FedEx - Shipping largest company in the world - can deliver almost anything in 22 countries. Anything, including satellites ... ?!
(Warning, lots of photos!)
Yesterday we met
with the way the world works parcel sorting center FedEx. Now consider the other side of the issue - the reliability of packaging.
Of course, the company does not deliver huge communication satellites, but in recent months, she had a lot of clients (specific organization not named) that needs to send micro-satellites
CubeSats, small devices that periodically sends NASA space within their countless experiments:
FedEx problem was how to pack them for delivery within the planet. It took the case to connect the lab packaging FedEx. Over the years, FedEx has tested countless packaging options to ensure its resistance to all the tests that can confront the parcel while traveling from point A to point B by truck or plane, and possibly one and the other immediately. This spring, the company opened a large laboratory test package in Memphis, providing space for all the necessary experiments.
Today we visit the laboratory where the test engineer David Nelson explain how the logistics giant exposes various parcels abuse (of course, in a controlled environment). Here parcel is dropped again and again, squeeze, is subjected to vibration, and low and high temperatures.
Micro-satellites, however, inherently too different from anything with which FedEx dealt before. "It was something completely new," - explains Nelson - "We started scratching your head. The satellites were too fragile and too expensive. "When Nelson and his team realized that in this case, the satellites are something relatively small, they have the confidence that they can find a solution. And maybe that's why the researchers who needed to deliver these satellites, it turned into FedEx. They said, "We know how to build a rocket, but do not understand one of the pack." To which Nelson replied, "We are not a damn thing in the sense of the missiles, but the packaging - our strong point!»
For Free h4> A lab packaging FedEx two main goals. First - this testing materials to ensure that any type of packaging used by FedEx, perfectly reveals itself during transport and protects any content inside it. The second objective - testing of the goods themselves, to see how they behave under the influence of severe vibrations, extreme temperatures and high altitude. "Our goal - to simulate any part of the actual process of delivery" - says Mickey Rainey, lab manager.
The secret lab packaging that it provides its services to any client FedEx without charging any fees for this. Do you have the parcel you want to check? The company will do it for free, although at some point the company still may start charging for it.
In addition, laboratory engineers can help any customer to develop special design packaging of their goods - also for free. For example, says Nelson, a well known company that manufactures electric guitars, recently appealed to the lab to develop a package that can be used for the transport of all models of electric guitars produced by the company, each of which has a slightly different shape. With the same packaging company will be easier to scale without having to deal with a variety of different boxes. Using less packaging allows companies to significantly reduce costs:
For companies producing guitars, as other companies, FedEx engineers developed a prototype, and then implement it in the form of drawings, so that you can hire someone who could make them the packaging itself. Few customers FedEx understands that in this situation, FedEx does all this at a loss in order to maintain and consolidate strong partnerships with its customers. "They can not believe that we do not issue invoices for payment at the end of the process," - says Rainey.
drop them again and again h4> Many customers FedEx send their parcels to the laboratory testing of packaging, without any warning. Every day new parcels received in the laboratory, where one of four engineers will soon be able to do them. According to Rainey, 4500 parcels pass through the lab in a year, which means that engineers need to test at least 25 a day to have time to do their job.
Once the parcel arrives, it's time to test her strength and it all begins with the fact that the parcel is dropped again and again to see how to behave in the packaging. One issue here is whether the parcel is to be sent within the country or abroad. This is important because the international parcel is subject to many more shocks during shipping. Domestic departure we were dropped back 10 times, and international - 20:
Drop test is designed to assess the strength of each side of the packing parcels, despite the fact that in the course of delivering the parcel vrya whether actually toppled over 10 times, and especially 20. Fall made a special device that lifts the parcel to a certain height and then dramatically or drop it down that allows you to check every corner parcels, each face and each plane. When I watched the two technicians conduct drop test, once it was possible to understand that the parcel will not pass it because after a couple of strokes packaging began to open on the sides.
The purpose of the test - check passes its packaging or not. If the parcel passes the test, the company reported it to the client. If not - the engineer makes recommendations about how the package can be improved in order to take the test in the future.
Compression and Vibration h4> The next big test - check the parcel withstand pressure. For this, the company uses a press that simulates the load that the parcel will experience when it is placed on top of the other goods. If it does not pass the parcel, the engineers again give their advice:
Then send subjected to vibrations. To do this, they are placed on a vibrating table and the engineer selects the profile of the test - in imitation of moving truck or plane:
Load to which the parcel at different means of transportation, are very different. For domestic shipments test takes 45 minutes: 15 minutes simulate the delivery truck, and then 15 minutes of aircraft, then 15 minutes by truck. For international parcels during the test doubles.
For larger parcels also used another test: the parcel is placed on an inclined plane and rolled over it. Such loads when transporting large loads are exposed, such as racks with paint cans. If you drop a rack, the banks may be beaten or could happen to them is something even worse. "No one will buy the paint in broken banks" - explains Nelson:
The temperature and height h4> Latest kinds of tests that are exposed to the package in the lab - it tests for aggressive media - too hot, too cold, too wet, as well as tests on height.
Temperature tests are extremely important. In winter, the plastic may become brittle, and the liquid can freeze. High humidity is also a big problem, because box may become wet. The test checks all of these situations.
Wardrobe for the temperature tests:
Similarly, at the height of the test checks how the box will behave during transport by truck to a height of 3 km - in the Rockies is not uncommon. For example, there were cases where the packaging of chips explode at such heights. Lids on paint cans can open. In the best case, the loss is only the cargo. At worst - FedEx equipment may be damaged, making it difficult for all the shipping process.
Simulate the effects of camera height:
Verification Speed h4> Considering how many parcels received for review, engineers FedEx can not afford to spend too much time on each, as FedEx is committed to return parcels to customers as quickly as possible. Purpose FedEx - check the parcel in time for 4 days.
Real time verification is much smaller. Typical small parcel takes about an hour to conduct tests, including its inspection, photographing and incorporating the results into a database FedEx. However, large parcels may require 4 to 8 hours of testing. Work on the development of the original design of packaging require more time from 2 to 3 weeks of work engineer.
Nelson loves his job. While drivers performing package delivery FedEx, often accused of corrupt and ill-treatment of the parcel, it is contrary to Nelson's part of the job. In the company of only 10 people who are allowed to drop the parcel, and we even pay for it!
PS The first part of the article: FedEx: Part 1. An excursion to the world center of parcel sorting FedEx .
Source: habrahabr.ru/post/229981/
