PS Magazine - TB 43-PS-722
PS, The Preventative Maintenance Monthly
ISSUE 722
JANUARY 2013
52
PS 722
JAN 13
D
oes it seem like you’re wandering through a maze when trying to fgure out how
to protect your unit’s items For shipment or storage? A good map is what you need.
Once you learn about military packaging preservation methods, you can navigate
around any obstacles that pop up.
An excellent map is MIL-STD-2073-1,
Standard Practice for Military Packaging.
This pub tells you about the available methods to protect materiel against corrosion
and deterioration, physical and mechanical damage, and other harm. Any oF these
can happen during storage, handling, or shipment oF materiel.
Deciding which protection method to use on a particular item is based on that
item’s characteristics. It’s common sense that you wouldn’t package delicate
electronics equipment the same way you would an M1 Abrams tank!
In military packaging, there are fve basic preservation methods. They are:
•±Method±10–Physical±protection±
•±Method±20–Physical±protection±with±preservative±
(with±greaseproof±wrap,±as±required)±
•±Method±30–Waterproof±or±waterproof-greaseproof±protection±
(with±preservative,±as±required)±
•±Method±40–Water–vaporproof±protection±(with±preservative,±as±required)±
•±Method±50–Water–vaporproof±protection±with±desiccant.±
Many military items, like engines, avionics, gyroscopes, and electrostatic-sensitive
devices, need a high level oF protection. That’s usually because they are high dollar
value items, can deteriorate rapidly, or are sensitive to physical damage.
FAQs
± Q:±How±do±I±return±unserviceable±reparable±items?
± A:±Return±them±in±the±package±the±new±replacement±part±came±in,±if±the±packaging±is±still±
in±good±condition.±If±it±was±damaged,±then±duplicate±the±package±as±best±you±can.
± Q:±We±can’t±find±packaging±instructions±for±an±item.±Can±we±just±make±up±our±own?
± A:±Before±you±reinvent±the±wheel,±be±sure±to±check±for±packaging±instructions±in±LIW,±FED±
LOG,±and±WebFLIS.±If±none±of±these±places±have±information±on±your±item,±then±contact±the±
item±manager’s±packaging±specialists.±
± You±can±also±examine±the±item’s±characteristics±and±look±up±requirements±for±a±similar±
item.±MIL-STD-2073-1±lists±all±methods±and±sub-methods±for±military±packaging.±
± However,±the±best±choice±if±you±don’t±understand±something±in±MIL-STD-2073-1±or±you±have±
questions±is±to±call±the±Logistics±Support±Activity’s±Packaging,±Storage±and±Containerization±
Center±at±DSN±795-7105,±(570)±615-7105,±or±email:±
toby.pt@us.army.mil
±
Packaging…
Clearing the
Methods
of Preservation
Maze
Stay
tuned!
Starting next month,
we’ll bring you
detailed explanations
of the various
military
packaging preservation
methods.
Patterson,
I don’t like
the loOk oF
this packaging
methods
maze!
yeah, from
here it doesn’t
seem to have
any rhyme,
reason or Even
an exit!
there
must
be a
shortcut
we can
take…
hold on!
a
good
map
is betTer
than a
bad
shortcut!
Cloe!
{whew!} if anyone
can help us, it’s
you!
c’mon, I’Ll
walk you
through
it step by
step…
722 52-53.indd
1-2
11/26/12
5:48 PM
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