REQUIREMENTS FOR SUPPLIER

Overseas Packaging
Guideline

REQUIREMENTS FOR SUPPLIER

Spirit and Purpose
Due to recent damage to overseas shipments and the cost involved, this requirement
is intended as a guideline for suppliers and to sharpen the focus on packaging.
This document is supplemented by the current version of the HARMAN Packaging
Manual and the document VDA 4525 (November 2009).
It is the supplier’s duty to design, to purchase and to use packaging that is “fit forpurpose” in the correct way. Thereby the supplier must ensure the necessary physicalcharacteristics until the transfer of risk at the HARMAN site is completed.

HARMAN International

Originator: Michael Prozek / Dominik Volandt

Date: 20101201

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REQUIREMENTS FOR SUPPLIER

Citation from an IEEP Report for INCPEN (27 September 2004)“Packaging for Sustainability”

HARMAN International

Originator: Michael Prozek / Dominik Volandt

Date: 20101201

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REQUIREMENTS FOR SUPPLIER

ContentImpacts
Mechanical Impacts / Climatic Impacts

page 5Additional negative Impacts
Misalignment
Column stack versus interlock
Pallet overhang
Rough handling
Age
Pallet deckboard gap
Multiplier

page 6page 6page 7page 7page 8page 8page 9Approved types of 4 way entry pallets
Wooden pallets
Pallets of derived timber products
Plastic pallets

page 10page 10page 10

Approved material for boxes
One way corrugated cardboard boxes
One way plastic boxes

page 12page 13

Boxes
Boxes – Type of construction
Boxes – Type of closing

page 14page 15

Shipping Unit
Shipping unit – Measurements / Pallet height
Shipping unit – Measurements / Footprints
Shipping unit – Strapping
Shipping unit – Pallet cargo Box
Shipping unit – Marking of shipment unitsShipping unit – General humidity protection
Shipping unit – Approved anticorrosion methods

page 16
page 17
page 18
page 19
page 20
page 21
page 22

Definitions
BCTECT
ISPM 15
HARMAN Packaging Manual
VDA 4525

page 23
page 24
page 24
page 24
page 24

HARMAN International

Originator: Michael Prozek / Dominik Volandt

Date: 20101201

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REQUIREMENTS FOR SUPPLIER

Impacts
Mechanical Impacts
During shipping, a combination of forces is exerted upon the ship and its cargo over aprolonged period. Such forces may arise from pitching, rolling, heaving, surging, yawing
or swaying or a combination of any two or more.
Acceleration during maritime shipment generates dynamic fluctuations of ± 0.8 g for
ocean-going vessels. Development of the packaging must take account of this fact in
the calculation.

http://www.tis-gdv.de/tis_e/verpack/verpackungshandbuch/03verpackungshandbuch_0131.htm

Climatic Impacts
A container as a more or less closed environment creates its own climate withalternating conditions with regards to temperature, air humidity and condensation wateron the inner walls and the ceiling.
Water is above all critical when corrugated cardboard is used in packaging materials.
When hydroscopic materials are used, the compression strength often decreases
rapidly as humidity is absorbed.
http://www.tis-gdv.de/tis_e/containe/klima/klima.htm

HARMAN International

Originator: Michael Prozek / Dominik Volandt

Date: 20101201

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REQUIREMENTS FOR SUPPLIER

Additional negative Impacts
Misalignment
Misalignment of a column of cardboard boxes can result in as much as 29% decrease in
the overall compression strength of the stack.

Column stack versus interlock
A change in the pallet pattern from column stack to interlock can reduce thecompression strength by as much as 60%.

HARMAN International

Originator: Michael Prozek / Dominik Volandt

Date: 20101201

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REQUIREMENTS FOR SUPPLIER

Additional negative Impacts
Pallet Overhang
If boxes are stacked on a pallet with an overhang of 2cm the compression strength ofcontainers can be decreased up to 40%. Be aware that a pallet overhang is strictly
forbidden.

