When conducting packaging reliability testing it’s helpful to use any damage found to assess where your packaging can be improved. Unfortunately, it may be very difficult to know exactly how your products will be loaded, transported, unloaded, warehoused, loaded again, etc. in advance.

The idea is to use the damage caused by the testing as a learning opportunity to tweak the packaging types and materials you’re using, or its design, in order to protect your products.

The same goes for post-sale feedback, for instance from retail stores stocking your products. If they report that they found damage on retail packaging upon opening the shipping cartons (hopefully there will be none at all, but if there is…), request images from them in order to investigate how it may have occurred.

 

Real examples of damage to packaging

Here are some real examples of damage to retail packaging and feedback on what caused it from a partner reliability testing laboratory.

packaging damage examples 1
  1. This looks like glue delamination which is caused by a poor glueing process or incorrect opening by the end-user.
  2. Packaging deformation that usually occurs due to dropping after the sale or during transportation.
  3. Abrasion where the package has been rubbed against something, perhaps due to mishandling or mispacking.
  4. Abrasion and color fading, likely due to mishandling or mispacking, poor print choice, and/or exposure to the elements.
  5. A larger impact on the box either before or after the sale will cause this kind of damage and deformation to the packaging.
  6. Also a larger impact.
  7. Also a larger impact.

packaging damage examples 2

 

What tests can be done on packaging to assess its reliability?

We’ve created a number of pages which explain the common packaging reliability tests that importers should perform on packaging:

These tests are often based upon the ISTA series 2 guidelines.

About Adrian Leighton

Adrian is the Sofeast group's experienced marketer and has worked in manufacturing for around a decade. He has a particular interest in new product development and sharing important manufacturing news from China.If you've read, watched, or listened to some Sofeast content, Adrian has probably had a hand in it!
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