News Items - International Association of Packaging Research Institutes
| Virginia Tech assesses packaging for fragile hi-tech appliances In a prime example of co-operation between industry and packaging education, undergraduate researchers from Virginia Tech in the US have been evaluating transport packaging for air-conditioning (AC) units and heat pumps on behalf of a major manufacturer. Virginia Tech’s Center for Packaging and Unit Load Design (CPULD) reports that in the fall semester of 2022, two teams of researchers tested e-commerce packaging for portable AC units as well as transport systems for larger heat pumps and AC units. Matt Simonson and Mehr Ghotra evaluated a range of packaging systems for portable AC units for in-home use. Six models of packaged AC units from different brand-owners were put through the ISTA Amazon 6 Series test sequence, which includes drop testing, compression testing and vibration testing, all aiming to simulate real-world conditions during distribution. The brands tested were: Toshiba, Hisense, LG, De Long, Midea and G&E.  Meanwhile, researchers Shak Kataev and Collin Kennedy tested the transport systems for much larger heat pumps and air handlers – three of each from brand-owners Midea, Mitsubishi and Trane. The units arrived in different combinations of corrugated board, pallets and strapping. In fact, only five of the six units were tested since one was already severely damaged when it arrived. For this project, testing followed the ISTA 3E standard to simulate shipping to and from distribution centers. The units, each weighing over 100lb (45kg), were subjected to tests including inclined impact – to simulate drops or shocks during forklift handling – and shock testing to simulate dropping of the unit during manual handling. In both cases, the sponsor was presented with the researchers’ report, conclusions and recommendations on completion of the project. Published: 06/29/23 |