ASTM D4169-14 and ASTM D4169-16 Truck Protocol Vibration Comparison

Anne-Sophie BONNINa,b,c, Victor HUARTa, Nicolas KRAJKAa, Jean-Baptiste NOLOTc, Serge ODOFb,c and Damien ERREb,c
aMETROPACK 30-32 rue du Capitaine Georges Madon ZAC Croix Blandin, 51100 REIMS, FRANCE
bGRESPI/Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne, REIMS, FRANCE
cESIREIMS-ESIEC École nationale Supérieure d’Ingénieurs de Reims, REIMS, FRANCE

3 esplanade Roland Garros, 51100 REIMS, FRANCE

Introduction
Everyone knows that the aim of a packaging is to protect the product it contains. However during the packaging’s life cycle many constraints can occur, especially
during handling and transport. That is why each packaging has to be tested before any launching. Standards have been developed in order to simulate transport in
laboratory and one of these standards has recently changed. Indeed the ASTM International (American Society for Testing and Materials International) D4169
standard, which simulates the vibrations during transport by truck over the packaging, among other things, has evolved so as to be closer to an actual transport by
truck. In terms of acceleration probability density, an actual transport by truck is not a Gaussian[1], in fact it approximates a modified Gaussian[2]. The present work
shows in which way the current standard represents an actual transport by analysing its PSD, its acceleration probability density and by comparing them to those of
the former standard and of an actual transport by truck. Moreover in each case the severity factors will be calculated based on the method of S. OTARI[2].

Experimental set-up PSD (Power Spectral Density)

Recorder: SAVER 3X90 Vibration table: LANSMONT 10 000 TTVII ASTM D4169-14 VS real truck
1,00E-01
The ASTM D4169-14 applies to shipping containers

Power Spectral Density (g²/Hz)

and systems. Three levels are available to test the 1,00E-02

z system: level I, level II or level III. Only one level is

Sampling frequency = 500 Hz y applied to the system during the test sequence. The
1,00E-03

Continuous recording over the z axis test duration and the sides tested depend on the 1,00E-04
Full scale = 20.0 G distribution cycle.
Filter = 250 Hz x 1,00E-05

The truck recording was made on several types of 1,00E-06

Probability Densities roads, the recorder was fixed directly on the floor of
the truck.
1,00E+00 1,00E+01
Frequency (Hz)
1,00E+02

PSD real truck - GRMS=0.062 G Level I - GRMS=0.73 G

ASTM D4169-14 Level II - GRMS=0.52 G Level II - GRMS=0.37 G
1,3

The ASTM D4169-16 applies to shipping containers ASTM D4169-16 VS real truck
1,1
and systems. This standard is composed of three 1,00E+00
For the experiment, the three levels
level types and each one follows a definite duration to

Power Spectral Density (g²/Hz)

have been applied separately to the 1,00E-01 GRMSoverall ASTM D4169-16=0.47 G
0,9
complete the test sequence. According to the
system (composed of the recorder
distribution cycle and to the packaging system the 1,00E-02
stuck to the vibration table). Each
Probability density

0,7 test sequence can be repeated on several sides.

test sequence lasts 20 minutes. Level I 1,00E-03
Level II Level Duration (1 hour) T=12t
0,5 1,00E-04
Level III
Low 40 minutes 8t
σlevel I=0.70 1,00E-05
Medium 15 minutes 3t
σlevel II=0.50 0,3
1,00E-06
σlevel III=0.35 High 5 minutes t
1,00E+00 1,00E+01 1,00E+02
0,1 The real truck PSD has been raised in order to be at the same Frequency (Hz)
level as the ASTM D4169-16 PSD. The raising coefficient has High Level - GRMS=0.70 G Medium Level - GRMS=0.54 G
𝐺𝑅𝑀𝑆𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝐴𝑆𝑇𝑀 𝐷4169 16 Low Level - GRMS=0.40 G PSD real truck - GRMS=0.062 G
-3,00E+00 -2,00E+00 -1,00E+00 0,00E+00 1,00E+00 2,00E+00 3,00E+00 been determined by calculating −
= 7.58 PSD real truck raised - GRMS=0.47 G
-0,1 𝐺𝑅𝑀𝑆 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑙 𝑡𝑟𝑢𝑐𝑘
Acceleration (G)

For the experiment, a 20-minute-duration test has been applied to the system ASTM D4169-16 a indicates the occurrence probability of very low
(composed of the recorder stuck to the vibration table). The test duration 1,3
acceleration values
proportionality between the levels has been saved. b indicates the values dispersion
1,1
c indicates the slope of the curve extremities and
Severity factor: gives the curve a leptokurtic style when c<2
FWHM (Full Width at Half Maximum): 0,9

