreboard and solid board commonly used in packaging cases - the standard measures the energy (in joules) required for a triangular-pyramid puncture head to perforate and open a test specimen.

Key topics and technical requirements

• Test principle: A pendulum-mounted triangular pyramid head impacts a clamped test piece; the energy required to produce a complete puncture (initial perforation plus tear and bending open) is measured.
• Puncture head: Right-angled triangular pyramid, height 25.0 mm ± 0.7 mm, with edge radii 1.0–1.6 mm; orientation and effective point position relative to the pendulum axis are specified.
• Pendulum geometry: Distance from puncture head to axis (267 ± 1) mm (reduced length tolerance ±7 mm allowed for existing instruments).
• Energy ranges: Interchangeable weights provide selectable energy ranges; test results should fall between 20% and 80% of the scale maximum.
• Clamping: Upper/lower clamping plates rigid, effective area ≥ 175 × 175 mm; upper plate opening is an equilateral triangle (100 mm ± 2 mm sides) or lower plate may use circular aperture (typically 90 mm ± 2 mm, up to 100 mm allowed). Clamping force 250–1 000 N.
• Collar and friction controls: Collar must slip off and keep the aperture open; collar friction loss ≤ 0.25 J (must be compensated in results). Pointer friction energy ≤ 0.05 J; overall friction and air/ bearing losses ≤ 1% of scale.
• Instrument checks & calibration: Adjustment, instrument checks, and calibration routines are defined (Annex A informative). Measurement is given in joules (conversion notes for GE units and kgf·cm included).
• Scope notes: ISO 3036 clarifies that pendulum-based results are not directly comparable to constant-speed puncture methods, especially for heavy board grades.

Applications and users

• Packaging manufacturers evaluating board performance for protective cartons and cases.
• Quality control and materials testing laboratories performing routine or acceptance testing.
• Board and corrugated fibreboard suppliers validating product specifications.
• R&D and design engineers selecting board grades for impact and puncture-sensitive applications (e.g., industrial packaging, transport protection). Practical outputs: objective puncture-resistance values for spec limits, supplier comparisons, and design validation.

Related standards

• ISO 186 - Sampling to determine average quality (referenced for sampling).
• ISO 187 - Standard atmosphere for conditioning and testing (referenced for conditioning).
• Note: ISO 3036:2025 is the second edition and updates the original ISO 3036:1975 (technical revisions and added precision data).

Keywords: ISO 3036, puncture resistance, pendulum device, puncture tester, corrugated fibreboard, board testing, packaging standards, puncture head, joules.

Standards Content (Sample)

International
Standard
ISO 3036
Second edition
Board — Determination of puncture
2025-03
resistance using a pendulum device
Carton — Détermination de la résistance à la perforation à l’aide
d’un pendule
Reference number
© ISO 2025
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, or required in the context of its implementation, no part of this publication may
be reproduced or utilized otherwise in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, or posting on
the internet or an intranet, without prior written permission. Permission can be requested from either ISO at the address below
or ISO’s member body in the country of the requester.
ISO copyright office
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Phone: [phone]
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Website: www.iso.org
Published in Switzerland
ii
Contents Page
Foreword .iv
Introduction .v
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 1
4 Principle . 1
5 Apparatus . 2
5.1 Description of apparatus .2
5.1.1 General .2
5.1.2 Pendulum and puncture head .2
5.1.3 Interchangeable weights .3
5.1.4 Release mechanism .3
5.1.5 Collar .3
5.1.6 Clamping device .3
5.1.7 Measurement indicator .4
5.2 Adjustment of the instrument .4
5.3 Instrument checks .4
5.4 Calibration .5
6 Sampling . 5
7 Preparation of test pieces . 5
8 Conditioning . 5
9 Procedure . 5
10 Calculation . 6
11 Precision . 6
12 Test report . 6
Annex A (informative) Calibration . 7
Annex B (informative) Precision . 8
Bibliography .10

