Global GM 1738G Intercontinental Supply Chain Package Requirements for Production Parts

Suppliers to General Motors understand the burden of the supply chain. General Motors relies on its suppliers to ensure safe delivery of products and supplies. There is very little margin for error and failure can be extremely expensive.

The GM package testing standards place the responsibility for the packaging design, performance quality of the part on the supplier. This responsibility extends throughout the entire supply chain and for a minimum of 120 days from the time of shipment.

One of the primary requirements of GM 1738 is that the part quality is protected. This package testing standard requires packaging and parts be received in the same quality condition in which they were manufactured. This requirement is regardless of incoterms.

Corrosion protection must be provided for all parts and components. This only holds true for parts and components that have the potential to corrode. The period in question is 120 calendar days from the time of shipment.

GM 1738 packaging validation requires packs to meet certain requirements. For instance, a pack must be able to support a stack height of 2.2 meters (86 inches). This stack height is tested while under a dynamic load with consideration for environmental conditions up to 60⁰ Celsius (140⁰ Fahrenheit) and 90% Relative Humidity.

General Motors also requires packaging to support maximum sea container utilization. The 1738G packaging standard requires unit pack dimensions to maintain a 1140 x 980 mm footprint. The height of the pallet pack should be 1100 mm for standard and 1250 mm for high cube sea containers.

The warehouse and dynamic stacking guidelines must be stenciled on each pallet carton. If the load is a small-lot unit load, a label can be used to communicate the stacking guidelines. There must be labels on at least two side of the load.

To maintain sustainability, all packaging must be 100% recyclable.

What are the Supplier’s Responsibilities?

General Motors require suppliers to meet a number of packaging requirements. All shipping of production parts and components must be completed using expendable packaging. The part quality must always be optimized. The goal is zero damage incurred from the supply chain. The part must be able to withstand at least a 120-day window from the time of shipment.

The supplier must understand their part and the potential damage temperature extremes and humidity could impact it. Corrosion protection is a top priority. Temperature and humidity testing can assist in validating protection. Salt fog testing, also known as salt-spray testing can also provide insight on the ability of a part or component to prevent corrosion.

Prior to being assembled, packaging material need to be sorted indoors and protected from the elements. Weather events can be extremely detrimental to packages and packaging materials. These effects include solar radiation from the sun’s exposure. Extreme temperature and humidity as well as drastic changes in these conditions can cause problems. Precipitation is a concern. Whether it be rain, snow or ice, liquids cause deterioration.

General Motors suppliers must work with GM to continually optimize packaging. Characteristics like carton size, density and dunnage must always be considered. Even small improvements can improve logistics costs and reduce repacking activities.

What are the Pallet Requirements of the GM 1738 Packaging Test Standard?

General Motors pallets must meet strict dimension guidelines. The wood must be ISPM-15 certified and stamped. The layout must be a 9-blok full perimeter design. The dimensions must be 1140 mm x 980 mm x 127 mm. A certified stamp must be included on a minimum of two sides. Any deviations require a written approval from General Motors.

What are the Requirements of the Primary Carton?

Half-slotted containers must be used for all box styles. The lids must be removable. If the carton is to be manually handled, the preferred lid is a single layer or gang lid. Under no circumstances should the lids be taped to the carton.

Regular slotted containers are strictly prohibited. Folded top containers are not permitted either. The exceptions are fasteners and standard parts that utilize the standard fastener carton. These containers have perforated top flaps for rip away lid removal.

What are the General Motors 1738G Package Testing Requirements?

The 1738 packaging tests referenced are ASTM D4169 and ISTA 3E package testing. These two package testing standards cover a variety of testing such as conditioning, compression, drop/shock and vibration. Pallet testing often also requires an inclined impact test.

As an ISTA-certified package testing lab, Keystone Compliance is accredited to all of the ISTA 3E and ASTM D-4169 package testing requirements. Our lab features several shakers, drop testers, thermal chambers and compression machines. Having a large fleet of inventory allows us to offer short lead times on scheduling.

Our team of engineers and technicians are ISTA-certified and have developed significant experience in package testing. If failures do arise, they provide valuable feedback and potential solutions on how to mitigate or correct any issues. Our team of report writers complete thorough and concise reports in an expedited manner.

In addition to traditional package testing, Keystone Compliance also offers a large scope of mechanical testing. We have a multitude of temperature and humidity chambers of various sizes and capabilities. We have several thermal shock chambers that allow us to complete thermal shock testing. Need to test an entire vehicle? Not a problem, we have the chamber capacity and room to complete the work.

We also offer several forms of corrosion testing. We have four salt fog chambers ranging from small to large. We also offer sulfur dioxide exposure testing and fluid contamination testing. Our fluid inventory is extensive. Fungus testing is also in our scope of capabilities. We offer several forms of solar radiation testing as well.

Other mechanical testing capabilities include vibration, shock, drop, altitude and several others. Ingress protection is a large portion of our scope. We can test to any ingress protection test standard and have several drip trays and immersion tanks of various sizes.

Lastly, if your product or component has electronics, we offer electromagnetic compatibility testing. Our EMC test lab features nine separate test chambers. Our scope includes traditional EMC/EMI testing, shielding effectiveness testing, ESD testing, indirect lightning testing and EMP testing.

Regardless of your testing need, Keystone Compliance has the solution. Please contact us to request a quote and experience firsthand why so many manufacturers partner with us to meet their regulatory compliance testing needs.