Whether you’re distributing a delicate electronic device, perishable food item, or life-saving medication, your packaging is the first defense against physical damage, contamination, and degradation. The journey through the supply chain exposes your products to countless risks that can compromise their safety, so package strength testing is essential for any manufacturer seeking to bring their product to the global market. It’s the strength of your packaging that determines whether your product makes it through the supply chain in pristine condition or damaged beyond use.
In the following blog, we’ll explore the nuances of package strength, the factors that influence it, and critical package strength testing methods you should consider.
What is Package Strength?
Package strength refers to the ability of packaging materials and designs to withstand various stresses and strains encountered during handling, transportation, and storage. From manufacturing to last-mile delivery, packages must withstand vibrations, shocks, and pressure changes.
Strong packaging keeps products intact and uncontaminated. This is especially important in the pharmaceutical and medical device industries, where life-saving treatments depend on stable and sterile products. In some cases, package strength testing may be required by pharmaceutical and healthcare regulatory bodies.
Investing in strong packaging also helps optimize costs. The stronger your packaging, the less money you spend on damaged products, returns, recalls, and waste.
Package Strength vs. Package Integrity
While sometimes used interchangeably, package strength and integrity are not the same. Both package strength testing and package integrity testing work together to help you ensure optimal product protection under various environmental and dynamic stresses. However, package strength alone does not guarantee package integrity.
Package strength specifically refers to the force required to separate two package components, such as the seals of a corrugated container. When package strength testing, manufacturers look at whether the package’s seal has remained intact, whether design specifications have been upheld, and whether the package can withstand distribution.
Package integrity refers to whether the package has maintained a sterile barrier. Primarily used by medical device manufacturers, package integrity testing looks may test for leaks or look for signs that the sterility of their product has been lost.
What Affects Package Strength?
Material makeup is just a tiny factor impacting packaging strength. Environmental conditions, distribution methods, and package design all play a critical role in determining whether your package and the product it protects can withstand all the bumps, drops, and environmental fluctuations along its journey.
The type of product you are distributing determines the strength of your packaging. Fragile products, like electronics, glass, or sensitive medical devices, require more robust packaging materials, cushioning, and shock absorption.
Product weight and size also determine the packaging materials you may need. Larger products require stronger materials, like reinforced corrugates or rigid plastics.
Your distribution channel also impacts your packaging’s strength. Packaging that can withstand short-distance road transportation may need different materials to withstand air pressure changes, humidity, condensation, and even UV light. For example, corrugate may lose its strength if exposed to water or condensation, while plastic packaging could degrade under harsh lighting.
Finally, determine how your package will be handled in warehouse and storage scenarios. Will it be stacked at the bottom of a pallet? Will it be moved using automated sorting systems? Each scenario may put the strength of your packaging to the test in different ways.
With so many variables, investing in package strength testing helps determine which factors impact your package strength the most.
Package Strength Testing Methods
By simulating drops, shocks, bursts, and environmental hazards, package strength testing will give you key insights into shear strength, burst resistance, material durability, and seal integrity so that you have actionable data to develop stronger packaging.
A Peel Test (ASTM F88) is often the go-to package strength testing method. This test method measures the force required to separate packaging components at their seal. During this test, your expert package testing team will pull apart the sealed surfaces of your package, measuring the force required to do so.
Burst Tests (ASTM F1140) are another method of evaluating package strength. During these tests, your package is pressurized until its seal bursts and fails.
Other distribution tests your package may endure while undergoing package strength testing include:
- Internal Pressure Testing: Simulates real-world conditions during transportation and storage
- Drop Testing: Assesses impact resistance during handling and transportation
- Compression Testing: Evaluates stacking strength in warehouses or during shipping
- Vibration Testing: Simulates effects of prolonged transportation
- Shock Testing: Measures resistance to sudden impacts
If your packaging fails the above tests, it may require additional strengthening through corner or edge reinforcements, shock-absorbing inserts, double walls, or cushioning materials. Perhaps your engineers may consider changing the package’s design to improve support or distribute weight more evenly. Or maybe they change the package’s material to one that better withstands distribution stress and environmental factors.
By testing your package strength, analyzing the data, and updating your packaging accordingly, you can be more confident that your product reaches its end destination intact.
Strengthen Your Packaging with Purple Diamond
The strength of your packaging is a decisive factor in your product’s success, reputation, and market acceptance. From ensuring the safety of fragile electronics to protecting life-saving medical devices, package strength testing is an investment in quality, reliability, and peace of mind.
With cutting-edge testing methods, industry expertise, and a commitment to innovation, our team at Purple Diamond is here to help you uncover weaknesses, enhance performance, and ensure your product reaches your customers. At our ISO-certified lab, we can conduct package strength testing and more to ensure your product is protected.
Contact our package testing experts today to discuss your unique needs. Together, we can build packaging solutions that deliver strength, safety, and success.