The journey that packages take from the warehouse to your house will be quite demanding at times. There will be bumps in the road, turbulence in the air, cramped quarters, wet weather and slips and falls. All of these factors can shake, stir and damage the contents of a poorly-protected package during its global journey. That’s why Packsize, which has introduced the revolutionary On Demand Packaging system, is developing additional offerings meant to meet International Safe Transit Association (ISTA) performance test expectations. Packsize test facilities are not only coming up with ways to hit these benchmarks, but doing so with items of all shapes, sizes, weights, and other odd dimensions.
No item ever fits “perfectly” in a traditional box-shaped parcel and to get it right, it takes trial and error before your prized possession ever gets shipped out. This testing phase is where Packsize is right now with its Package Testing program, which is well-suited to spot design flaws and other structural problems before entering the supply chain. Part of this testing process is designing package types that can be produced by Packsize machinery and software and replicated in shipping departments of clients across the country. This can mean reinforcement in weak spots, protecting jutting corners and other conceptual design elements that fill voids without resorting to bubble wrap.
What’s more, Packsize is placing heavy consideration on ISTA procedures as well as Amazon’s Frustration-Free Packaging (FFP) certification. For the former, Packsize can perform simulated and unsimulated integrity and performance tests that will reveal possible package design shortcomings. Companies who partner with Packsize opt for these tests because it gives them the confidence needed to go with one design over another and boost success rates. The ISTA uses two types of tests, performance and development, to learn more about package survival rates and design comparisons, respectively.
As for Amazon, the FFP program has severely slashed the cardboard packaging product that’s used when an item enters the mail. External protections are still in place so it makes sense for brand owner vendors to consider the use of Packsize-designed parcels in an e-commerce setting. According to a December 2018 Packaging World article, toy company Hasbro has been able to halve the amount of packaging it used on some products. This means less waste and easier accessibility for the kids on the receiving end.
“You open it up, you have no waste. It’s much easier to grab that [packaging] and put it in your recycle bin and go,” Hasbro’s, senior vice president told the magazine.
Should companies combine an ISTA-certified package that’s shipped to Amazon’s sparse FFP standards, it’s possible to do both consumers and the environment a huge favor. Packsize, which can help companies test and design such parcels, is the next call to make if your company has these objectives on the radar.
Contact us today for a personalized analysis of your shipping process.
