ISTA Views

JULY | 2017

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18 ista views • July 2017 • www.ista.org Vibration Analysis of Motor Coach Buses Used in the Transport of Goods > CONTINUED FROM FRONT COVER 1. Introduction Packaged products are commonly shipped in a variety of vehicles including, trucks, rail cars, and planes. Product damage can occur during shipping due to the forces imparted by these vehicles. For this reason, each type of distribution vehicle has been thoroughly studied to understand the forces associated with specific vehicles. In-lab simulation methods have been developed in order to replicate these forces to allow for repeatable testing of packaged products. These in-lab simulations are used throughout industry to aid in package design and validation. Recently, motor coach buses have been used to transport packaged products, however there are no current methods of simulating motor coach conditions. Furthermore, no research has been conducted to understand the environment a motor coach bus imparts to a packaged product. The focus of this study is to obtain and present a comprehensive understanding of the vibration hazards within a motor coach bus. An understanding of a packaged product's distribution environment is crucial. Forces within the distribution environment include: shock, compression and vibration. Shock events can impart high intensity, short duration forces to a packaged product. Compression occurs statically in warehouse stacking and dynamically in vehicles. Vibration occurs anytime a packaged product is on a vehicle, with continuous forces being applied to the packaged product at varying frequencies and intensities. These forces can cause product damage, which is costly for companies and undesired by consumers. Therefore, protecting against these forces is of utmost importance to companies. The input frequencies and intensities vary from vehicle to vehicle. Severe shock events are often expected in rail car transport during the coupling of railcars. Dynamic compressive forces are often intensified in truck trailers. Trucks and rail cars tend to vibrate at lower frequencies while airplanes tend to vibrate at higher frequencies [Forest Product Laboratory]. While all of these vehicles behave uniquely, they are all used in the shipping of packages, and the replication of the unique hazards they provide is necessary for laboratory testing of packages and products. Organizations like ASTM International (ASTM) and the International Safe Transit Association (ISTA) have developed specific test protocols for various distribution environments to replicate the hazards present. Specifically vibration data exists abundantly for trucks, planes, and various configurations of rail cars. Despite recent interest in the shipping of packaged products via motor coach buses, no vibration characterization of motor coach buses has been documented. 200 Larkin Drive, Unit H • Wheeling, IL 60090 • 847.520.4343 • www.advanced-labs.com THE PULSE OF YOUR PROJECT Need package, material or product testing? The professionals at Advanced Packaging Technology Laboratories keep their fingers on the pulse of your project. They monitor every phase so it never skips a beat. Environmental Testing UN/DOT HazMat Package Testing ISTA / ASTM Package Testing Materials Testing Foremost Testing Facility – Vibration tables – Compression tables – Tensile testing equipment – Shock tables – Drop testers – Environmental chambers Customer-centric Experience – Partner with customers to understand company goals and objectives – Packaging professionals through every step of the packaging process – Deliver projects on-time and on-budget – NEW On-line Quoting Tool makes quoting process effortless

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