From the warehouse floor to delivery to the doorstep of your consumer, how many drops and falls does your product face throughout its distribution cycle? The answer may be far higher than you’d care to think. Roughly 11% of unit loads arriving at distribution centers have reported damage. Meanwhile, damaged products account for up to 5% of sales in financial loss. But your packaging will surely protect your product, right? Not always. This is where drop testing can provide action-oriented insights and peace of mind.
Drop testing is a critical component of package testing, ensuring product safety, quality, and customer satisfaction by simulating the accidental drops, impacts, and mishandling that your products may experience in the “real world.” Many industries require drop testing, including electronics, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and hazardous goods. However, even if you’re one of the few industries that doesn’t mandate this packaging integrity test, it’s worth considering the benefits this added precaution can bring.
How Does Drop Testing Work?
During a drop test, your sample is subjected to simulated drops in a controlled environment, helping identify weaknesses in your product or packaging before they ever reach the consumer.
Drop testing includes several key parameters: drop height (determined by the package weight), orientation, the number of drops, and the impact surface. When you partner with a certified package testing lab like Purple Diamond, our experts will work with you to determine these parameters based on your product and its intended use.
Based on these parameters, several types of drop tests are commonly used:
- Free Fall Drop Test: This is the most common type of drop test. The sample is dropped from a designated height.
- Repeated Impact Test: The sample undergoes multiple drops to assess cumulative damage.
- Edge and Corner Drop Test: Focuses on dropping the package on its edges and corners.
- Rotational Drop Test: The sample is dropped while rotating, simulating a fall off a conveyor belt.
While drop testing may sound simple on the surface, labs require certain equipment to accurately record data. Anyone can drop a package from the top of a ladder; however, certified labs use drop test machinery with adjustable heights, free fall towers, tumble testers, and accelerometers to help record data.
After the sample is dropped according to the specifications, it is assessed for damage. Then, a report is generated with observations and any potential recommendations for package optimization.
The Benefits of Simulated Drop Testing
Drop testing benefits manufacturers, distributors, and consumers by preventing damage during transit and reducing the costs associated with product loss. Other benefits include:
- Enhanced customer experience
- Fewer returns or recalls
- Regulatory compliance
- Packaging design innovation
Drop testing should be treated as more than another box to check on your quality assurance to-do list. It is an opportunity to improve your product, innovate your packaging, and reduce costs. Organizations that have taken advantage of this package test have seen profit and customer satisfaction grow.
Industry & Product Requirements
Several industries and products require drop testing. These include:
- Electronics like smartphones, tablets, and laptops.
- Medical devices and pharmaceuticals, as required by the FDA
- Automotive parts like airbag modules, electronic control units, and sensors
- Avionics equipment used in aerospace or defense
- Hazardous materials and dangerous goods
While drop tests are not always required for consumer goods, changes are coming. Many children’s toys require drop testing to ensure safety, while some appliances may also require drop testing if they pose a safety risk.
Drop Testing Standards
Both ISTA and ASTM require drop tests under the following standards:
- ISTA 1A
- ISTA 2A
- ISTA 3A
- ASTM D5276 – Standard Test Method for Drop Test of Loaded Containers by Free Fall
- ASTM D880 – Standard Test Method for Impact Testing for Shipping Containers and Systems
- ASTM D7386 – Standard Practice for Performance Testing of Packages for Single Parcel Delivery Systems
- ASTM D4169 – Standard Practice for Performance Testing of Shipping Containers and Systems
- ASTM D5487 – Standard Test Method for Simulated Drop of Loaded Containers by Shock Machines
- ASTM D6344 – Standard Test Method for Concentrated Impacts to Transport Packages
Our team at Purple Diamond can perform all of the above ISTA and ASTM standards in our ISO-certified lab.
Secure Every Shipment with Purple Diamond
Drop testing is essential for safeguarding product quality, optimizing packaging, and meeting regulatory standards across various industries. As the shipping industry grows by the trillions every year, don’t lose the opportunities you have to grow with it. Drop testing will ensure your product’s—and brand’s—integrity.
At Purple Diamond, our experts are dedicated to helping you navigate the complexities of package testing with precision and care. From ISTA and ASTM standards to custom testing tailored to your product’s unique distribution path, we bring expertise and a commitment to excellence to every test. Whether you want to prevent costly product losses, enhance customer satisfaction, or achieve compliance, our team is ready to support you. Contact us today to get started.
