Drop testing is used to simulate conditions which may occur to packages and products during handling or during the transportation and shipping. These test methods are designed to evaluate the integrity of packages or products and their design limits for protection from collisions or drops which are likely to occur in the distribution or end-user environment.
Common drop test conditions consist of a freefall from various heights onto a solid surface. The drop height for each test is dependent on requirements set forth by standards such as those from ASTM or ISTA.
Importance of Drop test
During installation, transport or repair, many products have a risk of being dropped. While handlers receive training to treat these items with care, mishaps happen to even the most experienced professionals.
Drop testing ensures the product stays in its original condition from manufacturing to implementation. In addition to ensuring that products survive their journey from point A to point B, many products are at risk for being dropped or jarred throughout their lifetime.
These products include handheld devices and tools, lab equipment, personal computers, field measuring equipment, construction tools, etc. In such cases, drop testing may be required to ensure that expensive tools or equipment are capable of surviving the perils of expected use and abuse.
Advantages of Drop Testing
Drop testing can provide valuable data for a wide variety of applications. Our customers use our drop testing services to:
- Simulate how real-world impacts will affect the item.
- Evaluate a product for its compliance with government, industry or company standards.
- Collect detailed data on the item’s performance under impact.
Of course, drop testing can also offer information that can be used for many other purposes, such as for product specifications. The intended outcome of a drop test depends on the manufacturer’s industry and desired results.
Standards and Specifications for drop testing:
- IEC 60068-2-31
- ISO 2248
- ISTA 2A and ISTA 2B
- ISTA 3A and ISTA 3B
- ASTM D5276
- ASTM D4003
- ASTM D5277
- ASTM D5265
- ASTM D6344
- ASTM D6055
- ASTM D6179
Please contact info@reliatestlabs.com to see if we can test against your own standards or any that are not listed here.
