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Packaging is the largest category within the paper industry. Just as the category has evolved from paper-based packaging to composite materials, so too have the testing services offered at U.S.-based SGS-IPS Testing. With 30 years of experience in packaging analysis, SGS-IPS has grown and adapted to meet the new and growing demands for testing that includes foils, films, plastics, and laminates.
Vendor verification also is critical to our packaging clients. Packaging brings together substrates, inks, and adhesives. When problems occur, it may be an issue with process or materials. Problem solving and vendor verification have become essential, in part, because of global sourcing.
More recently, SGS-IPS has moved beyond physical properties and analytical testing. As sustainability and regulatory measures gain prominence we realize that our customers now have to address an even broader spectrum of issues.
SGS-IPS Testing has recently expanded our service offerings to include a certified International Safe Transit Association (ISTA) test lab! SGS-IPS will be offering the full suite of ISTA test procedures. ISTA established performance and development tests to standardize transit packaging testing. Performance tests simulate distribution hazards and are used to determine if a packaged-product can survive normal shipment stressors. Development Tests assess the general quality of packaging designs and are used to compare packaging systems and as a benchmarking tool.
We are also able to offer the ISTA-6-Amazon tests! ISTA-6-Amazon test methods are part of Amazon’s Frustration—Free Packaging Program. The Program has three tiers: Frustration-free Packaging (FFP), Ships in its Own Container (SIOC), and Prep-free Packaging (PFP). SGS-IPS will provide testing for customers packaging to meet one or more of these tiers.
Sustainability has become a commonly used word but is poorly defined and often means different things to different people. In the case of material reduction, physical testing is required to assure structural integrity. Alternatively, it may refer to the confirmation of a substrate’s recyclability. Because the Federal Trade Commission’s “Green Guides” has made testing imperative, SGS-IPS is here to help you reach your sustainability goals.
SGS-IPS participates in a number of regulatory programs that apply to packaging, including CONEG metals and heavy metal analysis, phthalates, and food contact testing against FDA and EU requirements.