Stopping Process Effects over Stability Tests Results

Abstract

The stability test is a useful tool for packaging evaluation. This kind of tests are used for packaging design, studies and checking. The European Union has been introducing the Eumos 40509 standard for stability testing as a reference for packaging transport stability validation inside the European transport directive 2014/47/EU[1]. After stability testing, the sample keeps moving, thus the question is if the results could be affected for the stopping process. As stopping is a sort of acceleration and this becomes a force, a stopping method can modify the testing results after testing. The objective is to demonstrate if the results of the stability tests are modified by using different stopping accelerations applied after testing. The experiment setup uses several palletized loads, with the same loading configuration, which are tested according Eumos 40509 standard at the same tests profile. During the experiment loads are equally tested but stopped with different stopping acceleration. In order to compare the results, lost of shape is measured and compared between the stopping methods. The experiment demonstrates that stopping methods can modify the acceleration test results and shows a new parameter to consider, the time gap between testing and stopping can modify the test results too.