Purpose In the cardboard package production process, the cardboard roll and the cardboard bottom are joined in the seaming process. During the process, the cardboard is plastically deformed and damage to the cardboard surface can occur. The purpose of this study was to optimise the macro-geometrical parameters of the seaming chuck in order to minimise the cardboard damage during the seaming process. Design/methodology/approach The influences of geometrical properties of the seaming chuck on the seaming force were investigated using numerical investigations and statistical analysis. Findings A force-displacement model was established, which enabled the optimisation of the seaming chuck geometry for a reduction of the seaming force. Research limitations/implications Results from the present study imply that for tribological optimisation, not only the surface properties such as roughness and frictional response but also the macro-geometrical features of the actual mechanical components should be considered, as these can considerably affect the contacting forces and consequently the friction within the tribosystem. Practical implications Based on the performed analyses, a new seaming chuck was manufactured, which is currently undergoing testing in the real production process and is providing improved performance in terms of seam quality as compared to the benchmark. Originality/value In the present work, a systematic approach towards the use of statistical methods in tribological optimisation projects is provided for a use case applying a combination of numerically calculated and experimentally measured values. Peer review The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/ILT-02-2020-0065/
