Consumer Product Packaging

Consumer product packaging must be able to withstand the effects of storage, transportation and distribution from the point of manufacture/packaging to the end user at the point of purchase. A robust transport packaging design protects the primary product from damage, preserves your brand identity, maintains consumer motivation and enables the product to be dispensed by the end user.

To reduce the costs of replacing product due to shipping damage, employ distribution testing as a means of screening packaging designs. In the field of contract testing, no other package testing lab offers cGMP and ISO 17025-accredited services that cover the complete package system from development to market.

We offer complete consumer product packaging test programs:

Abrasion and Adhesion Testing

Label or container surfaces can be scuffed from the vibratory and impact forces encountered during normal distribution. Illegible labeling or scratched or damaged packages can make your product difficult to identify, lessening the consumer appeal and hurting your brand. We provide solutions to evaluate the abrasion resistance and adhesive properties of package labeling.

Distribution Simulation Testing

Our ISTA-certified package testing laboratory provides distribution simulation services in accordance with the most current test methods from ASTM and ISTA such as ASTM D4169, ASTM D7386 and ISTA Series 1, 2, 3 and 4 tests. Laboratory distribution simulation testing provides a uniform and repeatable way of evaluating consumer product packaging designs by employing standardized equipment and procedures to subject the packaging to anticipated hazards that may occur with routine distribution of packaged products such as impact/shock and vibration input.

Leakage and Torque Testing

Environmental hazards such as freeze/thaw and low pressure (high altitude) exposure can influence the effectiveness of the container/closure interface. With our vacuum leakage testing (ASTM D4991) and altitude simulation (ASTM D6653), we can assist in the development process. For mechanical pump dispensers, evaluation per ASTM D6834 can assess leakage with or without exposure to random vibration input. Furthermore, torque degradation studies (ASTM D2063) can help you assess how much closure retention torque may be lost after exposure to temperature cycling, compression and vibration.

Top Load Testing and Environmental Stress Cracking

Strongly acidic or strongly basic products can cause stress cracking of containers in the presence of heat, top load or pressure. We can perform environmental stress-cracking tests (ASTM D1693) and top-load, column crush (ASTM D2659) on primary container designs, evaluating case-level product for compressive strength via mechanical compression (ASTM D642) or top-load vibration per ASTM D4169 or ISTA 3A.

Shelf Life Testing

Employing our series of walk-in and reach-in environmental chambers, we provide product storage programs to ensure product integrity throughout the product’s shelf life. From accelerated aging, real-time aging, freeze/thaw and high and low temperature exposure, we have the chamber capacity to support shelf life testing for materials, products and packaging systems.

Utility, Dispensing and Functional Testing

The spray patterns of pump and trigger sprayers can be adversely affected by environmental changes, product clogging and product compatibility over time. We use several ASTM test methods to evaluate performance, such as ASTM D4041 and D3890. They are usually used in concert with functional stability tests per ASTM D6633 or D6654.

Packaging Materials Barrier Properties

We offer numerous tests to characterize adsorption, dissolution, diffusion and desorption of packaging materials, including oxygen transmission rate per ASTM D3985 or ISO 15105-2 and water vapor transmission rate per USP <671>, ASTM F1249, D7709, ISO 15106-2 and ASTM E96. These barrier properties tests help you plan the optimal packaging material choice for specific applications to maximize preservation and prolong the shelf life of your product.