Validation Testing and Shipping Prediction
Distribution/transit testing involves controlled and objective assessment of packed product shipment performance in the laboratory. The facility allows realistic simulation of shipment, handling and climatic hazards. Most projects involve one of the following objectives:
- Product and pack development validation
- Demonstrating fitness for purpose of supply and use
- Cost reduction (identification of over and under packing)
- Regulatory compliance
- Damage root case investigation and resolution.
What the laboratory enables us to do
Laboratory testing compliments real life shipment validation, but there are various important benefits associated with laboratory simulation:
- Being able to control the test intensity level (allowing evaluation of performance for the range of real life shipment and handling severities) - in real life shipment validation the true hazard level is not known for any given shipment so real life shipment testing is subjective
- Laboratory testing is recognised by regulatory authorising bodies such as the FDA
- Seeing performance issues live - observing performance first hand and in real time enables identification of root cause
- Rapid simulation of extended timeframe routes/journeys - laboratory testing shortens the validation/investigation process (compared with real life shipment trial)
- Repeatability of test - assessments undertaken in the lab can be exactly repeated with modified samples to deliver an objective measure of performance for a revised pack or design
- Cost effective assessment - lab testing is highly cost effective when benchmarked against shipment and personnel costs associated with real life shipment trial
- Ability to capture issues on digital video
- Analysis of performance by digital high speed video
- Simultaneous and objective comparison of number of variants/variables.