Issue link: http://cp.revolio.com/i/808614
> MORE ON PAGE 18 and transportation, and while still a proxy for actual performance (and thus not perfect), it takes into account paper properties, board conversion, and container manufacturing, as well as the hazards of the actual distribution environment. The BCT requirement on a box depends on many factors in the distribution environment, discussed at length in the technical literature. Good summaries for how to handle them can be found in resources like the Fibre Box Association's Fibre Box Handbook and their publication How to Get the Best Box. 7 Other opportunities for specification of performance targets include how a box would interact with erecting equipment, through porosity, opening force, and score bend ratio of the structure. ISTA test protocols 8 can also serve as performance metrics in some situations. Every time a package transits through a distribution environment it can encounter a variety of hazards that can vary with each trip, making the estimation process much more difficult than for pure compression loads. Capturing those significant events in a way that they can be understood and easily applied to a range of packages as part of a verification process has been one of the main challenges of the transport packaging industry for the past several decades. The difficulties inherent in that evaluation, as well as the best ideas and observations of the scientists in the industry, have been captured and quantified, and we are getting better at identifying the requirements. The ISTA protocols, currently simulation tools as opposed to purely quantifiable test methods, continue to evolve. The guidance supplied by ISTA test protocols targets production of packaging which meets the protective requirements without excess material. Moving Forward Collectively, our continued progress relies on a blend of different approaches. This is true not just for optimizing corrugated boxes but for optimizing all aspects of the packaging and distribution system. We must continue to work together and share information on the cause and effect of inputs to packaging performance. This takes study and research, through industry groups like ISTA and other respective trade organizations. It also requires a more developed understanding of the needs of our customers at all levels, as they define the functional spec in a way that is also regularly evolving. We must also recognize that "package optimization" does not always mean less packaging (by mass) or less cost of an individual component. It may be that by reducing the cost (and quality) of one component, for example a pallet, you cause the need to increase the cost of another, like the box. We must all work together to optimize the system, requiring us to build relationships based on trust and a willingness to occasionally "optimize" beyond the ideal point. 17 ista views • April 2017 • www.ista.org Evaluate and Certify Package Product Performance Services I.S.T.A. (all projects), ASTM, NMFC, U.N./D.O.T Hazmat), GSA, Fed & Mil Spec Testing Products up to 8000 lbs. tested N Vibration N Impact shock N Compression N Material analysis/testing N Environmental Conditioning EASTERN FACILITY * ( 513 ) 870-0080 Fax: (513) 870-0017 Email: info@ghtesting.com 4090 Thunderbird Lane, Fairfield, OH 45014 gh Package and Product Testing and Consulting, Inc. ® Engineers & Technicians have been IATA trained and tested ISO 17025 accredited* WESTERN FACILITY ( 623 ) 869-8008 Fax: (623) 869-8003 Email: info @ghtesting.com 335 W. Melinda Lane, Phoenix, AZ 85027 Fully accredited to ISTA Standard 20/7E