How to Test Packaging Quality
Test the Durability of Your Packaging
When shipping products to a customer one of the biggest concerns is, “will my package arrive safely?” Whether you’re shipping fragile items, food, or items that aren’t likely to be damaged, mistakes can happen along the way. One of the best ways to ensure your package will arrive safely is to run packaging testing. Packaging testing not only helps to prevent damages, but it also helps to keep customers happy and prevent the loss of future sales. There are several ways to test the durability of packaging such as drop testing, vibration testing, compression testing, and more. By testing the design of your packaging, you will know where you can improve or where your packaging design is successful. You will also have data to support your packaging decisions, so you can feel safe knowing that your package will arrive safely to its destination.
Types of Packaging Testing Methods
Drop Testing
Drop testing is a packaging testing method that involves repeatedly dropping packages from several inches to a few feet above various surfaces. Packages sized small to large can be drop tested to determine if the packaging is strong enough to protect the products inside from impact.
Vibration Testing
In a vibration test, packages and products are vibrated to simulate truck, train, and plane vibrations. This helps to ensure the products are secure and won’t fall over in their container.
Compression Testing
Compression testing is used to simulate the pressure of packages being stacked on top of each other in transit and storage. A package near the bottom of the stack will experience more pressure than a package near the top, and this type of test can also be combined with other types of packaging testing - most commonly vibration testing.
Environmental Conditioning
One of the most important types of packaging testing is environmental conditioning. This process puts the package through simulated weather and environmental conditions to test if the package can withstand extreme heat or freezing that could occur in transportation.
Horizontal Impact Testing
Horizontal impact testing tests the packaging for sensitivities to horizontal impacts like rough forklift handling or truck docking. This kind of testing is especially useful for heavy or oversized packages.
GCB Solutions has the packaging industry experience to help you through shifting trends. Whether you are beginning the design process or looking to make that final push to launch, we can help.
Call us at (904) 263-2804 or schedule a free consultation, today!