ESL Labs has over fifteen years of experience in testing packages, packaging components and packaged products.

Expert Packaging Testing Services

Whether you are testing packaging materials, components, or packaged products, we can help optimize your packaging design and reduce the risk of shipping damage. If you are shipping hazardous materials, package testing is essential to prevent accidental release of substances and ensure compliance with regulations. 

No matter how well-designed or manufactured your product is, if it doesn't reach the end user intact, your efforts are wasted. With ESL Labs as your trusted packaging testing laboratory, we ensure your packaging system is tested thoroughly to protect your product during transit, from point of origin to the destination. 

As an ISTA certified testing laboratory, we are deeply involved in packaging standards, including participation in ASTM and CGSG Packaging Standards committees, which cover dangerous goods. Our expertise ensures that your products are protected under the most rigorous conditions.

 

Why Package Testing is Essential

Packaging testing is crucial for ensuring that your products arrive intact and in compliance with safety and regulatory standards. Here are some of the key reasons why packaging testing is necessary:

Minimize Shipping Damage 

Packaging testing helps identify weaknesses in your packaging design that could result in product damage during transport. 

Optimize Packaging Design

By evaluating different materials and designs, you can find the most effective packaging solutions that balance protection and cost efficiency. 

Ensure Compliance

If you are shipping hazardous materials, package testing is essential to ensure your packaging meets regulatory requirements.

Eco-Friendly Considerations

Packaging tests can also assess the recyclability and environmental impact of packaging materials, helping to reduce waste and improve sustainability.

Tests Performed at ESL Labs

At ESL Labs, we conduct a wide range of package testing to simulate real-world shipping conditions and ensure your packaging performs optimally. Some of the common tests we perform include:

Vibration Testing

Sine or random testing to simulate the effects of transit vibrations by ground, air, or sea. 

Shock Testing

Half sine, saw-tooth, or trapezoidal pulses to replicate impacts during shipping. 

Drop Testing

Transit drop and bench handling tests to assess how packages react to drops during transport. 

Impact Testing

Drop-weight and pendulum tests to measure the effects of impacts on the packaging and contents. 

Climate Hazards Testing

Temperature, humidity, and rain tests to evaluate packaging durability under varying environmental conditions. 

Mechanical Handling Testing

Tests for forklift handling, edge/corner drops, and other mechanical handling stresses. 

Tension / Compression Testing

Dead weight or machine testing under ambient, cold, or hot conditions to ensure package strength under pressure. 

Fatigue Testing

Push/Pull test of materials to verify their properties over lifecycles. Materials tested up to 100000lbs. 

Fluid Testing

Testing for chemical reactions at ambient or elevated temperatures to ensure products and/or packaging can withstand exposure to chemicals. 

Leakage/Pressure Testing

Positive and vacuum methods to ensure the integrity of packaging and prevent leaks.

Package Testing Facts

Package testing includes packaging materials, packaging components, primary packages, shipping containers, and unit loads.

Testing measures the effects and interactions of the levels of packaging, the package contents, external forces, and end-use.

Packages can also be tested for their ability to be recycled and their ability to degrade as surface litter, or in a landfill.