A carton can pass a vibration test, survive stacking in a warehouse and still fail after one badly oriented drop during unloading.
That is the problem a free fall drop tester is designed to reproduce.
In a laboratory test, the complete package is positioned at a defined height and attitude, released with minimal disturbance, and allowed to fall onto a specified impact surface. The resulting damage can reveal weaknesses in the carton, cushioning, closures, internal supports—or the product itself.
The test sounds simple. Equipment selection is not.
A machine may have enough load capacity and more than enough drop height but still be poorly suited to the actual package. Package dimensions, center of gravity, face/edge/corner positioning, release behavior and the applicable test procedure all matter.
This guide looks at free fall package testing from that practical equipment-selection perspective.
What Is a Free Fall Drop Tester?
A free fall drop tester is a machine used to evaluate how a packaged product responds when dropped from a specified height onto an impact surface.
For packaging applications, the specimen is normally the complete shipping unit:
Product + Internal Packaging + Cushioning + Carton + Closures
The machine raises or positions that package at the required height and orientation. A release mechanism then removes the support so gravity—not a mechanical push—produces the fall.
The basic sequence is:
POSITION PACKAGE → SET HEIGHT → SET ORIENTATION → RELEASE → FREE FALL → IMPACT → INSPECT
What happens after impact is just as important as the drop itself.
A good evaluation does not stop at:
“Is the carton damaged?”
The more useful questions are:
- Did the cushioning bottom out?
- Did an insert move?
- Did the product contact the outer carton?
- Did a closure open?
- Did the product shift inside the package?
- Does the product still function?
A carton can look surprisingly good after impact while the product inside has already failed.
A Drop Test Is More Than “1 Meter”
“We need to perform a 1 meter drop test.”
We hear requirements like this frequently, but height alone does not define a complete drop condition.
Consider two packages.
Both weigh 20 kg.
Both are dropped from 1 m.
The first lands flat on its largest face.
The second lands directly on one corner.
Those are not mechanically equivalent tests.
The theoretical impact velocity is similar, but the way the load enters the packaging system is very different.
A face impact spreads the initial contact over a relatively large area. A corner impact concentrates it into a much smaller region.
The resulting damage may therefore follow completely different paths.
For an ideal free fall, approximate impact velocity changes with height as follows:
| Drop Height | Approx. Impact Velocity |
|---|---|
| 300 mm | 2.43 m/s |
| 500 mm | 3.13 m/s |
| 750 mm | 3.84 m/s |
| 1000 mm | 4.43 m/s |
| 1200 mm | 4.85 m/s |
| 1500 mm | 5.42 m/s |
| 2000 mm | 6.26 m/s |
These numbers are useful when understanding the physics of the fall, but they do not predict whether a package will pass.
Actual damage depends on the combination of:
height · mass · orientation · cushioning · package stiffness · product structure · impact surface
A soft cushioning system can extend the deceleration event.
A stiff corner impact can create a short, highly concentrated load path.
That is why a useful test record should say more than:
1 m drop
A better description would be:
1 m corner drop of the complete packaged product onto the specified rigid impact surface.
That tells another engineer what actually happened.
Face, Edge or Corner? The Landing Attitude Changes the Result
For rectangular transport packages, three impact orientations appear repeatedly in laboratory testing:
face, edge and corner.
They should not be treated as interchangeable.
Face Impact
A face drop initially creates a relatively broad contact area.
Depending on the packaging design, this may reveal:
- panel buckling;
- broad cushioning compression;
- bottoming-out;
- product movement;
- damage to large flat surfaces.
If a heavy product has insufficient cushioning clearance, a flat drop can transmit a significant load directly through the package.
Edge Impact
Now rotate the same package.
Instead of a broad face striking first, one edge takes the initial impact.
The contact area becomes much narrower.
This can expose weaknesses around:
- carton edges;
- seams;
- internal supports;
- product frames;
- local cushioning geometry.
Corner Impact
A corner impact is more localized again.
The first contact occurs in a small region, and the resulting load path may travel diagonally through the package.
Typical areas of concern include:
- corner protectors;
- foam geometry;
- internal clearance;
- enclosure corners;
- mounting points.
This is one reason a package can pass several flat drops and then fail during a corner drop.
The drop height did not change.
The load path did.
What Should You Inspect After the Drop?
One mistake in packaging validation is treating carton appearance as the final result.
It is only the first layer.
After a drop, we normally think about the package in three layers.
Outer package: Is the carton crushed, torn, punctured or permanently deformed? Have seams or closures opened?
