ISTA® 6 Testing and Certification Services

ISTA Tested Packaging to Ensure Product and Package Protection through the Last Mile

In the e-commerce marketplace, it is not just your products you are protecting, it is also the reputation of your brand and the potential for future purchases.  That is why PACKAGE INTEGRITY is so important through the last mile.

Great Northern’s certified ISTA® (International Safe Transit Association) test lab can pre-determine if your packages are optimally designed, and whether design modifications are needed.  Pallet configurations are also tested to determine efficiency and prevent product damage.

Learn More About Optimal Package Design & Testing Protocol

ISTA 6 Test Lab Capabilities

Great Northern’s ISTA 6 Test Lab exposes packages to potential conditions and hazards that could be encountered throughout the supply chain and delivery that include:

  • Vibration
  • Inclines
  • Material Handling
  • Free-fall Drops
  • Compression

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Recent Videos from our ISTA Lab

ISTA Lab Video Series – Garden Tool/Drop Test

ISTA Lab Video Series – Kettlebell/Drop Test

ISTA Lab Video Series – Bridge Impact Test/Fishing Pole

ISTA Lab Video Series – Planters / Vibration Test

ISTA Lab Video Series – Patio Furniture/Rotational Drop and Incline Tests

Great Northern’s ISTA 6 test lab and technicians are certified to conduct the following tests:

ISTA 1 SERIES: NON-SIMULATION INTEGRITY PERFORMANCE TESTS
This test challenges the strength and robustness of the product and package combination. It is useful as a screening tool and benchmark to use over time.

ISTA 3 SERIES: GENERAL SIMULATION PERFORMANCE TESTS
These tests provide a laboratory simulation of general damage-producing motions, forces, conditions, and sequences of transport environments, including a broad set of circumstances such as a variety of vehicle types and routes, or a variety of handling exposures. Characteristics will include simple shaped random vibration, and different drop heights applied to the sample package.

ISTA 6 SERIES: MEMBER PERFORMANCE TESTS
These testing protocols are created by ISTA members or by ISTA in cooperation with a member company to meet their purposes and applications. Specific tests have been developed for Amazon, FedEx, and Sam’s Club.

All Great Northern ISTA 6 Lab technicians have earned the Certified Packaging Lab Professional (CPLP) designation from ISTA.

Testing Procedures and Frequently Asked Questions

Learn more about testing procedures and see frequently asked questions here.

Contact us at (800) 925-2626 or fill out our contact form to learn more about an optimal package design and testing protocol for your product.

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Great Expectations

Great Expectations is more than a tagline, it is an attitude. At Great Northern, customer challenges are met by an undying spirit to doing what others can’t or won’t. It’s in our DNA. And it is what our customers have come to expect with Great Northern.

How can we exceed your expectations?