Shipping Packaging: Key Principles for Robust Performance Testing
Packaging - Full and solid shipping packaging - General principles for establishing performance test programs
ISO 4180 is an international standard that establishes general principles for establishing performance test programs for full and solid shipping packaging. These packaging are intended to be used in various distribution channels, with a particular focus on safety, product integrity, and logistical efficiency. However, it should be noted that this standard is not suitable for validating packaging intended for dangerous goods.
In the case of a known distribution environment with available experimental data (Case 1), ISO 4180 provides guidance on how to establish appropriate test programs. For an unknown distribution environment (Case 2), the standard suggests test programs based on the sample weight and intended destination.
Performance tests are designed to determine if the packaging can withstand the rigors of handling, transportation, and storage. At the conclusion of the tests, ISO 4180 provides criteria for determining whether the packaging has passed or failed the tests. The alternatives are tests derived from an ISTA standard or from the ASTM D4169 standard.
To conduct these tests, ISO 4180 references several other ISO and EN standards. Here are some of these standards:
- ISO 2206: Identification of different parts of shipping packaging for testing purposes.
- ISO 2233: Conditioning of shipping packaging and unit loads for testing.
- ISO 2234: Stacking tests for shipping packaging and unit loads using a static load.
- ISO 2244: Horizontal impact tests for shipping packaging and unit loads.
- ISO 2248: Vertical impact test for shipping packaging by free fall (drop test).
- ISO 2873: Low-pressure test for shipping packaging and unit loads.
- ISO 4178: Information to be noted for tests related to the shipping packaging distribution system.
- ISO 8318: Sinusoidal vibration tests with variable frequency for shipping packaging and unit loads.
- ISO 12048: Compression and stacking tests for shipping packaging using a compression testing machine.
- ISO 13355: Random vertical vibration tests for shipping packaging and unit loads.
- EN 14149: Tilt impact drop test for shipping packaging and unit loads.