DIN 55437-3 is a DIN test method used to determine the technical quality of creasings (score lines) in folding boxboard by measuring how much the crease weakens the board in the creasing zone.
It is commonly used in carton and packaging development to compare creasing settings, tooling, and board grades when fold quality, cracking risk, and runnability on converting and folding/gluing lines matter. If you need help aligning your crease-quality target with an instrumented bend setup, you can talk with our team.
DIN 55437-3: Testing of folding boxboard – creasings – Part 3
DIN 55437 is a multi-part series focused on creasing in folding boxboard. Part 3 focuses on an instrumented, metrological assessment (measurement-based evaluation) of creasing quality rather than visual inspection.
This standard is typically applied to flat, creased test specimens and uses comparative measurements between uncreased and creased material to quantify the effect of the crease.
Quick Definition
What it is: A test method for measuring the technical quality of creasings in folding boxboard using bend/flexural measurements and a derived quality metric (commonly referenced as a folding factor).
What it helps answer: “How much did the creasing operation weaken the board at the score line compared with the uncreased board?”
What This Standard Covers
DIN 55437-3 specifies a controlled procedure and test conditions for measuring crease quality in folding boxboard. The method is based on mechanical response during bending/flexing and is intended to provide an objective, repeatable way to compare creasing performance.
Key output concept: A comparison between uncreased and creased specimens to characterize weakening in the creasing zone (often expressed as a folding factor).
Why This Standard Matters in Testing
Creasing is essential for converting folding boxboard into cartons, but it also locally damages and reshapes the board structure. A crease that is too aggressive can lead to cracking, loss of stiffness, poor fold geometry, or inconsistent machine performance.
By quantifying crease quality with an instrumented approach, DIN 55437-3 supports material selection, process window development, supplier qualification, and troubleshooting when changing board grade, coating, fiber orientation, or creasing tooling.
Common Materials, Product Types, or Applications Covered
This standard is associated with folding boxboard (cartonboard) used for packaging and printed cartons where creasing and folding performance are critical.
Typical use cases: Folding cartons, consumer packaged goods cartons, pharma/healthcare cartons, and any score-line design where controlled folding is required.
Common Test or Verification Workflow
In practice, DIN 55437-3 is often used as part of a broader creasing validation workflow that includes making representative creases and then evaluating them mechanically.
Common workflows: Prepare a set of uncreased reference specimens and creased specimens (made with defined creasing conditions), condition specimens as required by the cited edition, perform instrumented bending/flexural measurements, then calculate and report a comparative quality metric such as a folding factor.
Equipment Commonly Used for This Standard
DIN 55437-3 generally points to an instrumented bending or flexural test setup that can apply a controlled bend at a defined rate while measuring force and displacement/angle consistently across specimens.
Common equipment families: Motorized bend/flex testers for paper and board, or materials test systems equipped with an appropriate bending fixture and data acquisition capable of repeatable force–displacement recording.
What typically drives configuration: Specimen geometry and thickness range, required test speed control, fixture design appropriate for flat creased specimens, and software capability to compute and report the chosen crease-quality metric from uncreased vs creased comparisons.
How to Read This Designation or Revision
DIN 55437-3 indicates Part 3 of the DIN 55437 series for creasing in folding boxboard.
DIN standards are commonly cited with an edition date (for example, year-month). Because test conditions and definitions can change between editions, the purchasing specification or customer drawing should be matched to the exact cited edition before finalizing test settings, fixtures, or reporting format.
Related Standards, Methods, or Frameworks
DIN 55437-1: Commonly associated with laboratory production of test creasings (used to create controlled creases for evaluation).
DIN 55437-2: Commonly associated with visual evaluation of creases (useful alongside metrological assessment).
DIN 19304: Commonly referenced for assessing the technical quality of creasings in corrugated board using related bending-based concepts.
Get help selecting a bend test setup for DIN 55437-3
If you are equipping a lab to quantify crease quality (and to compare board grades or creasing settings consistently), you can request a detailed quote for a bending/flexural test configuration matched to your specimen range and reporting needs.