The ISTA 7E Standard offers standard profiles based on comprehensive measurements taken in the parcel delivery environment.
Designed to assess the effects of external temperature exposures on individually packaged products shipped through a parcel delivery system, the ISTA 7E Standard can serve as a standalone standard profile. It is particularly beneficial for general testing and qualification of insulated shipping containers.
The use of the ISTA 7E Standard in conjunction with Standard 20 enhances its value by allowing its use in the development of temperature-controlled transport packages made from any material. Additionally, it enables individual or comparative performance analysis of standard or insulated shipping packages against commonly encountered conditions.
Testing laboratories can submit the results for certification to ISTA, attesting that the packaging has passed tests according to Standard 20 using the 7E standard profiles. Packaging certified in this manner can legally bear the ISTA 7E Thermal Certification Mark.
Standard 20 consists of three elements:
1. Training: At least one Level I certified thermal professional and one Level II certified thermal professional must participate in the execution and reporting of the tests.
2. Laboratory Protocols: Documentation of test protocols, data sets, and reports in a predetermined format is mandatory.
3. Laboratory Audit: Successful completion of an on-site laboratory audit by a certified ISTA thermal transport laboratory auditor is required.
These ISTA standards provide a standardized methodology to demonstrate the performance of an insulated shipping container against a real-world set of delivery lane temperature data, which has been statistically analyzed to create a robust thermal profile.
The cycle profiles in ISTA 7E are general simulations and are not intended to represent the most adverse thermal exposure in the small parcel shipping environment.