2Rough Handling
Mishandling including dented edges on the boxes can result in as much as 50%
decrease in the box compression strength when compared to a brand new box.

HARMAN International

Originator: Michael Prozek / Dominik Volandt

Date: 20101201

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REQUIREMENTS FOR SUPPLIER

Additional negative Impacts
Age
If the material is packed and the cardboard boxes are under compression the boxes willloose compression strength by up to 50% over a 6 month period.

Pallet Deckboard Gap
If a layer - especially the top layer - shows a gap/free space it is a strict requirement thatthe supplier has to use empty boxes.

HARMAN International

Originator: Michael Prozek / Dominik Volandt

Date: 20101201

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Additional negative Impacts
Multiplier
The spreadsheet shows the increase of bearing pressure due to acceleration duringtransportation and the decrease of compression strength due to the environmentalfactors.

HARMAN International

Originator: Michael Prozek / Dominik Volandt

Date: 20101201

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REQUIREMENTS FOR SUPPLIER

Approved types of 4 way entry pallets
Wooden pallets(Treated according ISPM 15)

Pallets of derived timber product(Wood panel products like OSB (oriented structural board), hardboard, and plywood)

HARMAN International

Originator: Michael Prozek / Dominik Volandt

Date: 20101201

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REQUIREMENTS FOR SUPPLIER

Approved types of 4 way entry pallets
Plastic pallets(Material in accordance to the requirements of the receiving country)

Cardboard pallets(Pallets built of corrugated cardboard or other paper-based materials)

Not approved due to the fact that humidity can cause thepallet to collapse!

HARMAN International

Originator: Michael Prozek / Dominik Volandt

Date: 20101201

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REQUIREMENTS FOR SUPPLIER

Approved material for boxes
One way corrugated cardboard boxes (single or double wall cardboard)

Single wall cardboard
FECBA-Double wall cardboard
Recommended for use due toits higher burst andcompression strength!

HARMAN International

Originator: Michael Prozek / Dominik Volandt

Date: 20101201

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REQUIREMENTS FOR SUPPLIER

Approved material for boxes
One way plastic boxes (made of multiwall sheet)

HARMAN International

Originator: Michael Prozek / Dominik Volandt

Date: 20101201

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REQUIREMENTS FOR SUPPLIER

Boxes – Type of construction
FEFCO (International fibreboard case code)
FEFCO 312
Other types with a separate lid to ease the handling and the removal of the parts.
Recommended for use due to decreased handling costs.

FEFCO 201, 202, 203, 204, 205, 206

HARMAN International

Originator: Michael Prozek / Dominik Volandt

Date: 20101201

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REQUIREMENTS FOR SUPPLIER

Boxes – Type of closing
Container with lid
Closing the box and the lid in the described way

Slotted container
Closing the box on both sides in the described way

ImportantClosing the cardboard boxes by stitching is strictly forbidden!

HARMAN International

Originator: Michael Prozek / Dominik Volandt

Date: 20101201

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REQUIREMENTS FOR SUPPLIER

Shipping Unit – Measurements
Pallet height
The pallet height must not exceed 1000 mm including the pallet based on the approved
footprints.

1000 mm

HARMAN International

Originator: Michael Prozek / Dominik Volandt

Date: 20101201

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Shipping unit – Measurements
Footprints of the pallets in millimetres
1200*800 mm
1200*1000 mm
1140*1140 mm
1140*790 mm

EURO standard
ISO standard
container palletcontainer pallet(Needs a written approval by HARMAN!)(according VDA 4525)

http://www.vda.de/en/publikationen/publikationen_downloads/detail.php?id=678

HARMAN International

Originator: Michael Prozek / Dominik Volandt

Date: 20101201

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Shipping Unit - Strapping
Vertical strapping
Four vertical strappings with cardboard corner protection are required

Horizontal strapping
Horizontal strappings with cardboard corner protection to increase the compression
strength of the shipping unit are not required but accepted

