Standard

This description is from ISTA document.

ISTA 3 Series tests are advanced tests and are designed to:
– Challenge the capability of the package and product to withstand transport hazards, but
– Utilize general simulation of actual transport hazards, and
– Do not necessarily comply with carrier packaging regulations.

When properly executed, ISTA procedures will provide tangible benefits of:
– Product to market time reduction
– Confidence in product launch
– Reduction in damages and product loss
– Balanced distribution costs
– Customer satisfaction contributing to increased market share

There are three sections to this Procedure: Overview, Testing and Reporting
– Overview provides general knowledge required before testing and
– Testing presents the specific instructions to do laboratory testing and
– Reporting indicates what data shall be recorded to submit a test report to |STA.

Two systems of weights and measures are presented in ISTA test procedures: SI (Metric) or English system (Inch-Pound). Metric
units are shown first followed by the Inch-Pound units in parentheses; there are exceptions in some tables (when shown
separately).

– Either system may be used as the unit of measure (standard units) but
– The standard units chosen shall be used consistently throughout the procedure.
– Units are converted to two significant figures and
– Not exact equivalents.

This description is from ISTA document.

ISTA 2 Series tests are a combination of basic test elements from ISTA 1 Series (Non-Simulation Integrity Performance Testing)
and advanced test elements from ISTA 3 Series (General Simulation Performance Testing)

– They challenge the capability of the package and product to withstand transport hazards, but
– They only simulate some actual transport hazards, and
– They do not necessarily comply with carrier packaging regulations.

When properly applied, ISTA procedures will provide tangible benefits of:
– Shortened packaged development time and confidence in product launch
– Protection of products and profits with reduced damage and product loss
– Economically balanced distribution costs
– Customer satisfaction and continued business.

There are three sections: Overview, Testing and Report
– Overview provides the general knowledge required before going into the testing laboratory and
– Testing presents the specific instructions to do the testing in the laboratory and
– Report indicates what data shall be recorded to submit a test report to ISTA.

Two systems of weights and measures are presented in ISTA test procedures. They are the English system Cinch-Pound) and the
international system SI (Metric). Inch-Pound units are shown first with Metric units in brackets, except in some tables where they
are shown separately.

– Either system may be used as the unit of measure (standard units), but
– The standard units chosen shall be used consistently throughout the procedure.
– Units are converted to two significant figures and
– Not exact equivalents.

This description is from ISTA document.

ISTA 1 Series are the most basic category of performance tests.

– They challenge the capability of the package and product to withstand transport hazards, but
– They are not simulations of actual transport hazards, and
– Do not necessarily comply with carrier packaging regulations.

When properly applied, ISTA procedures will provide tangible benefits of:

– Shortened packaged development time and confidence in product launch
– Protection of products and profits with reduced damage and product loss
– Economically balanced distribution costs
– Customer satisfaction and continued business.

There are three sections: Overview, Testing and Report

– Overview provides the general knowledge required before going into the testing laboratory and
– Testing presents the specific instructions to do the testing in the laboratory and
– Report indicates what data shall be recorded to submit a test report to ISTA.

This practice provides a guide for the evaluation of shipping units in accordance with a uniform system, using established test methods at levels representative of those occurring in actual distribution. The recommended test levels are based on available information on the shipping and handling environment, and current industry/government practice and experience (1-13). The tests should be performed sequentially on the same containers in the order given. For use as a performance test, this practice requires that the shipping unit tested remain unopened until the sequence of tests are completed. If used for other purposes, such as package development, it may be useful to open and inspect shipping units at various times throughout the sequence. This may, however, prohibit evaluating the influence of the container closure on container performance.

For Distribution Cycle 18, as referred to in MIL-STD-2073–1, the use of this practice is defined in subsequent sections identified as DC-18.

ISTA Serie 3

ISTA Serie 2

ISTA Serie 1

ASTM D4169