Overview
ISO 4178:1980 - Complete, filled transport packages: Distribution trials - Information to be recorded specifies the information that must be recorded when conducting distribution trials on fully packed transport packages. Applicable where distribution systems expose packages to hazards such as stacking, vertical impact (drops), horizontal impact (shocks) and vibration, the standard defines a uniform data set to enable valid comparisons of test results and to correlate distribution hazards with resulting damage.
Key topics and requirements
The standard requires that information be recorded in the following order and with clear detail:
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Description of the trial
- Purpose of the trial
- Brief description of the package(s) under test
- Origin and destination (if a transit trial)
- Operations performed and their sequence
- Time elapsed between operations and duration of each operation
- Mode(s) of transport at each stage
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Results of the trial
- Qualitative and/or quantitative assessment of package and/or content damage
- Loss of content or measurable changes
- Preferably presented so changes can be attributed to specific operations or hazards
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Package information
- Mass (kg) and physical dimensions (mm)
- Nature of package including fastenings, fittings and closure method
- Contents and package marking
- Handling devices or grips
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Hazard-specific data
- For stacking: number and position of packages, stack height/density, surface characteristics, type of stacking, measurement methods
- For vertical impact (drops): number of drops, drop heights (preferably cumulative frequency distribution or key percentiles), shock surface characteristics, time between drops
- For horizontal shock: number of shocks, shock surface and loading surface characteristics, positions and counts
- For vibration: number of packages, position, frequency and amplitude (or frequency spectrum), duration, superposed load mass, measurement and analysis methods
- For all hazards: vehicle/ship/aircraft type, degree of vehicle loading, measurement locations, route and terrain/sea/air conditions
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General information
- Organizations and personnel involved, and any other relevant information
Applications and who uses it
ISO 4178 is used by:
- Packaging engineers and designers validating transport packaging performance
- Test laboratories conducting distribution simulation tests
- Logistics and quality assurance teams documenting field transit trials
- Regulators and standards developers analyzing damage correlations to improve test methods
Practical applications include standardized record-keeping for distribution trials, enabling comparison of results across dates and locations, and supporting development or refinement of packaging test programs.
Related standards
While ISO 4178 focuses on the information to be recorded, it complements other packaging and transport test standards that define test procedures and acceptance criteria (refer to relevant ISO/TC 122 packaging standards for procedural specifics).
Open preview (PDF)Complete, filled transport packages — Distribution trials — Information to be recorded
