Package testing evaluates the effectiveness of padding and reinforcement materials in protecting products during shipment. It reduces waste and transportation costs. Tests include environmental chambers, vibration, shock, and force. Packaging testing is critical for medical devices and hazardous materials to ensure safety and compliance.
The package test evaluates the suitability of the padding or reinforcement material surrounding the products prepared for shipment to customers. These tests send the goods through a series of experiments to determine if the packaging materials protect the contents from damage or breakage. Package testing can be performed on individual boxes or an entire shipping container to measure unit loads and movement during transportation.
Manufacturers of all types of products benefit from packaging testing to reduce waste resulting from damaged merchandise returned by customers. They may be able to reduce packing costs if tests show less foam or cushioning material is needed to ensure safe delivery. When less packaging material is used, it reduces waste in landfills, decreases the amount of storage space needed in warehouses, and requires fewer trucks to transport finished products.
Companies equipped with chambers and equipment capable of performing a variety of experiments usually do package testing. Environmental chambers evaluate how well packaging materials withstand excessive humidity, extreme temperature fluctuations and changes in altitude. Packages exposed to these conditions are subsequently opened to analyze any damage to the contents or shipping container.
A common test measures how vibration and shock affect goods. It could include dropping canned goods from an elevated platform to measure the degree of breakage or damage to the outer packing materials. The Vibration Packet Test simulates shocks that might occur while cargo is being transported by truck, rail or ship. Analyze if items inside a box or carton move when they bounce or are shaken.
Packing tests could also assess how much force it takes to insert inventory into shipping containers and how easily they can be removed. If too much pressure is needed to pack or unpack goods, it could damage sensitive or fragile parts of a product. In addition to determining how easy it is to pack and unpack, packaging tests typically determine what type of material protects the product best.
In some industries, packaging testing could serve as a critical component of production. Medical devices can represent particularly sensitive equipment that is easily damaged. Maintaining sterility defines another requirement while shipping medical equipment. Packaging tests expose the seals on sterile products to various temperatures, altitudes and humidity levels and determine if the seals leak.
Companies that ship hazardous materials typically must meet packaging regulations set by agencies that regulate the safety of these products. Testing packages for chemicals and other hazardous substances protects employees, transportation workers, customers and the public from dangerous spills. Testing these goods typically involves the extreme shock that could occur when trains use switching devices and the force that could occur in the event of a crash.
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