ISTA 1E
Unitized Loads of Same Product
ISTA 1E is a unitized load of the same product test. It is one of the most basic test sequences of all of the ISTA test procedures and should be considered as a screening test. Micom offers ISTA 1E testing as part of its Packaging testing services. For a more thorough test protocol, please use ISTA 3E test or ASTM D4169 test.
Use and Factors to Be Considered for ISTA 1E
ISTA 1E is an integrity test for unitized loads of the same retail or institutional packaged products. It can be used to evaluate the performance of a packaged-product and compare the relative performance of package and product design alternatives. The package and product are considered together and not separately. They need to be tested together. The ISTA 1E test does not cover specific conditions of transit such as moisture, pressure or unusual handling. Should you wish to address these distribution hazards, series 2 and 3 tests should be considered.
ISTA 1E requires a minimum of 1 sample to be tested. For final packaging design purposes, a higher number of samples is recommended: ideally 5 or more. However, only testing one is mandatory.
Packages that have already been subjected to the rigors of transportation prior to the test cannot be assumed to represent standard conditions. In order to ensure testing in optimal condition, products and packages shipped to accredited laboratories for testing must be over-packaged for shipment to the laboratory or repackaged in new packaging at the laboratory.
ISTA 1E Test Sequence
The tests should be performed on each test sample in the sequence indicated in the following table:
| Sequence No. | Test Category | Test Type | Test Level | For ISTA Certification |
| 1 | Vibration
(Alternative methods allowed – select one test type) |
Vertical Linear Fixed Displacement | 1 in (25 mm) peak to peak at a frequency to be determined | Required |
| Random | Overall Grms level of 1.15 | |||
| 2 | Shock
(Alternative methods allowed – select one test type) |
Incline Impact (Conbur) | 69 in (1.7 m) per second impact velocity | Required |
| Horizontal Impact | 69 in (1.7 m) per second velocity change | |||
| 3 | Shock | Rotational Edge Drop | 8 in (200 mm) | Required when not testing face 1 |
Typical Experimental Parameters for ISTA 1E
- Number of specimens/product: 1 (min.)
- Sample weight: No requirement
- Skid/Pallet structure: Products secured together or restrained for distribution as a single load
Other Related Test Methods to ISTA 1E
For additional related test methods, we invite to consult ISTA Testing, Package Testing or ASTM Packaging.
In addition, we recommend the following resources for testing packaging components: Tappi Testing, Material Testing.
If you have any questions about ISTA 1E, we invite you to contact us today. It will be our pleasure to review your custom testing needs to answer your questions.