No matter what kind of manufacturing business you operate, quality control is important at every step of the process. From testing the raw materials against specs to using the most up-to-date manufacturing equipment, the most successful companies work hard to make sure every product that leaves the production line is the best it can be.
The last step of the manufacturing process is just as critical – and the International Safe Transit Association is dedicated to ensuring its quality. The kind of packaging you use can make a huge difference in assuring your product arrives to your customer in the same condition if left the factory. If the packaging is not up the same high standards as the rest of the manufacturing process, your carefully produced products could be ruined. The ISTA process and the ISTA certified testing laboratory is designed to ensure the highest standards of transport for the products your company sells.
What is ISTA?
No matter what kind of manufacturing you are involved with, product packaging can make or break your business. The ISTA standard is designed to ensure the quality of the packing process and give business owners reassurance that their products can stand up to the rigors of shipping.
By partnering with an ISTA certified testing laboratory, you can make sure your products will arrive at their destination intact and ready to serve the needs of your customers. The ISTA testing process includes two separate but interrelated tests – a pass/fail assessment and a development test.
The pass/fail assessment is used to test the viability of current product packaging. During this test, the ISTA certified testing laboratory puts the packaging through a simulation of the normal shipping process.
The development is used to compare the relative performance of two or more packaging designs to determine which one is best. The development test can also be used to test the same design from two or more different suppliers.
What is an ISTA Certified Testing Laboratory?
Assessing the viability of product packaging and its ability to withstand the rigors of the shipping process is important, and that is why all ISTA certified testing laboratories are held to the highest standards. In order to become an ISTA certified testing laboratory, the facility must complete a series of forms to verify the type and quality of the equipment they use.
The facility seeking ISTA certification must also produce a short video to demonstrate their testing procedures and ensure those processes meet the rigorous standards required for ISTA certification. In addition to those stringent requirements, every ISTA certified testing laboratory must be recertified every two years. The recertification process helps ensure that only the best testing facilities retain their ISTA certifications. Recertification is also required whenever an ISTA certified testing laboratory moves or relocates its testing equipment.
Why is ISTA certification so important?
The quality of the packaging is just as important as the quality of your products. If those products fail to reach their destination intact, you will quickly be inundated with returns and customer complaints. Having your current packaging procedures certified is the best defense against these problems.
When you work with an ISTA certified testing laboratory, you ensure that your packaging processes are up to the highest standards of the industry. The ISTA certification process is one of the most stringent in the world, and only the top facilities become ISTA certified testing laboratories. By running pass/fail and development tests on your current packaging processes, you can ensure every product you create reaches its intended destination intact and ready to do the job.
To learn more, just contact us. We will be happy to share more details about ISTA standards and how they can help assure safe transit for your products.