Panel Deflection Calculator

Calculate the deflection of Egger MFC (Melamine Faced Chipboard) or Medite MDF panels under point loads or distributed loads. Useful for designing shelves, desk tops, and floating shelves.

Installation

npm install
npm run build

Usage

npm start

The interactive CLI will prompt you for:

1. Material - Egger MFC or Medite MDF
2. Support configuration - how the panel is supported
3. Load type - point load or distributed (e.g., books)
4. Panel dimensions - length, width, thickness
5. Load - weight in kg
6. Position - where the load is applied (point loads only)

Support Configurations

| Type | Description | Example | |------|-------------|---------| | Two edges | Supported on left and right | Shelf between uprights | | Back edge | Fixed at back only (cantilever) | Floating shelf on wall | | Three edges | Both ends + back | Desk top against wall |

Load Types

• Point load - Single concentrated weight (e.g., TV, heavy object)
• Distributed load - Weight spread evenly (e.g., row of books)

Example Output

╔════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║                        RESULTS                             ║
╠════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╣
║  Panel self-weight:              5.51 kg              ║
╠════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╣
║  Self-weight deflection:         0.542 mm              ║
║  Applied load deflection:        2.198 mm              ║
║  TOTAL DEFLECTION:               2.740 mm              ║
╠════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╣
║  Span/Deflection ratio:            292 (L/292)       ║
╠════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╣
║  Status: ✗ EXCESSIVE (exceeds L/300 limit)                 ║
║  Suggestion: Use 22mm thickness instead                    ║
╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝

Acceptability Criteria

• Simply supported panels: L/300 (span ÷ deflection ≥ 300)
• Cantilever panels: L/150 (more permissive for shorter projections)

Material Properties

| Material | Young's Modulus | Density | Standard Thicknesses | |----------|-----------------|---------|----------------------| | Egger MFC | 2800 MPa | 680 kg/m³ | 15, 18, 19, 22, 25mm | | Medite MDF | 3500 MPa | 750 kg/m³ | 12, 15, 18, 22, 25mm |

MDF is stiffer (higher E) but heavier than MFC, resulting in ~20% less deflection for the same dimensions.

Features

• Calculates deflection from both self-weight and applied loads
• Supports point loads and uniformly distributed loads
• Three support configurations for real-world furniture scenarios
• Suggests appropriate panel thickness when deflection is excessive
• Warns when span exceeds recommended limits

Programmatic Usage

import { calculateDeflection } from 'panel-deflection-calculator';

const result = calculateDeflection({
  panel: { length: 800, width: 300, thickness: 18 },
  load: 25,
  supportType: 'two-edges',
  loadType: 'distributed',
  material: 'egger-mfc'  // or 'medite-mdf'
});

console.log(result.deflection);           // Total deflection in mm
console.log(result.selfWeightDeflection); // Self-weight component
console.log(result.panelWeight);          // Panel weight in kg
console.log(result.isAcceptable);         // true if meets L/300 or L/150

License

ISC