Packaging services

The various modes of transport of specimens influence the shipping time and cost. Priority mail service is usually adequate within the United States if a delay of up to 3 days is acceptable. Express mail service ensures dehvery within 24 hours, but it is available only between certain cities. Small-package service is available from many airlines, as is service by bus lines and train. 

Standardized plastic mold packages are the most cost-effective packages available. Packaging services are offered by large subcontractors, mainly located in South East Asia, which have established a worldwide standard for IC packaging. Therefore, flexibility for sensor-specific requirements is limited or even impossible, because existing manufacturing lines have to be used. Automotive quality is available, but not standard. 

The supply side or providers and the demand side or end users are two major components of packaging products in the packaging industry (Figure 21.1). The supply side includes packaging machinery, packaging services and various package productions, from flexible to rigid materials [5],... 

Administration, marketing, customer service, packaging, transport, insurance, etc. 

The latest government regulations set forth under the Toxic Substances Control Act and in PubHc Health Service pubHcations should be checked before formulating new lubricants. Users of lubricants should request Material Safety Data Sheets for each substance involved plus certification of compliance from vendors. Lubricant compounders should insist on similar information from their suppHers for any additive packages. Manufacturers of both additives and lubricants commonly make toxicity checks on commercial products. 

Mylar For Packaging, Technical Information Service, Type 48 MM-20," Form E-71066, DuPont. Mylar For Packaging, Summary of Properties, Type 50 OL, Form PBH, DuPont. 

Small Communities. Small communities and recent subdivision additions to larger communities, which have not yet been coimected to municipal coUection systems, must have a means of waste disposal. Septic tanks are a possibiHty, but require periodic servicing and cleaning. Furthermore, the soil is not always suitable for accepting the effluent. An alternative is the package plant. These units are commercially produced to serve small areas. They furnish primary treatment and some secondary treatment, and require only minimal operating supervision. Capacity can be varied as needs dictate. In general, pubHc health authorities prefer such installations instead of septic tanks. 

The Chemical Abstracts Service has institutionalized the use of graphic representations for identification of and retrieval of information about chemical compounds through their Graphical Data Stmcture (GDS) and connection table (CT). Two information packages. Messenger and STN Express, are the basis for this on-line retrieval system (42). 

Electronic mail and electronic conferencing services are not counted as separate databases, but when such electronic services are included with a database they are counted as aspects of the associated database and the database is classified accordingly. Several commercial online services make software databases available online, eg, the Microsoft Programmers Library, MacTutor, and Atari RoundTable. Several producers offer CD-ROM databases containing software. Such software databases contain the coding and documentation for software packages and so are classified as software databases. These are different from directories of software that are classed as directory databases. 

The manufacturing cost consists of direct, indirect, distribution, and fixed costs. Direct costs are raw materials, operating labor, production supervision, utihties, suppHes, repair, and maintenance. Typical indirect costs include payroll overhead, quaHty control, storage, royalties, and plant overhead, eg, safety, protection, personnel, services, yard, waste, environmental control, and other plant categories. However, environmental control costs are frequendy set up as a separate account and calculated direcdy. The principal distribution costs are packaging and shipping. Fixed costs, which are insensitive to production level, include depreciation, property taxes, rents, insurance, and, in some cases, interest expense. 

Robotics The introduction of robotics has given a new dimension to packaging in that it is now possible to do repetitive tasks with speed and accuracy at notably lower cost than if done by people. The manufacture of robots is well established with corporations of substantial resources providing a quality product with continuity of service, supply, and software support. There is also a specialty industry which is available to supply both accessory hardware and software which are custom designed to handle specific user situations. Economic analysis needs to be done before making the decision as to whether to automate using robots, fixed automation, or the labor of people aided by work aids. 

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