1 Result of the Level Duration Modified Gaussian equation:

Probability density

𝐹𝑊𝐻𝑀𝑚𝑜𝑑𝑖𝑓𝑖𝑒𝑑 𝐺𝑎𝑢𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑎𝑛 = 2𝑏(2𝑙𝑛2)𝑐 = 0.95 𝐹𝑊𝐻𝑀𝑚𝑜𝑑𝑖𝑓𝑖𝑒𝑑 𝐺𝑎𝑢𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑎𝑛 three levels 0,7

13 minutes
1 𝑆= Low 𝑐
𝐹𝑊𝐻𝑀𝐺𝑎𝑢𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑎𝑛 = 2σ(2𝑙𝑛2)2 = 1.04 𝐹𝑊𝐻𝑀𝐺𝑎𝑢𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑎𝑛 20 seconds 𝑥−𝑥0
0,5 −0,5 𝑏
𝑆 = 0.91 < 1
Medium 5 minutes 𝑝(𝑥) = 𝑎𝑒
0,3
1 minute
The ASTM D4169-16’s profile is less severe than a Gaussian’s. High
40 seconds
0,1 a=1.04 c=1.82
S tends to 1 when the distribution tends to a Gaussian distribution. -3,00E+00 -2,00E+00 -1,00E+00 0,00E+00
-0,1
1,00E+00 2,00E+00 3,00E+00 b=0.40 x0=0.03 (noise)
Acceleration (G)
If S<1 the occurrence probability of very low acceleration values is higher and the
severity is weaker.
Determination coefficient : r²=0.99
1min 40s ASTM D4169-16 high 5min ASTM D4169-16 medium
13min 20s ASTM D4169-16 low ASTM D4169-16 all profiles

ASTM D4169-16 VS ASTM D4169-14 The ASTM D4169-14 level II has been
1,3 chosen for the comparison because ASTM D4169-16 VS stricter real transport at the same GRMS
its coefficient of determination is The truck recording was made on several types of roads, the recorder was fixed directly on the floor of the truck.
1,1 higher than those of levels I or III. 1,0 Adjusted real transport modified Gaussian
2 coefficients:
0,9 ത ′ 𝑖 − 𝑦ഥ′ )
σ𝑖(𝑦𝑖 − 𝑦)(𝑦
𝑟2 = 0,8
Determination coefficient :
σ𝑖 (𝑦𝑖 − 𝑦)²
ത ∗ σ𝑖 (𝑦 ′ − 𝑦ഥ′ )² a=0.71
Probability density

0,7 𝑖 r²=0.99
0,6
b=0.36
Probability density

0,5 yi
r²level I=0.90 0,4
c=1.02 𝑆 = 0.41
y'i
r²level II=0.99
x0=0.03 (noise)
0,3
0,2
r²level III=0.98 aASTM D4169-16>aadjusted real transport: less low
0,1
0,0
acceleration values in the adjusted real
-3,00E+00 -2,00E+00 -1,00E+00 0,00E+00 1,00E+00 2,00E+00 3,00E+00
-3,00E+00 -2,00E+00 -1,00E+00 0,00E+00 1,00E+00 2,00E+00 3,00E+00 transport than with the standard
-0,1
Acceleration (G) The severity factor S has been calculated -0,2 bASTM D4169-16>breal transport: the values are more
Acceleration (G)
for level II by using σlevel II and GRMSlevel II. dispersed with the standard than in a real
ASTM D4169-16 all profiles ASTM D4169-14 level I
ASTM D4169-14 level II ASTM D4169-14 level III
Slevel II=0.96 Adjusted real transport ASTM D4169-16 all profiles transport, but the difference is quite thin

As we observed at the beginning of this study, the ASTM D4169-16 PSD is more likely to approximate an actual transport by truck than the ASTM D4169-14 one. This
statement is confirmed by the study of the probability densities: an actual transport by truck is characterized by a modified Gaussian and the current standard is closer
to a modified Gaussian than the former one, which is composed of Gaussians. In conclusion the ASTM D4169-16 is more likely to represent the constraints
encountered during transport. However the severity factor of the ASTM D4169-16 is equal to 0.91 while the actual transport’s one is equal to 0.41. Therefore a small
improvement can be brought to the current standard so as to get closer to an actual transport severity factor. For example the levels durations can be adjusted in order
to fit to one particular transport type.
[1]ROUILLARD V. “On the Non-Gaussian Nature of Random Vehicle Vibrations”, Proceedings of the World Congress on Engineering 2007, Volume II, July 2-4, 2007
[2]OTARI S. “Statistical Characterization of Acceleration Levels of Random Vibrations during Transport”, Packaging Technology and Science, 2011. DOI: 10.1002/pts.926