Internal protection: Has the foam fractured? Have inserts moved? Has the product lost its designed clearance? Did the product contact the outer package?
Product: Is there cosmetic, structural or functional damage?
For electronics or appliances, functional inspection may be more important than visible carton damage.
A package can be cosmetically acceptable and still fail its primary job:
protecting the product inside.
Acceptance criteria should therefore be established before the first drop, not after the damage is observed.
The Part Buyers Often Overlook: Release
When comparing free fall drop test machines, buyers naturally look at:
- maximum package weight;
- drop-height range;
- machine dimensions;
- motor and controller;
- standard list.
All of these matter.
But one of the most important parts of the test happens in a fraction of a second:
the transition from support to free fall.
Suppose a carton is correctly positioned for an edge drop.
At release, the support mechanism does not clear cleanly.
The package receives a small sideways disturbance and begins to rotate.
Instead of the intended edge contacting the impact surface, one corner strikes first.
The display may still show the correct drop height.
The package may still have fallen approximately 1 m.
But the mechanical event has changed.
Potential release-related problems include:
- initial rotation;
- horizontal velocity;
- support interference;
- inconsistent starting attitude;
- wrong first contact;
- poor repeatability between drops.
This matters even more when the purpose of testing is comparison.
Imagine Packaging Design A and Packaging Design B.
If A receives a clean edge impact while B rotates into a partial corner impact, the resulting damage cannot be compared confidently.
For this reason, we would not evaluate a packaging drop tester only by asking:
How high can it drop?
We would also ask:
How does it position and release our actual package?
A Real Testing Problem: Correct Height, Wrong Impact
Consider a laboratory running a series of 1000 mm corner drops.
The machine reaches 1000 mm accurately every time.
At first glance, repeatability looks good.
But video review shows that some packages rotate slightly after release. The first contact moves from the intended corner toward an adjacent edge.
Technically, the height setting is repeatable.
Mechanically, the impact is not.
This distinction matters during:
- packaging development;
- supplier comparison;
- design validation;
- quality control;
- failure analysis.
If two specimens fail differently, the first question should not always be:
“Which packaging design is stronger?”
Sometimes the better question is:
“Did both specimens actually receive the same impact?”
That is why drop height accuracy should be considered together with positioning and release quality.
ASTM D5276, ISO 2248 and ISTA: What Actually Matters for the Machine?
Drop tester brochures often show a long row of standard numbers.
That can be useful, but a standard logo does not tell you whether a machine is appropriate for your package.
Start with the test method.
>ASTM D5276
ASTM D5276 is titled:
Standard Test Method for Drop Test of Loaded Containers by Free Fall.
The current active version listed by ASTM is ASTM D5276-19(2023).
It covers free-fall testing of loaded:
- boxes;
- cylindrical containers;
- bags;
- sacks.
The method can be used to evaluate the container's ability to withstand sudden shock from a free-fall drop and the ability of the container and its inner packaging to protect the contents.
There is another detail worth noticing.
ASTM describes the method as particularly suitable for containers that are normally handled manually during distribution. For containers that are too large or heavy for manual handling, other test methods may be more appropriate.
That is useful equipment-selection information.
It means that asking:
“Can the machine lift 80 kg?”
is not always enough.
For a very large or heavy package, we also need to ask whether an elevated conventional free-fall setup represents the intended handling event and whether the specimen can be positioned safely and correctly.
For the complete test procedure, see our dedicated:
ASTM D5276 Drop Test: Complete Procedure & Equipment Guide
>ISO 2248
ISO 2248 covers:
Complete, filled transport packages — Vertical impact test by dropping.
Its principle is straightforward: the package is raised above a rigid plane impact surface and released so it strikes that surface after free fall.
The drop is performed under predetermined conditions, including factors such as drop height and package attitude.
From an equipment perspective, that again points to four practical requirements:
HEIGHT + ATTITUDE + RELEASE + IMPACT SURFACE
>ISTA Procedures
ISTA is different because there is no single universal “ISTA drop test.”
ISTA publishes multiple packaged-product test procedures for different purposes and distribution situations.
For example, ISTA 1A is an integrity test for packaged products weighing 150 lb (68 kg) or less, and its test sequence includes free-fall drop shock testing.
Other procedures can use different sequences and severities.
So when someone asks:
“Is this an ISTA drop tester?”
our next question should be:
Which ISTA procedure and what packaged product are you testing?
The machine should be evaluated against that actual requirement.
Start With the Package, Not the Machine
When we receive a drop tester inquiry, the most useful information is not:
“We need a 2000 mm drop tester.”
