ASTM stands for American Society for Testing Materials. It is now known as ASTM Internationals.
What is ASTM, and What Does It Do?
ASTM International is a globally recognized standard development organization, formerly known as the American Society for Testing Materials.They provide the guidelines and roadmap to ensure the safety and quality of your products and packaging. The organization consists of around 30000 experts, consumers, manufacturers and government agencies from 140 countries. The standard sizes are the result of a consensus among all the members of the committee. It is an open process allowing individuals, researchers and giants belonging to the packaging industry to participate and give their suggestions. Every member has the right to share their opinion and prove it with facts. So, all of their standards to measure the quality are based on the common views of their members. After every five years, the ASTM standards are reviewed due to the advancement in technology to maintain relevance. Moreover, ASTM standards help you reduce packaging waste and encourage recyclability. It is paving the way towards a pollution free environment.
Additionally, there are numerous standards for different types of packaging and their characteristics. They address all the aspects of packaging to ensure the safety of the product. You have to perform a particular test to assess the quality of packaging Some of the examples are given below:
ASTM F2096
ASTM F2096 is the Bubble Emission Test. It is performed on air sealed packaging boxes to detect leaks. It involves inflating the packaging with air and drawing it under the water. If there is any leakage in the box, the bubbles will start popping up. This test is important for maintaining the sterility of the medical items. Therefore the primary application of ASTM F2096 includes medical device packaging, pharmaceutical boxes and food packaging.
ASTM D6653
ASTM D6653 test evaluates and assesses the effects of high altitude on the boxes when you ship the products by air. Exposure to low pressure or extreme environmental conditions can rapture the packaging. Performing this test ensures the product remains safe during shipping.
ASTM D7386
Due to the rise of online shopping and the ecommerce industry, people often opt for single parcel delivery systems. During this, the packaging encounters mishandling and other transportation issues. The ASTM D7386 is the standard test to ensure the durability of the packaging. This involves Drop tests, Compression tests and Vibration tests. The purpose of performing the test is to reduce the risk of product damage. This helps you give a memorable experience to your customers.
ASTM standards pdf free download packaging materials
You can visit the official website of ASTM to download the ASTM standards pdf for free. Search for the standard by designation or keyword. Your desired standards will appear, copy the link, open a new tab and paste it there. After that, open the first link and click on the download icon. The pdf file will be saved on your device. You can click the following link to directly visit the ASTM PDF download page.
ASTM Paper Standards and Packaging Standards Downlead
On the above page you get ASTM PDF for the following topics
- Aerosol Products
- Chemical/Safety Properties
- Fiberboard Shipping Containers
- Containerboard and Related Structures and Materials
- Hazardous Materials
- Interior Packaging
- Mechanical Dispensers
- Package Design and Development
- Package Integrity
- Palletizing and Unitizing of Loads
- Permeation
- Physical Properties
- Rigid Container Closure Systems
- Shipping Containers and Systems – Application of Performance Test Methods
- Shipping Containers, Crates, Pallets, Skids and Related Structures
- Sustainability & Recycling
- Tape and Labels
- Terminology
What is the difference between ISO and ASTM?
Many industries rely on both the ASTM and ISO material testing standards. They follow their guidelines and defined rules to improve their product quality and meet customers’ expectations. There are several differences between ASTM and ISO. Some of them are discussed below:
Scope: The main difference between these standards is the scope. ASTM standards cater to specific industries’ materials, products and applications. There are over 12000 standards. On the other hand, ISO standards are broad and accommodate a diverse range of industries. It has over 25000 standards to offer.
Materials: The range of materials ISO covers includes paper, films, foils, cords and sealing devices. ASTM standards cover metals, plastics, ceramics, composites and textiles.
Testing methods: Testing methods of ISO and ASTM are also different in terms of specimen sizes, test speeds and calculations.
Purpose: The purpose of ASTM is to ensure the strength, durability and perfection of the packaging for storage and shipping. While the ISO lowers the risk of safety hazards and product contamination for medicinal packaging companies.