“The committee was impressed with the effort to standardize and automate the Work Request system and build a lasting infrastructure the Packaging Lab can exploit for years to come,” Tom Heaslip, Global Technology YCMAD Chairperson, said. “The improvements in efficiency, visibility, and reporting will improve work flow and record keeping immeasurably, certainly an effort worthy of the nomination.”

Todd Van Gordon, Armando Mejia and Dave Pavlics were nominated along with Roberti for their work on Global Packaging Work Request (PWR) System Upgrade.

“This is a huge accomplishment for Roberti and his Colgate Palmolive team, Ivone DaRocha, Kenny Labinjo and Trevor Scott,” Pat Nolan, COO of DDL, said.

Global Packaging Work Request (PWR) System Upgrade is a system in which the CP packaging design and test engineers enter their work requests. The engineers fill in all necessary project information, select the tests needed, and submit them to the lab. The lab manager would then assign the project to a tech, and the tech can access that information, obtain the test samples and start the work. Upon completion of the job, test data is entered, reports created, engineers notified, and reports are signed and the job is closed.

“Previously, everything was done manually,” Roberti said of the PWR. “There was no way to search what had been done before short of rifling through file cabinets by hand. Now a database contains all that info. The system is now in use by CP affiliates world-wide.”

About DDL
DDL is a third party testing provider specialist in medical device package, product and material testing. Our three full-service labs include a large array of services, including shock testing, vibration testing, tensile testing, leak testing and validation services. DDL also recently implemented a package design, development and prototyping department. DDL take pride in their excellent customer service, qualified technicians and short turn around time. DDL maintains full service testing labs in Minnesota, Southern California and New Jersey. (www.testedandproven.com)

Headquartered in Minnesota, DDL recently doubled its space at its environmental lab in Minnetonka, MN with a large new climate controlled real time aging room. The 7,300 square foot facility will also accommodate new temperature and humidity chambers as they are acquired starting with a large pair of walk-ins at 1050 cubic feet each. These will be used in support of our accelerated aging business.

The DDL west coast location has recently moved from Costa Mesa, CA. Fountain Valley, CA where its brand new 10,000 square foot lab recently finished all its construction. “It was a long process but with the additional space we gained by moving we are able to handle a larger amount of business,” said John Hart, DDL CEO.

DDL’s newest location in Edison, NJ has also recently completed remodeling and construction and is in the process of qualifying and calibrating all its new dynamic test equipment as well as installation and commissioning of temperature and humidity chambers for package and product aging. “The construction of this lab will allow a large amount of New England business that is currently being executed in MN. to now be done out east,” Rick Roberti, Lab Manager of the new 10,000 square foot lab, said. DDL East is also the lab that performs thermal performance testing for TCP Reliable, the DDL parent company.

About DDL
DDL is a third party testing provider specialist in medical device package, product and material testing. Our three full-service labs provide a large array of services, including shock testing, vibration testing, tensile testing, leak testing and validation services. DDL also recently implemented a package design, development and prototyping department. At DDL we take pride in our excellent customer service, qualified technicians and short turn around time. DDL full service labs are located in Minnesota, Southern California and New Jersey. (www.testedandproven.com)

C Category

C1352 - Standard Test Method for Flexural Modulus of Elasticity of Dimension Stone has been reapproved, available as C1352-96(2008)

D Category

D3410/D3410M - Standard Test Method for Compressive Properties of Polymer Matrix Composite Materials with Unsupported Gage Section by Shear Loading has been reapproved, available as D3410/D3410M-03(2008)

D Category

D4675 - Standard Guide for Selection and Use of Flat Strapping Materials has been editorially changed, available as D4675-06e2

D4917 - Standard Test Method for Coefficient of Static and Kinetic Friction of Uncoated Writing and Printing Paper by Use of the Horizontal Plane Method has been editorially changed, available as D4917-97(2007)e1

D4919 - Standard Specification for Testing of Hazardous Materials Packagings has been reapproved, available as D4919-03(2008)

D5035 - Standard Test Method for Breaking Force and Elongation of Textile Fabrics (Strip Method) has been reapproved (with editorial change), available as D5035-06(2008)e1

F Category

F1264 - Standard Specification and Test Methods for Intramedullary Fixation Devices has been editorially changed, available as F1264-03(2007)e1

Work Order Category

WK21956 - Standard Test Method for Notched, Constant Ligament-Stress (NCLS) Test to Determine Slow-Crack-Growth Resistance of HDPE Resins or HDPE Corrugated Pipe is a work item revision to existing standard F2136-08

WK21962 - Standard Test Method for Package Yield of Plastic Film is a work item revision to existing standard D4321-04

WK21963 - Standard Test Method for Density of Plastics by the Density-Gradient Technique is a work item revision to existing standard D1505-03

WK21991 - Test Method for Compression-Displacement of Baseballs and Softballs is a work item revision to existing standard F1888-02

WK22025 - Standard Test Methods and Definitions for Mechanical Testing of Steel Products is a work item revision to existing standard A370-08a

Polyurethane foam testing, the latest offering in DDL’s material testing roster, ensures your company’s polyurethane foam project gets to market quickly and safely.  DDL’s material testing engineers draw on laboratory best practice techniques of all applicable material standards, meaning that your project will be:

• Subjected to all necessary product performance tests
• Measured against all necessary industry regulations
• Customized to meet the specific applications of your foam

Visit DDL’s website for more information, or to request a quote,  on your company’s testing needs for your latest polyurethane foam project.

