Designation:D4169–09StandardPracticeforPerformanceTestingofShippingContainersandSystems1ThisstandardisissuedunderthefixeddesignationD4169;thenumberimmediatelyfollowingthedesignationindicatestheyearoforiginaladoptionor,inthecaseofrevision,theyearoflastrevision.Anumberinparenthesesindicatestheyearoflastreapproval.Asuperscriptepsilon(´)indicatesaneditorialchangesincethelastrevisionorreapproval.ThisstandardhasbeenapprovedforusebyagenciesoftheDepartmentofDefense.1.Scope1.1Thispracticeprovidesauniformbasisofevaluating,inalaboratory,theabilityofshippingunitstowithstandthedistributionenvironment.Thisisaccomplishedbysubjectingthemtoatestplanconsistingofasequenceofanticipatedhazardelementsencounteredinvariousdistributioncycles.Thispracticeisnotintendedtosupplantmaterialspecificationsorexistingpreshipmenttestprocedures.1.2ConsidertheuseofPracticeD7386fortestingofpackagesforsingleparcelshipments.1.3Thesuitabilityofthispracticeforusewithhazardousmaterialshasnotbeendetermined.1.4Thevaluesstatedininch-poundunitsaretoberegardedasstandard.ThevaluesgiveninparenthesesaremathematicalconversionstoSIunitsthatareprovidedforinformationonlyandarenotconsideredstandard.1.5Thisstandarddoesnotpurporttoaddressallofthesafetyconcerns,ifany,associatedwithitsuse.Itistheresponsibilityoftheuserofthisstandardtoestablishappro-priatesafetyandhealthpracticesanddeterminetheapplica-bilityofregulatorylimitationspriortouse.2.ReferencedDocuments2.1ASTMStandards:2D642TestMethodforDeterminingCompressiveResis-tanceofShippingContainers,Components,andUnitLoadsD880TestMethodforImpactTestingforShippingCon-tainersandSystemsD951TestMethodforWaterResistanceofShippingCon-tainersbySprayMethodD996TerminologyofPackagingandDistributionEnviron-mentsD999TestMethodsforVibrationTestingofShippingCon-tainersD4003TestMethodsforProgrammableHorizontalImpactTestforShippingContainersandSystemsD4332PracticeforConditioningContainers,Packages,orPackagingComponentsforTestingD4728TestMethodforRandomVibrationTestingofShip-pingContainersD5265TestMethodforBridgeImpactTestingD5276TestMethodforDropTestofLoadedContainersbyFreeFallD5277TestMethodforPerformingProgrammedHorizon-talImpactsUsinganInclinedImpactTesterD5487TestMethodforSimulatedDropofLoadedContain-ersbyShockMachinesD6055TestMethodsforMechanicalHandlingofUnitizedLoadsandLargeShippingCasesandCratesD6179TestMethodsforRoughHandlingofUnitizedLoadsandLargeShippingCasesandCratesD6344TestMethodforConcentratedImpactstoTransportPackagesD6653TestMethodsforDeterminingtheEffectsofHighAltitudeonPackagingSystemsbyVacuumMethodD7386PracticeforPerformanceTestingofPackagesforSingleParcelDeliverySystemsF1327TerminologyRelatingtoBarrierMaterialsforMedi-calPackaging32.2MilitaryStandards:4MIL-STD-810FEnvironmentalTestMethodsMIL-STD-2073–1DODStandardPracticeforMilitaryPackaging3.Terminology3.1Definitions—GeneraldefinitionsforthepackaginganddistributionenvironmentsarefoundinTerminologyD996.3.2DefinitionsofTermsSpecifictoThisStandard:3.2.1acceptancecriteria—theacceptablequalitylevelthatmustbemetaftertheshippingunithasbeensubjectedtothetestplan.SeeSection7.1ThispracticeisunderthejurisdictionofASTMCommitteeD10onPackagingandisthedirectresponsibilityofSubcommitteeD10.21onShippingContainersandSystems-ApplicationofPerformanceTestMethods.CurrenteditionapprovedNov.1,2009.PublishedNovember2009.Originallyapprovedin2004.Lastpreviouseditionapprovedin2008asD4169–08.DOI:10.1520/D4169-09.2ForreferencedASTMstandards,visittheASTMwebsite,@astm.org.ForAnnualBookofASTMStandardsvolumeinformation,refertothestandard’sDocumentSummarypageontheASTMwebsite.3Withdrawn.Thelastapprovedversionofthishistoricalstandardisreferencedon:NPODS.1Copyright.©ASTMInternational.100BarrHarborDrive,POboxC-700WestConshohocken,Pennsylvania19428-2959,UnitedStates3.2.2assurancelevel—theleveloftestintensitybasedonitsprobabilityofoccurringinatypicaldistributioncycle.3.2.2.1Discussion—LevelIisahighleveloftestintensityandhasalowprobabilityofoccurrence.LevelIIIisalowleveloftestintensity,buthasacorrespondinglyhighprobabilityofoccurrence.LevelIIisbetweentheseextremes.ForDistribu-tionCycle18(DC–18),seeMIL-STD-2073–1fordefinitionsofmilitarylevelsofprotection.3.2.3coeffıcientofrestitution—theratioofthereboundvelocitytotheimpactvelocity.3.2.4distributioncycle(DC)—thesequentiallistingofthetestschedulesemployedtosimulatethehazardelementsexpectedtooccurforaspecificroutingofashippingunitfromproductiontoconsumption.SeeTable1.3.2.5feederaircraft—small,potentiallynon-pressurizedaircraftusedtotransportexpresspackages.3.2.6hazardelement—aspecificeventthatoccursinadistributioncyclethatmayposeahazardtoashippingunit.Theelementwillusuallybesimulatedbyasingletestschedule.SeeSection9.3.2.7shippingunit—thesmallestcompleteunitthatwillbesubjectedtothedistributionenvironment,forexample,ashippingcontaineranditscontents.3.2.7.1smallshippingunit—forDC-18,asmallshippingunitis