"Brand protection, is environmental testing the way forward?" Ralph Harris TÜV SÜD Product Service

Transcription

1 "Brand protection, is environmental testing the way forward?" Ralph Harris TÜV SÜD Product Service Slide 1

2 Who am I? Name Ralph Harris Title: Consultant Employer: Experience: TÜV SÜD Product Service Worked in the environmental test industry for over 36 years. Besides hands on testing and project management. Ran an environmental test facility for explosives. Developed the first commercially available HALT facility in the UK. Managed the TÜV SÜD Octagon House Environmental laboratory. Now a consultant. Telephone: +44 (0) Ralph.harris@tuv-sud.co.uk TÜV SÜD Slide 2

3 Included today Brand loyalty and testing Mandatory testing Identify the environments Tests for distribution environment Slide 3

4 What is brand loyalty how can testing help? Brand loyal customers will purchase a range of products from you. Provided that the service and product quality is maintained, brand-loyal customers will not consider alternative suppliers. How does Environmental testing contribute to service and quality? Part of good service is effective delivery of the product. The delivery is OK if the product works straight out of the box and the condition of the packaging is still in reasonable condition. Test packages to make sure it survives the distribution environment. Product quality is judged when in use. The features and characteristics of a product which determine its desirability. Does not degrade and continues to fulfil its purpose when exposed to a range of adverse conditions. Longevity, acceptable duration before wear out. Test the product to make sure it survives the in use environment. Some testing may be included in product specifications and be mandatory Slide 4

5 Does mandatory testing demonstrate product quality and good delivery? No the product is shown to achive a standard set of requirements, compliance only. Since mandated requirements often only address in use environment they do not provide confidence that the product will survive the distribution environment. Since product standards may be out of date, as the environments change they do not provide confidence that the product will work in its intended environment. Product quality can be assessed by performing tests relevant to the environments encountered during the products life. Slide 5

6 Does mandatory testing demonstrate product quality and foster brand loyalty? For many products there are no environmental test requirements. Testing is for compliance not quality. Where testing is specified it often addresses only the in use environment not the distribution environment. The standards are slow to catch up with technology advances so the environmental requirements may not be adequate. In all cases choose to perform relevant tests for your product and distribution environment. Slide 6

7 Identify the environments the product will see. Consider the life cycle of the product and the environments your product may see. Bulk transport Machine handling Transportation vibration and shock (wheeled vehicle, plane, ship) Transportation climatic environment ( temperature, humidity, pressure, inside iso containers) Machine handling Storage ( temperature humidity pressure, compression) Break bulk package down (Handling drops) Repackage for dispatch (Handling drops) Slide 7

8 Identify the environments the product will see. Individual transport Consolidation bag (impacts with random shapes) Transportation vibration and shock (wheeled vehicle, plane) Transportation climatic environment (temperature, humidity, pressure) Man handling (drops) Slide 8

9 Environmental testing and Service Packaging performance has increasing importance now that purchases are extensively made on the internet. More parcels are delivered through an often poorly monitored distribution environment. Slide 9

10 Examples of out of control delivery Slide 10

11 Examples of out of control delivery Slide 11

12 Distribution threats Abuse is probably quite frequent, decide if you wish to address it. Even if there is no abuse there are a number of acceptable environmental threats in the distribution environment. Slide 12

13 Test Definition - complex, expensive items Complex and expensive items often require complex specifically designed packaging. A fragility assessment of the product is followed by tests of the packaging to ensure that it provides protection against specific environmental threats. In most cases the distribution environment may be severe but it is known. Slide 13

14 Test Definition - Normal distribution environment Less complex items are tested to levels that represent the common environmental conditions experienced in the distribution environment. What severity of packaging tests should be performed? Conveniently the International Safe Transit Association (ISTA) provide test standards for classes of package in the distribution environment. Slide 14

15 ISTA classifications TÜV SÜD Product Service is an ISTA accredited test laboratory. ISTA helps members control costs, damage, and resources during the distribution of packaged-products by: -Creating and publishing packaged-product test procedures. -Certifying packaging laboratories, packaged-products and professionals. -Providing education, training, and support. The choice of packaged-product test procedure and severities are informed by the expected distribution environment and the type of package, size, shape weight. Slide 15

16 Typical ISTA tests Threat in the Distribution environment Climatic conditions Effect Changes the performance of the materials used for protection. Principally changes in rigidity. Tests Temperature and Humidity conditioning Compression (Stacking ) Transportation Vibration Deformation of packaging and possible damage to product. Threat to product if package does not provide adequate protection Compression Vibration and bounce testing Handling drops (shock) Damage to packaging and product. Impact, Free fall, Shock Slide 16

17 Climatic conditioning Failure of adhesives and tapes (temperature moisture) Softening of expansion of fibreboard (moisture) Change of frequency response of packaging (temperature) Slide 17

18 Compression Compression failures can occur in storage Package structure fails and product is compressed under weight of stack. Package structure fails and stack of packages collapses. Slide 18

19 Compression test Slide 19

20 Vibration (Bounce) Although not strictly vibration, ISTA includes bounce in this category. Bounce testing simulates the motion and impacts that occur when a package is transported loose. Bounce failure modes Scuffing of package Internal shocks to the product within the package. Degradation of packaging performance. Settling of contents Slide 20

21 Bounce Machine at TÜV SÜD Product Service Slide 21

22 Vertical vibration An alternative to bounce (rotary motion) is vibration (vertical motion) Loosely restrained equipment to simulate unsecured packages. Can be performed with top loads to simulate packages on top. Slide 22

23 Vertical vibration at TÜV SÜD Product Service Slide 23

24 How does vibration affect the product? There is a high risk of damage to the product when the frequencies of vibration endured during transportation coincide with the resonant frequencies of the product. Resonance definition "The increase in amplitude of oscillation of an electric or mechanical system exposed to a periodic force whose frequency is equal or very close to the natural undamped frequency of the system. Transportation frequencies of interest typically a few Hz to ~500Hz Endurance at resonant frequency may cause fatigue and failure. Slide 24

25 Tacoma narrows Bridge Slide 25

26 Film raises a couple of questions 1) Did Professor Farquharson save the dog? 2) Was the bridge exhibiting resonance before it collapsed? Slide 26

27 Other resonant frequencies Slide 27

28 Drop testing Handling drops Normally as series of drops are performed to test the vulnerable parts of a package. Slide 28

29 Drop testing Slide 29

30 Summary Brand loyalty is influenced by product quality and service. Product standards do not include sufficient testing to demonstrate quality. There is an increase in delivered items. The distribution environment can be a rough place. Product standards do not address the distribution environment. Testing for the distribution environment is fairly simple, low cost and quick and there are standards that define these tests. Perform testing to address the environments you know will your packages will see and consider abuse environments. Reseller, ask you suppliers if the have designed the packaging to protect the product. Slide 30

31 Thank you for listening Ralph Harris Consultant TÜV SÜD Product Service Tel: +44 (0) Slide 31