Katrina Joyce Mabanes

Cangrejo

BSPkgE-4

PkgE 4102

Engr. Bernie C.

Lansmont Six Step Method

This six step was published by Lansmont Corporation originally in the mid 70's in order to
avoid conflict with the five step. It is today the most widely used procedure for protective
package design and testing.

1. Define the Environment

This involves defining the distribution environment through which a packaged
product must travel since the environment possesses some amount of damage
potential.. Studies clearly show that package drop height decreases as weight
increases, yet this relationship has never been defined very well. Many engineers
use the drop heights for a lighter product when setting their specifications in order
to be "more assured" of successful delivery.

2. Product Fragility Analysis

This uses the Damage Boundary test procedure according to ASTM D3332-93.
For cushioned (acceleration sensitive) products, the most important number from
this test procedure is the critical acceleration determined by means of a trapezoidal
waveform. The trapezoidal pulse is used because it excites both even and odd
harmonics within the product resulting in the maximum response of suspended
components and therefore failure at a lower input acceleration level. This is also
used because it results in a horizontal abscissa on the Damage Boundary plot.

Shock

Spectra,
Various Pulse Shapes

3. Product Improvement Feedback

Katrina Joyce Mabanes

Cangrejo

BSPkgE-4

PkgE 4102

Engr. Bernie C.

This is in an effort to improve product durability. Improving product durability

reduces the subsequent requirements for protective packaging, while improving
product quality, creating enhanced value for the end-user.

4. Cushion Material Performance Evaluation

For almost all cushion materials, especially in their optimum loading range,
the first impact normally results in the lowest amount of transmitted deceleration
with the levels increasing for each impact thereafter.

5. Package Design
After acquiring all the information necessary to design packaging that will
adequately protect the product during distribution, the package designer can now
design a package with strength greater than its environment. For new designs the
package performance test is normally done on a prototype product. In many
instances these prototypes are more fragile than those produced after the
manufacturing process has matured.

6. Test the Product/Package System

This is to ensure that all design goals have been met. This will determine
whether the packaging has been an overpackaging or underpackaging for the
product at all. Because the usual prototype used is more fragile, it is likely that the
net result will call for more protection built into the package for initial product
production which is not needed later on.

Sources:
OVERPACKAGING: Throwing Away Money and Clogging Landfills in the Name of Safe Product Delivery
by HERBERT H. SCHUENEMAN, CP-P/MH