Distribution Testing

Distribution Testing is crucial for evaluating whether or not a package system will effectively protect a product throughout the distribution process. Whether a lifesaving medical device, temperature controlled pharmaceuticals, or time sensitive consumer goods, all products have an innate robustness and a point at which they break. While replicating the various events these products will endure, valuable insights are derived to gain a clear understanding of the product’s fragility, the package system’s ability to uphold the integrity of the product, and where it could encounter possible failures in distribution.

What is Distribution Testing?

Distribution Testing is the evaluation of stressors on the physical product, materials, and containers that secure them during transit. A series of tests may be used to emulate the distribution environment of any given product. Distribution simulation replicates the common hazards encountered during the shipping and transportation of any given product, as those goods are distributed from production and ultimately are delivered to the end user. Deploying a variety of tests such as vibration, compression, impact, and drop testing in a controlled, repeatable setting ensures an accurate depiction of how any given product will be able to withstand the distribution environment.

How To Test Your Packaged Product By Distribution Simulation

Compression Testing

Compression Testing evaluates the impact of compressive forces that may occur more frequently when warehousing stacked products or during especially volatile environments in transit. Understanding the compression resistance of any given packaged product, allows issues like pallet stacking to be identified, corrected, and avoided in future test scenarios.

Drop Testing

Drop Testing is conducted to replicate drop and impact events packaged products experience during distribution in order to understand the specific conditions and events that cause impact failure. These events can be both repeated and varied impacts and may result from both manual or mechanical handling, including horizontal acceleration or deceleration, high level placement drops, and low level placement drops.

Incline Impact Testing

Incline Impact Testing evaluates a package system’s ability to withstand sudden horizontal impacts or crushing forces. In package testing, this rather simple test is especially valuable for high-value and/or heavy products where a test sample could be Less-Than-Truckload (LTL) or a Unitized Load. Shock data gathered during impacts help determine corrective actions that can be taken to mitigate damage assessed during transit or in storage facilities alike.

Vibration Testing

Vibration Testing is performed to simulate the non-continuous nature of true vibration commonly experienced during transit. Enabled with time replication and mixed mode capability, vibration testing is critical to identifying weakened package integrity where it is most likely to occur as product shifts and materials are strained during distribution.

Why Purple Diamond?

At Purple Diamond, the integrity of your packaged product is our number one priority during distribution stimulation testing. To ensure your products make it to their destination unharmed, the engineers at Purple Diamond will simulate the specific conditions and hazards your products face during distribution to address stressors that would otherwise prevent your packaged product from arriving safely to its destination.

Purple Diamond follows the distribution testing standards and protocols set forth by organizations such as ASTM and ISTA. Our team is committed to delivering high-quality results as we develop a comprehensive solution to your specific distribution needs.

Related Testing Standards

ASTM

ISTA

TAPPI

Accreditations

Achieving ISO 17025

Achieving ISO 17025 Accreditation is the pinnacle in third-party laboratory testing accreditation. It confirms that the facility has management, quality, and technical systems in place to ensure accurate and reliable analyses.

International Safe Transit Association

ISTA is revered as the certification standard for package testing for distribution. ISTA’s Testing Protocol remains a series of testing methodologies and standards well recognized within the packaging community.

Un Certification for Packaging

A select few companies are authorized by PHMSA as an approved third-party packaging testing laboratory in accordance with Hazardous Materials Regulations, critical to ensuring safe transport of dangerous goods.

Affiliations

ASTM INTERNATIONAL

With over 12,000 standards globally, ASTM International’s fully transparent standards development enhances performance and confidence in consumer choices.

TAPPI

The Technical Association of Pulp and Paper Industry’s peer-reviewed standards improve production through operational methods and industry recognized best practices.

Distribution Testing

What is Distribution Testing?

How To Test Your Packaged Product By Distribution Simulation

Compression Testing

Drop Testing

Incline Impact Testing

Vibration Testing

Why Purple Diamond?

Related Testing Standards

Accreditations

Achieving ISO 17025

International Safe Transit Association

Un Certification for Packaging

Affiliations

ASTM INTERNATIONAL

TAPPI

Services

Materials Testing

Package Testing

Product Testing

Stability Storage

Container Closure Integrity Testing

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