ASTM_D_642_-_15.pdf

Designation:D64215Standard Test Method forDetermining Compressive Resistance of ShippingContainers,Components,and Unit Loads1This standard is issued under the fixed designation D642;the number immediately following the designation indicates the year oforiginal adoption or,in the case of revision,the year of last revision.A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval.Asuperscript epsilon()indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.This standard has been approved for use by agencies of the U.S.Department of Defense.1.Scope1.1 This test method covers compression tests on shippingcontainers(for example,boxes and drums)or components,orboth.Shipping containers may be tested with or withoutcontents.The procedure may be used for measuring the abilityof the container to resist external compressive loads applied toits faces,to diagonally opposite edges,or to corners(Fig.1 andFig.2).This test method covers testing of multiple containersor unit loads,in addition to individual shipping containers,components,materials,or combination thereof.1.2 The test method of applying load may be used tocompare the characteristics of a given design of container witha standard,or to compare the characteristics of containersdiffering in construction.1.3 This test method is related to TAPPI T804,which issimilar for fixed platen machines but does not recognize swivelplaten machines.This test method fulfills the requirements ofInternational Organization for Standardization(ISO)TestMethod 12048.The ISO standards may not meet the require-ments for this test method.1.4 The values stated in inch-pound units are to be regardedas standard.The values given in parentheses are mathematicalconversions to SI units that are provided for information onlyand are not considered standard.1.5 This standard does not purport to address all of thesafety concerns,if any,associated with its use.It is theresponsibility of the user of this standard to establish appro-priate safety and health practices and determine the applica-bility of regulatory limitations prior to use.2.Referenced Documents2.1 ASTM Standards:2D685 Practice for Conditioning Paper and Paper Productsfor TestingD996 Terminology of Packaging and Distribution Environ-mentsD4169 Practice for Performance Testing of Shipping Con-tainers and SystemsD4332 Practice for Conditioning Containers,Packages,orPackaging Components for TestingD4442 Test Methods for Direct Moisture Content Measure-ment of Wood and Wood-Base MaterialsD4577 Test Method for Compression Resistance of a Con-tainer Under Constant LoadE4 Practices for Force Verification of Testing MachinesE122 Practice for Calculating Sample Size to Estimate,WithSpecified Precision,the Average for a Characteristic of aLot or Process2.2 TAPPI Standard:3T 412 Moisture in pulp,paper and paperboardT 804 Compression testing of fiberboard shipping containers2.3 ISO Standard:4ISO 12048PackagingComplete,filledtransportpackagesCompression and stacking test using compres-sion tester3.Terminology3.1 DefinitionsGeneral terms for Packaging and Distribu-tion Environments are found in Terminology D996.3.2 Definitions of Terms Specific to This Standard:1This test method is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee D10 onPackaging and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee D10.21 on ShippingContainers and Systems-Application of Performance Test Methods.Current edition approved April 1,2015.Published May 2015.Originallyapproved in 1941.Last previous edition approved in 2010 as D642 00(2010).DOI:10.1520/D0642-15.2For referenced ASTM standards,visit the ASTM website,www.astm.org,orcontact ASTM Customer Service at serviceastm.org.For Annual Book of ASTMStandards volume information,refer to the standards Document Summary page onthe ASTM website.3Available from the Technical Association of the Pulp and Paper Industry,15Technology Parkway South,Atlanta,GA 30092.4Available from American National Standards Institute,25 W.43rd St.,4thFloor,New York,NY 10036.Copyright ASTM International,100 Barr Harbor Drive,PO Box C700,West Conshohocken,PA 19428-2959.United States1 3.2.1 fixed platen testing machinea testing machineequipped with two platens which are both restrained fromtilting.3.2.2 swiveled platen testing machinea testing machineequipped with two platens,one rigidly restrained from tiltingwhile the other platen is universally mounted and allowed totilt freely.4.Significance and Use4.1 Compressive resistance is one of the properties used toevaluate the ability of shipping containers,components,andunit loads to successfully survive the compressive forces theyare subjected to during storage and distribution(see Note 1).NOTE1For constant load test refer to Test Method D4577.4.2 Compressive resistance may be determined with eitherfixed-or swiveled-platen-type testing machines.However,afixed-head compression machine is required to perform edge-to-edge and corner-to-corner orientations on test specimens(see Note 2).Also,unit loads are gen