A saved number needs a saved scenario
To reproduce a result, restore the numerical inputs, their units, the calculator and its selected mode. Save the meaning of each dimension as well: pallet base, shipping case or finished loaded unit. A screenshot of forty cases cannot reveal all of those choices. The same headline count may occur under different inputs, while a minor change to a field near a threshold can produce a different whole-layer result.
Treat the saved input record as the scenario definition and the output as a consequence to check. Retain the calculation date and the page or tool name. If your organization records the deployed software revision, keep that reference in the review record. The public link does not provide an invented version-selection feature, and a date alone does not freeze the calculation code. Reopening an old URL runs the currently available implementation.
Reconstruct one stated forty-case result
Assume a 1200 by 800 mm deck, a 144 mm base height and packed cases 400 by 300 by 250 mm. Horizontal rotation is enabled, there is no gap or edge clearance in this basic uniform example, and the total loaded-height limit is 1500 mm. The better of the two uniform orientations gives eight cases per layer. Height gives floor((1500 − 144) / 250) = 5 complete layers, so the result is forty cases.
The loaded height is 144 + 5 times 250 = 1394 mm. Preserve the input height limit of 1500 separately from this calculated occupied height. The difference of 106 mm is unused headroom in the stated model. It is not an implied required margin or extra carton space. If a saved record instead lists 1500 as the measured finished height, that is a different quantity requiring a different explanation.
| Field or mode | Saved value | Effect if changed |
|---|---|---|
| Tool and layout scope | Basic uniform grid | A mixed search solves a broader footprint task |
| Unit | mm | The same bare numbers in inches describe different objects |
| Deck and base | 1200 × 800 × 144 | Changes layer fit or available stacking height |
| Case | 400 × 300 × 250 | Changes footprint and whole layers |
| Rotation | Enabled | Disabling it gives six cases per layer |
| Total height limit | 1500 mm | Distinct from the occupied 1394 mm height |
| Expected output | TI 8, HI 5, total 40 | A checkpoint, not a complete input record |
Use a controlled change to locate the discrepancy
With all other fields unchanged, disabling rotation gives six cases per layer and thirty cases over five layers. That comparison explains an eight-versus-six TI discrepancy without changing case dimensions. Restoring rotation should restore the uniform eight-case result. If it does not, compare each visible field and unit before attributing the difference to a software update. A copied preset name may have replaced a custom dimension.
If the total-height limit is omitted in the basic calculator, its displayed calculation can use a single layer rather than the saved five-layer scenario. In the TI-HI tool, a TI-only mode leaves the complete-stack quantity unresolved instead of providing a constrained HI. These are different tool behaviors, not two answers to the same saved height constraint. Record the mode and whether a constraint was supplied rather than interpreting every displayed total as a maximum stack.
Restore supported URL fields and check the rest manually
Open the stated basic forty-case scenario. Read the restored dimensions, unit, rotation and maximum height. Compare the TI, HI and calculated loaded height with the written record. Supported query fields can help recreate numbers; they do not supply package permission, measured condition or a supplier’s rated application.
Do not assume every setting in a worksheet is carried by a URL. For a tool without those query inputs, enter the recorded values directly and inspect the selected mode. Keep a small written checklist next to the link. When another person reproduces the scenario, ask them to compare fields first and outputs second. Merely obtaining forty cases does not show that they used the same assumptions.
Build a reproduction record
Record tool/page, calculation date, locally known software revision if available, mode, dimensions and units, rotation, gaps, clearance, all entered limits and the source of each limit. Preserve blank optional fields explicitly. For the example save TI 8, HI 5, forty cases and 1394 mm loaded height as output checkpoints. Note any observed change without overwriting the earlier record.
Distinguish changed evidence from changed computation
If the actual case now measures 401 rather than 400 mm, use a revised scenario and preserve the old measurement. A changed physical input legitimately changes the fit result; forcing the old count back into the new plan hides the difference. If the inputs are unchanged but the implementation has changed, retain both records and compare layout scope, returned status and the actual placements. More cases can reflect a broader search rather than an error in the old uniform arithmetic.
Resolve missing input evidence before calling a result reproduced. A guessed tare, blank height condition or unidentified pallet model cannot be recovered from the case total. The review can establish that the current calculator returns a particular result for the preserved inputs. It cannot establish that an earlier screenshot was complete or that the stated arrangement is suitable for shipment. Keep those conclusions proportional to the evidence you actually retained.
Reference scope
EPAL 1 product information supports the named 1200 by 800 mm footprint and 144 mm base reference. Case measurements and the height limit are explicit example inputs.