Smithers invests in additional environmental conditioning chamber to support growing medical and food packaging applications
Smithers expanded its packaging testing capabilities with the addition of a new environmental conditioning chamber at its Lansing, MI, laboratory. This new chamber can simulate a full range of global shipping environments for general packaging applications.
“We’re seeing a lot of growth in thermal and climatic testing needs right now, especially in medical packaging,” said Michael Kuebler, Technical Director, Distribution Testing, Smithers. “By investing in this new chamber, we’re able to grow alongside the medical, pharmaceutical, food, and consumer product industries and expand our ability to accommodate their ever-changing needs.”
With this increased capacity, the laboratory is able to reduce project lead times and turn around valuable data and results faster for clients. The chamber also has the capacity to recreate extreme conditions, up to 85% relative humidity and 38 degrees Celsius (100.4 degrees Fahrenheit), that can quickly deteriorate poorly crafted packaging.
“Global supply chains are becoming more complex every single day,” says Kuebler, “and packaged products are traveling through a wider range of weather and climate conditions. Heat and humidity can challenge your packaging very quickly and lead to product damage. Running thermal and climatic testing at the beginning of the process can help you choose the most appropriate materials and specifications and save you a lot of heartache down the road.”