ASTM Offers Packaging Training

Jan. 1, 2003
Product damage during transportation and handling is a major concern, and often a major cost component, of every product manufactured anywhere. Today

Product damage during transportation and handling is a major concern, and often a major cost component, of every product manufactured anywhere. Today there are new material, new systems and new machines changing the way your product can get to market safer, in better condition, and less expensively.

The American Society for Testing and Materials, ASTM International, is a leading organization dedicated to standards development. It is offering two training seminars of particular interest to transport packaging managers.

Transport Packaging Design teaches you how to improve package design, thereby reducing product damage and lowering costs. It details the basic steps outlined in ASTM D6198, Standard Guide for Transport Packaging Design.

Here's what you'll learn:

• Details of the basic steps to success in the package design process.

• Which hazards in physical distribution affect package performance and how including graphic videos of freight handling and transportation.

• The role of pre-shipment testing to verify successful package design comparison of ASTM, ISTA, ISO and Rule 180 requirements, and videos showing proper methods of testing.

• Corrugated shipping containers, material and design strengths and weaknesses of corrugated and how to design around them, when to specify burst versus ECT, and what other parameters to consider.

• Cushioning for shock and vibration protection material and systems to consider, and how to design for optimum performance.

• Providing for bracing, spacing or void fill, and abrasion- or corrosion-prevention materials and systems to use inside the package.

• Unitizing of packages for more efficient handling in distribution with pallets, slip sheets or clamp trucks; pros and cons of each unit load stabilization; methods and material, which to use.

• Pictorial markings and how they can reduce handling damage.

Instructor Alfred H. McKinlay’s career in industry spans more than 40 years, including 27 years with GE, plus hundreds of hours lecturing, writing and teaching. He has provided highly specialized consulting and engineering services in the packaging and handling industry, which include analysis, design and testing of transport packaging of consumer, commercial and industrial products; unit load systems for packaged products; and material handling systems for packaged products.

The class will be offered in West Conshohocken, Pennsylvania; Chicago, and San Jose, California

Another class, led by McKinlay, is Performance Testing of Transport Packaging. It includes a lab demonstration of a class-developed test plan for an actual packaged product.

Damaged goods resulting from inadequate packaging are a continuing and increasing problem for companies that ship products by all modes of transport. This 1-1/2-day ASTM course will provide training in the development and application of performance testing plans for transport packaging. The primary focus of the course is ASTM Standard D4169 Performance Testing of Shipping Containers and Systems.

The class will be offered in West Conshohocken, Pennsylvania; Chicago, and Los Angeles

For dates and fees, call ASTM at (610) 832-9686, or visit its Web site, www.astm.org.