If load units are not optimally secured, the forces acting during the distribution process due to acceleration, braking, cornering or unevenness of the route can have negative consequences for the products, their packaging and/or their securing. The DUO LAB technology centre, founded in 2013, addresses this issue.
An optimally coordinated packaging process forms the basis for transporting products to their destination economically, safely and without damage. The DUO LAB technology centre has state-of-the-art technologies for testing, developing and auditing cargo and transport goods securing systems. It offers not only freight forwarders and retailers, but also experts, logistics centres, testing institutes and others a forum for exchanging experiences and gaining knowledge.
Special testing technologies
In order to meet the customer-specific and legal requirements for securing load units, the DUO LAB technology centre has Five key testing technologies which enable objective and reproducible assessments for fundamental packaging development. The focus of the investigations is on the further development of flexible packaging materials with the aim of optimising their use in packaging concepts for securing load units. In this specially designed technology centre, the complete distribution cycle for road transport as well as for shipping and aviation can be examined in an appropriate test environment and the transport packaging can be optimised in a targeted manner.
Tachograph system
It is one of the technologies developed and, with its detailed transport route analysis, forms the basis for the development of customised load securing concepts. The data collection provides a precise insight into the prevailing transport loads, which are realistically simulated in subsequent tests. As part of this realistic simulation, a computer-controlled travelling carriage, which „Horizontal Impact“, The specific acceleration values of the shock and acceleration loads on the respective load units. In this way, horizontal transport influences, which significantly affect the safety and stability of the load units, are investigated and packaging can be optimised.
The imaging of vertical impacts and vibrations, which place particular stress on the secondary packaging, is carried out using the testing technology of the „Vertical Vibration Table“, to determine the exact load capacity of the packaging. As a special feature, the „Pitch & roll module“ tilting and tilting movements as well as rotations can also be modelled and in this way every cornering movement can be realistically taken into account.
Climate Chamber
In addition to the mechanical loads Climatic conditions the strength, holding force and stability of the load unit and allow the load capacity of packaging to vary greatly. Adiabatic climatic chamber technology makes it possible to expose the load to be tested to a climate-controlled environment at the same time as the vertical tests.
Accreditation as a testing laboratory for packaging tests
DUO LAB has been officially accredited for packaging testing by the German accreditation body DAkkS since July 2014. This accreditation in the form of an official seal of quality guarantees that the testing laboratory works in accordance with national and international standards and achieves objective results. This quality feature guarantees the customer Validated test results, which can also be issued as certificates on test reports. On this basis, the testing laboratory can use the new EU directive that will come into force in 2018 to „Directive of Road Worthiness“, which, among other things, regulates the securing and inspection of loading units during transport.
Contact:
DUO PLAST AG
German Technology Centre for Load & Cargo Securing DUO LAB
Industrial estate on the B 84
36404 Sünna
Phone: +049 06641 6550-0
e-mail: info@duoplast.ag
http://www.duoplast.ag
