| By Industry Article by Art Gib |
| Monday, 01 June 2009 |
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If you are in the business of producing medical products, then you know that the industry is heavily regulated one. There are specific government criteria that must be met when it comes to packaging and shipping, and so those who are wise consult with a medical package testing service to make sure they are in compliance. Here's more about what a medical package testing service does. In a lab environment, testers can simulate the rigors of air, land, and truck shipping and determine if a manufacturer's packaging is designed to withstand the effects of extremes in temperature and humidity. Using environmental
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chambers, the lab will accurately be able to duplicate actual conditions and will make precise cause and effect measurements: does the packaging degrade, corrode, leak, or tear under the actual conditions it will face during shipping?
A packaging tester will be able to do these tests and then make recommendations for changes in design, if needed, based on the findings.
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Vibration Testing
Environmental conditions such as temperature and humidity levels are not the only factors that affect materials during shipping: constant exposure to low and high levels of vibration may wreak havoc as well. A variety of different sized testing devices are used under controlled conditions to simulate over-the-road, rail, and flight vibrations.
Packaging may definitely be affected when its contents settle due to vibrations or other similardisturbances. Rips in plastic may be a result or the integrity of the seals may be compromised. The contents themselves may be harmed by normal transit vibration if the packaging that is meant to protect them fails.
Variety and Flexibility of Service
A good medical packaging testing company should be equipped to test virtually any kind of container that is commonly used in the industry. These may include, but are not limited to:
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Metal and plastic drums and jerricans All kinds of boxes such as fiberboard, plastic, and metal Bags made from paper, plastic, and textile materials Composite packaging combining any two or more materials Solid and liquid IBCs Infectious substances packaging.
There really is no way of knowing whether or not medical packaging will be able to withstand the normal stresses of transportation without putting it through a rigorous testing process. Determining any problems with packaging before mass production will save a manufacturer both time and especially money, and will assure that the finished product is in compliance with any government regulations which may apply.
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