Your products and packaging travel thousands of miles through factories, warehouses, trucks, ships, and delivery networks, there's always the risk that your products and packaging might get damaged.
The carton drop test is an essential on-site testing item in the final random inspection (FRI). It simulates the possible impacts cartons may experience during handling, loading, and transportation.
This article explores the details of the carton drop test, explains ISTA requirements, and highlights how third-party quality inspections procedure carton drop test.
What is a Carton Drop Test？
A Carton drop test is a type of packaging inspection conducted by third-party quality assurance inspectors to ensure the quality of packaging. It is one of the most common and usually resource-light to conduct.
In most common drop tests, an inspector drops the Carton from a set height ten times. This allows for checking the Carton’s consistency and strength.
Do I need to run a drop test?
If you are shipping fragile or high-value products that cannot withstand rough treatment, or your products are likely to be rejected by customers if not in perfect condition, then a carton drop test like this is a good option to request QC inspectors to do.
For lighter packages, an inspector can do the test themself, probably at your supplier’s factory, however for larger, heavier packages (for instance, 50kg) the test could be done by several people at the same time, or in a testing lab’s facility using a robot (to spare the QC inspector from back strain!).
ISTA Standards for Carton Drop Testing
Following an international standard for package testing helps ensure your inspectors conduct tests consistently from one inspection to the next. This is particularly important if you’re hiring a third-party inspection company and cannot feasibly test your products and packaging on your own.
International Safe Transit Association (ISTA) 1 Series are the most basic category of performance tests.
- They challenge the capability of the package and product to withstand transport hazards, but
- They are not simulations of actual transport hazards, and
- Do not necessarily comply with carrier packaging regulations.
Test Procedure 1A is an integrity test for individual packaged-products.
- It can be used to evaluate the performance of a packaged-product.
- It can be used to compare relative performance of package and product design alternatives.
- The package and product are considered together and not separately.
- Some conditions of transit, such as moisture, pressure or unusual handling, may not be covered.
ISTA 1A is commonly used worldwide and focuses on Carton’s goods weighing 150lb/50kg or less. This standard clearly indicates which tests must be conducted and what their specifications are in order to pass inspection, much like the drop test.
Other ISTA(https://ista.org/test_procedures.php) Procedures may be appropriate for different conditions or to meet different objectives.
Specific suggestions:
- To use random vibration instead of fixed displacement vibration, use ISTA Test Procedure 1G and not 1A.
- For packaged-products where a minimum compression value should be tested, use ISTA Test Procedure 1C.
- For packaged-products intended for international distribution consider ISTA Partial-Simulation Performance Test Procedure 2A.
- For packaged-products that may be transported in a small parcel delivery system consider ISTA General Simulation
- Performance Test Procedure 3A.
- Refer to Guidelines for Selecting and Using ISTA Procedures and Projects for additional information.
How Third-Party Quality Inspection Conduct the Carton Drop Test
The carton drop test is typically performed during Pre-Shipment Inspection (PSI). At this stage, production is completed, and goods are packed in export cartons. Testing before shipment ensures packaging quality issues are detected before cargo is dispatched.
Usually, we use the Ten Time Carton Drop method if the customer has no special requirements. The procedure including:
1. Randomly Select a Packaged Carton
Randomly choose a packaged carton from the available master cartons as a testing sample ensures you’re getting a representative sample. Inspect the products inside carton and make sure they are “good” samples.
It is also vital that the carton chosen must be already packed to the correct specifications and that the products/packaging have already been inspected. This is part of the pre-shipment inspection and is commonplace in most supply chains and denies the possibility of damage occurring before the drop test.
2. Measure weight
Drop test height is determined by carton weight. Weigh the carton to determine the appropriate drop test standard height.
| Packaged - Product Weight | Drop Height | ||||
| Equal to or Greater than | But Less than | Free Fall | |||
| lb | kg | lb | kg | in. | cm |
| 0 | 0 | 21 | 9.5 | 30 | 76.2 |
| 21 | 9.5 | 41 | 18.6 | 24 | 61 |
| 41 | 18.6 | 61 | 27.7 | 18 | 45.7 |
| 61 | 27.7 | 100 | 45.3 | 12 | 30.5 |
| 100 | 45.3 | 150 | 68 | 8 | 20.3 |
For example, if the weight of a carton is 20kg, greater than 18.6kg but less than 27.7kg, the drop test height of this carton is 18 inches.
3. Ten Time Carton Drop
Repack them as per original packing method. Perform carton drop test according to the WI for which Drop test method will be adopted.
Drop or impact the packaged product according to the following sequence:
One corner-the joins of edges with staples or gum are considered weaker than the other edges.
Test the most fragile face-3 corner, if not known, test the 2-3-5 corner.
Three edges-3 different length (long, width and height) radiating from the dropped corner.
- The shortest edge radiating from the corner tested.
- The next longest edge from the corner tested.
- The longest edge radiating from the corner tested.
Six face-All flat surfaces.
- Flat on one of the smallest face.
- Flat on the opposite small face.
- Flat on one of the medium face.
- Flat on the opposite medium face.
- Flat on one of the largest face.
- Flat on the opposite large face.
Note: Should select a concrete floor to perform the Drop Check.
4. After drop test, inspector shall open the carton and follow the steps
- Check whether packaging is damaged or
- Inspect the products again to check any defectives, which shall include the Product appearance and functions.
- Selected the samples from the critical area (Most in the dropped corner).
- Whole carton or minimum 24 units will be inspected.
Kindly tips for drop test
- In any case, drop check cannot be performed is due to some other reasons (for instance: lack of manpower, complicated packaging method…etc.), we must call supervisor for confirmation, then we must state the reasons on the inspection report for applicant reference.
- It is very important to have well planning on performing the in case the goods are packed with blister card, clam shell blister or tightened with strings, we shall inspect some units up to a certain quantity first (quantity for one carton) and ask the factory to re-pack them immediately for our testing instead of arrange the test at the end of the inspection.
- Inspect the item inside by visual check, functional check and safety checks.
Conclusion
As most of the products supply chains are located in countries far away from the brand buyers and the products cartons should be transferred for a long distance, it is essential to conduct a carton drop test before shipment to ensure the products are fully protected and can bear collision during transportation.
Also, every consumer doesn’t want to receive a product with poor package. Products like textiles and garments, home appliances, children toys, and ceramics are highly suggested processing carton drop test before shipment.
GIS Inspection is a leading third-party inspection company in China. We can help you complete a full QC inspection in China more efficiently and effectively.
If you need some practical experience in quality control, you can definitely discuss with us. As a Chinese inspection company, we can provide product inspection, factory audit, and lab testing. If you need it, you can get the most suitable quotation from us. Check a sample report.
Inspect by GIS Inspection
General Inspection Service-GIS is an international third-party quality control inspection company headquartered in China in 2005, which provides a professional range of product quality inspection and factory audit services to clients across multiple industries. We have set up an inspection network covering China, Vietnam, India and Malaysia. By employing only full-time inspectors, GIS is trusted by more than 12,000 brands globally.
