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49 CFR 173.465 Type A Packaging Tests

49 CFR 173.465 testing states that packaging, with contents, must be capable of withstanding the water spray, free drop, stacking and penetration tests prescribed in this section. One prototype may be used for all tests if certain requirements are met. The 49 CFR 173.465 test lab will provide a test report stating that the tests are successful if the requirements of §173.412(j) are met.

The 49 CFR 173.465 test plan includes three types of package testing:

  • Water spray test. The water spray test must precede each test or test sequence prescribed in this section. The water spray test must simulate exposure to rainfall of approximately 5 cm (2 inches) per hour for at least one hour. The time interval between the end of the water spray test and the beginning of the next test must be such that the water has soaked in to the maximum extent without appreciable drying of the exterior of the specimen. In the absence of evidence to the contrary, this interval may be assumed to be two hours if the water spray is applied from four different directions simultaneously. However, no time interval may elapse if the water spray is applied from each of the four directions consecutively.
  • Free drop test. According to the requirement in 49 CFR Part 465 package testing, the specimen must drop onto the target so as to suffer maximum damage to the safety features being tested. The free drop test requirements in 49 CFR 465 include the following specifics:
    • For packages containing fissile material, the free drop test specified in paragraph (c)(1) of this section must be preceded by a free drop from a height of 0.3 m (1 foot) on each corner, or in the case of cylindrical packages, onto each of the quarters of each rim.
    • For fiberboard or wood rectangular packages with a mass of 50 kg (110 pounds) or less, a separate specimen must be subjected to a free drop onto each corner from a height of 0.3 m (1 foot).
    • For cylindrical fiberboard packages with a mass of 100 kg (220 pounds) or less, a separate specimen must be subjected to a free drop onto each of the quarters of each rim from a height of 0.3 m (1 foot).
    • The target for the free drop test must be a flat, horizontal surface of such mass and rigidity that any increase in its resistance to displacement or deformation upon impact by the specimen would not significantly increase the damage to the specimen.
  • Stacking test. 49CFR Part 465 testing states that the specimen must be subjected for a period of at least 24 hours to a compressive load equivalent to the greater of the following:
    • A total weight equal to five times the maximum weight of the package; or
    • The equivalent of 13 kilopascals (1.9 psi) multiplied by the vertically projected area of the package.
    • The compressive load must be applied uniformly to two opposite sides of the specimen, one of which must be the base on which the package would normally rest.
  • Penetration test. For the 49 CFR465 penetration test, the specimen must be placed on a rigid, flat, horizontal surface that will not move significantly while the test is being performed.

Keystone Compliance can meet your 49 CFR 173.465 package testing needs. By providing quick turnarounds, competitive pricing and engineering assistance, Keystone Compliance has become a leader in the package test lab industry. Receiving a quote to complete 49 CFR Part 465 testing is as easy as completing our online quote form or calling us at (724) 657-9940.