DDL’s 54 member staff teamed up for a friendly food drive competition and raised over $700. With the money raised the company was able to donate over 1,000 items resulting in 781 lbs of food to the local PROP (People Reaching Out to Other People) food Shelf.

“We started it as a team building exercise and it resulted in a community donation larger than we could’ve ever imagined,” said Tracy Kerber, Human Resources Director at DDL.

According to Anne Harnack, Executive Director of PROP, about ten new families a week are coming to PROP seeking help.

“We will need all the help the community can provide to keep our neighbors warm, sheltered and fed this winter,” said Harnack.

About PROP
PROP has been a nonprofit human services agency serving Eden Prairie and Chanhassen families during their emergencies and times of temporary need until they can attain self-sufficiency. While currently serving approximately 3,000 people, PROP relies on generous contributions from local churches, businesses, civic organizations, schools, youth organizations, individuals and the city of Eden Prairie.

Contact PROP
8080 Mitchell Road, Suite 102
Eden Prairie, Minnesota 55344
Phone (952) 937-9120

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“Being a drop off site for Toys for Tots is a fun and rewarding way for our employees to make a difference in the lives of the children within our community,” said Tracy Kerber Human Resource Director at DDL.  “Our employees are not only encouraged to donate a toy but to distribute flyers to local businesses asking them to do the same.”

The mission of the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program is to collect new, unwrapped toys during October, November and December each year and distribute those toys as Christmas gifts to needy children in the community in which the campaign is conducted.

According to First Sergeant Alfonso Via, the age group with the highest demand is girls age 10 and up. To donate new, unwrapped toys to the Toys for Tots Foundation please visit the twin cities Toys for Tots website at www.toysfortotstwincities.org for a list of all drop off sites through the metro.

DDL’s doors will be open for donations Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

About Toys for Tots
Marine Toys for Tots Foundation, an IRS recognized 501(C)(3) not-for-profit public charity is the fund raising, funding and support organization for the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program. The Foundation was created at the behest of the U.S. Marine Corps and provides support in accordance with a Memorandum of Understanding with the Commander, Marine Forces Reserve, who directs the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program. The Foundation has supported Toys for Tots since 1991.

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Article Summary

Many medical device packaging manufacturers struggle to understand what they need to do to test and certify their packages. Here are 10 tips to help you work efficiently and effectively with a third-party package testing lab in order to satisfy your package testing expectations and regulatory requirements.

Healthcare Packaging
Article Summary

Individuals responsible for medical device packaging system design and validation are required to provide a safe and effective packaging system that can deliver the enclosed product to the end user without incurring defect or risk to patient safety. In this article, Karen Greene of DDL, Inc. and Stuart Long of Life Packaging Technology report on best practices and insights for the design and development of the medical device packaging system.

For manufacturers of terminally sterilized medical devices, compliance to the Intl. Organization for Standardization ISO 11607:2006—“Packaging for Terminally sterilized medical devices”—Part 1 and Part 2 is a requirement. A published tool to guide and assist you in compliance with ISO 11607 is the Assn. for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation AAMI TIR 22. TIR 22 is a technical information report published by AAMI for compliance assistance. It is not a balloted standard but is reviewed by an AAMI technical committee. This article does not address Part 2, equipment and process validation.

D Category

D4964 - Standard Test Method for Tension and Elongation of Elastic Fabrics (Constant-Rate-of-Extension Type Tensile Testing Machine) has been reapproved (with editorial change), available as D4964-96(2008)e1

D5587 - Standard Test Method for Tearing Strength of Fabrics by Trapezoid Procedure has been revised to D5587-08

D5732 - Standard Test Method for Stiffness of Nonwoven Fabrics Using the Cantilever Test (Withdrawn 2008) has been withdrawn, with no replacement. D5732-95(2001)

D7004 - Standard Test Method for Grab Tensile Properties of Reinforced Geomembranes has been reapproved, available as D7004-03(2008)

D7005 - Standard Test Method for Determining the Bond Strength (Ply Adhesion) of Geocomposites has been reapproved, available as D7005-03(2008)

D7269 - Standard Test Methods for Tensile Testing of Aramid Yarns has been revised to D7269-08

D905 - Standard Test Method for Strength Properties of Adhesive Bonds in Shear by Compression Loading has been revised to D905-08

Work Order Category

WK21625 - Standard Test Method for Modulus of Rupture of Unfired Clays is a work item revision to existing standard C689-03a

WK21701 - Standard Test Method for Corrosion of Surgical Instruments is a work item revision to existing standard F1089-02

WK21702 - Standard Test Method for Linear Shrinkage of Preformed High-Temperature Thermal Insulation Subjected to Soaking Heat is a work item revision to existing standard C356-03