Vibration Test

Meaning of Test

A vibration test should be conducted on both the product and the package.  Determining the product sensitivity to vibration is necessary in order to make intelligent decisions about the product or package design.  Measuring the resonance of the package system will help determine the ability of the package to attenuate vibration at the critical frequencies of the product.  A more simplified concept is to think of the package system as the dampers (shock absorbers) on a car.  The dampers transmit lower levels of vibration from the road to the passengers. 

Typical Range

There are a variety of different amplitudes, intensities, and test ranges depending on the test specification.  For package testing test durations can be between 3 and 6 hours, although 3 hours is used most often.  The duration is divided equally among all possible shipping orientations.  For small packages three surfaces are tested, but all three hours are conducted in the base orientation for large crates. 

Associated Standards

ASTM D3580 is used for mapping the vibration sensitivity of the product.  ASTM D4728 is the standard commonly used for package testing.  Random vibration is the more common used since it correlates closely to the real world environment. 

What We Provide

Vibration testing can be conducted using sinusoidal or random as the test input.  Westpak has both vertical and horizontal vibration tables to conduct product level and package testing.  Frequency ranges of the vibration systems are 1-3000Hz with capacities up to several thousand pounds.

Westpak helps you avoid vibration related issues in two ways:
First, by determining the basic sensitivities the appropriate vibration inputs have on the product itself; and second, by determining how well the cushioning material dissipates the vibration and transmits it to the product. In the laboratory, we can simulate exactly what your packaged product might experience in the distribution environment and provide you with better ways to improve your package system.  The final result is a better experience for your customer.