HARMAN International

Originator: Michael Prozek / Dominik Volandt

Date: 20101201

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Shipping unit – Pallet cargo box
Container optimized GLT (GLT >>> pallet cargo box)
An appropriate pallet cargo box offers a packaging solution with an important feature:
To relieve the parts and the packages by absorbing the compression pressure ofanother stacked shipping unit.

http://www.vda.de/en/publikationen/publikationen_downloads/detail.php?id=678

HARMAN International

Originator: Michael Prozek / Dominik Volandt

Date: 20101201

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REQUIREMENTS FOR SUPPLIER

Shipping unit – Marking of shipment units
Pictographs
The shipment unit must be marked in accordance with VDA 4525 with pictograph “top”(3), pictograph “protect against wetting” (6) and “limit of stacking load” (13) pictographs.
Ensure that the signs are visible and not hidden by packaging components.

http://www.vda.de/en/publikationen/publikationen_downloads/detail.php?id=678

HARMAN International

Originator: Michael Prozek / Dominik Volandt

Date: 20101201

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Shipping unit – General humidity protection
ShrinkingThe pallet hood must cover the boxes and the pallet plate completely and must be
carefully heat shrunk.
Wrapping
The wrapping must cover the boxes and the pallet plate completely by using an upper
foil plate or by several layers of wrapping foil

HARMAN International

Originator: Michael Prozek / Dominik Volandt

Date: 20101201

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REQUIREMENTS FOR SUPPLIER

Shipping unit – Approved anticorrosion methods
Desiccant method

Intercept technology

VCI method

Only approved if the supplier can rule out negative
effects on the parts!

HARMAN International

Originator: Michael Prozek / Dominik Volandt

Date: 20101201

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REQUIREMENTS FOR SUPPLIER

Definitions
BCTBox Compression Test

The box compression test measures the compressive strength of boxes made ofcorrugated fibreboard. It plots deformation against compressive force. A BCT plot is ameasure of the strength of a shipping container and is measured in kilonewtons;
deflection or deformation is measured in mm.
The BCT plot can be estimated using a formula involving, amongst othercharacteristics, the board ECT, but the physical testing of filled and closed boxes is stillrequired!

German Standard DIN 55440-1 Packaging Test; compression test; test with a constantconveyance-speed
ISO 12048 Packaging -- Complete, filled transport packages -- Compression andstacking tests using a compression tester

HARMAN International

Originator: Michael Prozek / Dominik Volandt

Date: 20101201

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REQUIREMENTS FOR SUPPLIER

Definitions
ECT

Edge Crush Test

The edge crush resistance R gives information regarding the maximum power at whicha corrugated board sample with a defined length and height (100 x 25 mm) wasstressed. ECT is a true performance test and is directly related to the stacking strengthof a carton. ECT is measured in kilonewtons per meter (kN/m) but can also be reported
as an ECT value (e.g. 44 ECT).
ISO 3037:2007-03, Corrugated fiberboard - Determination of edgewise crush resistance
ISPM 15International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures No. 15"Irrespective of the type of treatment applied, wood packaging material must be made ofdebarked wood. For this standard, any number of visually separate and clearly distinct
small pieces of bark may remain if they are: - less than 3 cm in width (regardless of thelength) or - greater than 3 cm in width, with the total surface area of an individual pieceof bark less than 50 square cm."
Products exempt from the ISPM 15 are made from alternative material, like paper,
plastic or wood panel products (i.e. OSB, hardboard and plywood).
HARMAN “Packaging Manual”
Suppliers must request the latest version of the manual from the purchasing department
of HARMAN International.
VDA 4525

Standardized expendable packaging for sea container applications“This VDA Guide pursues the following objectives:
As an intermediate step on the way to achieving overarching global Container
Management with e.g. “World-KLT” without movements of empties, it is necessary
to standardize the design of expendable packaging used for intercontinental
transportation.”Version 1.0 November 2009http://www.vda.de/en/publikationen/publikationen_downloads/detail.php?id=678

HARMAN International

Originator: Michael Prozek / Dominik Volandt

Date: 20101201

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