Overview
ISO 7965-1:2024 - Packaging - Drop test - Part 1: Paper sacks - specifies a standardized method for vertical impact testing of filled paper sacks by dropping them onto a rigid plane. The standard is intended for single investigations of vertical-impact effects or as part of a sequence of tests that simulate distribution systems containing vertical impact hazards. ISO 7965-1:2024 updates and replaces the 1984 edition and is based on ISO 2248 but is tailored specifically to paper sacks.
Key topics and technical requirements
- Test principle: A filled sack is released to fall freely onto a rigid impact surface; the drop height and package orientation are set in advance.
- Test methods: Two accepted procedures:
- Progressive drop height - incremental increases in drop height to find failure thresholds (preferred for high-demand applications).
- Constant drop height - repeated drops from a fixed height.
- Apparatus requirements: Drop-height control, lifting arrangement that avoids damage, release mechanism, platform and a rigid impact surface. Impact surface mass should be at least 50× the heaviest test sack; flatness and rigidity criteria are defined (e.g., surface level variation ≤ 2 mm and deformation under specified load ≤ 0.1 mm).
- Positioning and tolerances: Sack placed centrally; drop height within ±2 % of target; orientation variation ≤ 2° at release.
- Sampling and conditioning: Sampling follows ISO 7023; paper-sack conditioning for comparability follows ISO 6599-1. Ambient temperature, relative humidity and filling temperature must be recorded.
- Filling requirements: Fill mass within ±0.5 % of nominal; use the intended commodity or a suitable substitute matching particle size/angle of repose.
- Breakage criteria: A sack is judged broken when contents spill, paper plies are ruptured exposing content, or when only a non-paper film retains contents.
- Reporting: The standard defines required test-report information (apparatus, conditions, method, results, placement method for butt drops).
Applications and who uses it
ISO 7965-1 is used by:
- Packaging engineers and designers validating sack integrity against vertical impacts
- Quality control and materials testing laboratories
- Paper sack manufacturers for product qualification and performance specification
- Logistics, warehousing and distribution professionals assessing package robustness within supply chains
- Procurement and compliance teams specifying performance requirements in tender documents
Practical benefits include consistent, reproducible assessment of sack performance, better-informed material and design choices, and reduced damage during handling and distribution.
Related standards
- ISO 2248 (basis for drop testing methods)
- ISO 6590-1 (sack vocabulary and types - paper sacks)
- ISO 6599-1 (conditioning for testing - paper sacks)
- ISO 7023 (sampling empty sacks for testing)
Keywords: ISO 7965-1, packaging drop test, paper sacks, vertical impact testing, drop height, progressive drop, constant drop, packaging testing standards.