iii
Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards
bodies (ISO member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out through
ISO technical committees. Each member body interested in a subject for which a technical committee
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with the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) on all matters of electrotechnical standardization.
The procedures used to develop this document and those intended for its further maintenance are described
in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1. In particular, the different approval criteria needed for the different types
of ISO document should be noted. This document was drafted in accordance with the editorial rules of the
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ISO draws attention to the possibility that the implementation of this document may involve the use of (a)
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related to conformity assessment, as well as information about ISO's adherence to the World Trade
Organization (WTO) principles in the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT), see www.iso.org/iso/foreword.html.
This document was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 6, Paper, board and pulps, Subcommittee SC 2,
Test methods and quality specifications for paper and board.
This second edition cancels and replaces the first edition (ISO 3036:1975), which has been technically
revised.
The main changes are as follows:
— clarification of the scope;
— update of the normative references;
— addition of 3.1 and 3.2;
— revision of Clause 5;
— change of Annex A from normative to informative, and update of the content;
— addition of precision data in Annex B;
— addition of a Bibliography.
Any feedback or questions on this document should be directed to the user’s national standards body. A
complete listing of these bodies can be found at www.iso.org/members.html.

iv
Introduction
There are two main methods to characterize puncture resistance:
a) with a pendulum device, which is the method specified in this document;
b) with a measuring device that measures at constant speed.
The two methods lead to different results that are not comparable, especially on heavy grades.

v
International Standard ISO 3036:2025(en)
Board — Determination of puncture resistance using a
pendulum device
1 Scope
This document specifies a method for determining the puncture resistance of board using a pendulum device.
This document is applicable to all types of board, including corrugated fibreboard and solid board, especially
those used in the manufacture of packaging cases.
2 Normative references
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content constitutes
requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For undated references,
the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.
ISO 186, Paper and board — Sampling to determine average quality
ISO 187, Paper, board and pulps — Standard atmosphere for conditioning and testing and procedure for
monitoring the atmosphere and conditioning of samples
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply.
ISO and IEC maintain terminology databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at https:// www .iso .org/ obp
— IEC Electropedia: available at https:// www .electropedia .org/
3.1
puncture
perforation by a triangular pyramid head until complete tear and opening
3.2
puncture resistance
energy required to reach puncture (3.1) of a board material
Note 1 to entry: The puncture resistance is expressed in joules.
4 Principle
A test piece from a representative sample of board is subjected to puncture by a triangular pyramid puncture
head attached to a pendulum.
The energy required to force the puncture head completely through the test piece, i.e. to make the initial
puncture and to tear and bend open the board, is measured.

5 Apparatus
5.1 Description of apparatus
5.1.1 General
The apparatus used is a puncture tester, which produces an impact by means of a pendulum.
The bed plate of the frame of the instrument shall be firmly attached to a strong base to prevent energy
losses. The instrument shall be accurately levelled and shall not vibrate during the test.
The instrument consists of the elements described in 5.1.2 to 5.1.7.
5.1.2 Pendulum and puncture head
The pendulum is fitted with an arm, having the shape of a 90° circular arc, to which the puncture head is
attached. Both pendulum and arm shall be strong enough to minimize deformation and vibration when the
test is carried out.
The puncture head shall be a right-angled triangular pyramid, 25,0 mm ± 0,7 mm high, as shown in Figure 1,
with edges between sides honed to a radius between 1,0 mm and 1,6 mm.
One of the edges of the base of the pyramid shall be parallel to the axis of rotation of the pendulum and the
opposite corner of the base shall point towards the axis of rotation.
The axis of symmetry through the effective point of the puncture head shall be vertical when it is half- way
through the horizontal plane through the axis of the pendulum.
The distance of the puncture head from the axis of rotation of the pendulum shall be (267 ± 1) mm. The
reduced length of the pendulum shall not deviate from 267 mm by more than ±7 mm.
NOTE To allow the use of existing instruments, a tolerance of ±12,5 mm is acceptable on the distance between the
mid-point and the horizontal plane.
At the release point, the pendulum shall be in the horizontal position, which is determined by measuring
through an angle of 90° from the pendulum with its centre of gravity at rest.

Dimensions in millimetres
Key
R1 radius
Figure 1 — Drawing of the puncture head - front view and top view
5.1.3 Interchangeable weights
Using interchangeable weights that can be attached to the pendulum, several ranges of energy are provided.
The range selected shall be such that the test r
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