We would rather know:
“Our package is 650 × 500 × 420 mm, weighs 28 kg, and we need face, edge and corner drops up to 1000 mm according to ASTM D5276.”
That tells us much more about the actual application.
In practice, equipment selection normally starts with a few basic questions.
How Heavy Is the Complete Package?
Use the total test weight:
product + carton + cushioning + inserts + accessories
not the empty box weight.
The machine must be able to position and release the complete specimen safely.
How Large Is It?
This is sometimes more important than buyers expect.
A compact 40 kg carton and a wide 40 kg appliance package are not the same handling problem.
Large dimensions affect:
- positioning;
- edge-drop setup;
- corner-drop setup;
- machine clearance;
- center of gravity;
- operator access.
A package can therefore be well below the machine's maximum weight and still require careful configuration review.
What Height Do You Actually Need?
If every test in your program is below 1200 mm, a 1500 mm machine already provides the required height envelope.
A 2000 mm machine is not automatically a better test machine.
Additional travel only creates value if the test requires it or future programs are expected to require it.
Which Orientations Are Required?
A flat drop is relatively straightforward.
Edge and corner drops demand more from the positioning arrangement.
If these orientations are part of the program, provide the actual package dimensions when discussing equipment.
How Often Will You Test?
Ten development drops per month and dozens of QC drops every day create different operational requirements.
Higher test frequency increases the value of:
- efficient height adjustment;
- automatic reset;
- repeatable positioning;
- operator ergonomics;
- safety protection.
This is why the specification sheet is only the beginning of machine selection.
Three Packages, Three Different Decisions
Consider three hypothetical inquiries.
| Package A | Package B | Package C | |
| Complete Weight | 8 kg | 42 kg | 75 kg |
| Package Size | Compact | Medium | Large |
| Required Height | 800 mm | 1800 mm | 400 mm |
| Orientation | Face / Edge / Corner | Face / Edge / Corner | Face / Edge / Corner |
| First Equipment Direction | RS-315 | RS-320 | Review heavy-package setup |
Package A
At 8 kg and 800 mm, the test falls comfortably within the working envelope of RS-315.
Assuming the package dimensions and positioning requirements are compatible, there is little reason to move automatically to a 2000 mm system.
Package B
The package weighs 42 kg, but weight is not the first factor that eliminates RS-315.
The 1800 mm required height does.
RS-315 has a maximum drop height of 1500 mm, so RS-320 becomes the logical starting point.
We would then confirm package dimensions and positioning.
Package C
This case is more interesting.
The required height is only 400 mm, which looks easy.
But the specimen weighs 75 kg and is physically large.
Selecting a machine only from the 400 mm height would miss the harder question:
How will this package be safely positioned and released for a corner or edge impact?
Depending on its dimensions and the intended handling event, a heavy-package or low-height drop configuration may deserve consideration.
This is why we prefer to review the package before recommending the machine.
RS-315 or RS-320?
For conventional packaging free fall testing, ITM-LAB offers the RS-315 / RS-320 Packaging Drop Tester Series.
Both systems are designed for complete packaged products and support common face, edge and corner test configurations.
| Parameter | RS-315 | RS-320 |
| Drop Height | 300–1500 mm | 300–2000 mm |
| Maximum Package Weight | 80 kg | 80 kg |
| Drop Orientation | Face / Edge / Corner | Face / Edge / Corner |
| Main Difference | Standard height range | Extended height range |
The obvious difference is height.
But that does not mean:
RS-320 is the better machine.
It means:
RS-320 has a larger available height envelope.
If your highest required condition is 1000 mm, RS-315 already covers it.
If your program requires 1800 mm, RS-315 does not.
After that first height check, the next questions are package dimensions, orientation, test frequency and any special safety or installation requirements.
This is a much more useful selection method than choosing the model with the largest number in the specification table.
When a Conventional Free Fall Tester Is Not the Right Choice
Not every package impact test belongs on an RS-315 or RS-320.
This is another reason we prefer to start from the physical test event rather than the machine name.
Large or Heavy Packages at Low Drop Heights
For very large or heavy shipping units, a low-height or zero-drop system may provide a more practical test configuration.
The package may technically fall within the load capacity of a conventional machine but still be difficult to position safely at height.
Horizontal Impact
If the objective is to reproduce a package sliding or impacting horizontally, an incline or horizontal impact tester is a better starting point.
Compression and Stacking
A free fall machine cannot reproduce long-duration stacking load.
That requires package compression equipment.
Transportation Vibration
Repeated vibration during transportation is a different mechanical event again and requires a vibration test system.
Unpackaged Portable Electronics
A smartphone falling from a hand and a shipping carton falling during handling are both free-fall events.
They are not the same equipment application.
For controlled free fall of portable electronic products, a directional product drop tester such as the ITM-LAB RS-DP-03A2 is a more appropriate configuration.
For repeated tumble testing, a rotating tumble tester such as RS-DP-12A may be required.
For more detail, see:
IEC 60068-2-31 Free Fall Test: Procedure, Requirements & Equipment
The test objective comes first.
The machine comes second.
What Information Should You Send Before Selecting a Drop Tester?
A useful equipment inquiry can be surprisingly short.
Send us:
Package dimensions
Complete package weight
Required drop height
Required orientation — face / edge / corner
Applicable standard or customer specification
Expected testing frequency
If available, also send a drawing or photograph of the package.
With that information, we can check the actual test envelope instead of recommending equipment from one number alone.
For example:
Package: 700 × 550 × 480 mm
Weight: 36 kg
Standard: ASTM D5276
Drop height: 1000 mm
Orientation: Face / Edge / Corner
Frequency: Approximately 20 drops/day
That is enough to start a meaningful equipment discussion.
Free Fall Drop Tester Selection Roadmap
The selection process can be reduced to one practical sequence:
PACKAGE
↓
DIMENSIONS
↓
WEIGHT
↓
DROP HEIGHT
↓
FACE / EDGE / CORNER
↓
TEST METHOD
↓
TEST FREQUENCY
↓
SELECT EQUIPMENT
For conventional package testing within 300–1500 mm:
→ RS-315
For requirements extending to 2000 mm:
→ RS-320
For large or heavy packages with relatively low drop requirements:
→ Review a heavy-package / zero-drop configuration
FAQ
- What is a free fall drop tester?
A free fall drop tester is laboratory equipment used to release a packaged product from a specified height and orientation so it impacts a defined surface under gravity. It is used to evaluate packaging durability and the protection provided to the product inside.
- What is a free fall drop test machine used for?
A free fall drop test machine reproduces package impacts that can occur during handling, loading, unloading and distribution. Depending on the test method, packages may be dropped onto a face, edge or corner.
- Can a packaging drop tester perform face, edge and corner drops?
Yes, provided the support and release arrangement is suitable for those orientations and for the dimensions and center of gravity of the actual package.
This is why package dimensions should be checked together with machine load capacity.
- What standards are commonly used for package free fall testing?
ASTM D5276 and ISO 2248 are directly associated with free-fall impact testing of transport packages. ISTA also publishes packaged-product test procedures that may include free-fall drop shock testing.
The specific procedure should always be confirmed before configuring the equipment.
- How high should a package be dropped?
There is no universal drop height for every package.
The required height should come from the applicable standard, ISTA procedure, customer specification or internal test program.
Package mass, distribution environment and test objective may all influence the selected severity.
- Is a 2000 mm drop tester better than a 1500 mm tester?
Not necessarily.
If the highest required test condition is 1000 mm, both machines can provide sufficient height range.
In that situation, package capacity, positioning, release performance, workflow and safety may be more relevant selection factors than unused maximum height.
- What is the difference between a package drop tester and a smartphone drop tester?
A package drop tester is designed around complete shipping packages and therefore needs to accommodate larger dimensions and higher loads.
A smartphone or portable-product drop tester is designed around the unpackaged device and usually places greater emphasis on precise specimen positioning and controlled face, edge or corner orientation.
- How do I choose between RS-315 and RS-320?
Start with the required drop height.
RS-315: 300–1500 mm, up to 80 kg.
RS-320: 300–2000 mm, up to 80 kg.
Then confirm the package dimensions, required orientation, applicable test method and expected testing frequency before finalizing the configuration.
Define the Package Before You Select the Machine
A free fall drop tester looks simple because the physical event is familiar: raise a package and let it fall.
Producing useful laboratory data requires more control than that description suggests.
The drop height must be correct, but so must the package attitude, release condition and impact surface. The machine must have enough load capacity, but it also needs enough physical space to position the actual package. And a successful test should evaluate the product inside the package—not only the carton outside.
For conventional package free fall testing, ITM-LAB provides two primary configurations:
RS-315 Packaging Drop Tester
300–1500 mm | Max. 80 kg | Face · Edge · Corner
RS-320 Packaging Drop Tester
300–2000 mm | Max. 80 kg | Face · Edge · Corner
If you are evaluating a new packaging drop test application, send us:
package dimensions + complete weight + drop height + required orientation + test standard + testing frequency
We can then review the test condition before recommending the equipment.
Define the package first. Select the drop tester second.
