Before returning your packaging equipment for service or calibration, please read the following SRA (Service Return Authorization): Third party shipping organizations such as UPS and Federal Express are accustomed to moving a variety of packages, but oftentimes they disregard fragile labels. The handling typically with these types of carriers is very rough. Within our own shipping department we have a dock height drop arbiter to determine how well a machine is packed. In other words, if your product were dropped at the height of a commercial truck dock, it should survive the fall unscathed. In order to achieve this robust packaging, you should not use fillers such as loose filled Styrofoam, as it allows too much movement within the container during the shipping process. When preparing your sealing equipment for shipment, you should first secure the sealing jaws by carefully placing a foam rubber or corrugated insert in the jaws in order to prevent the jaws from moving during shipment, which can cause a sealing jaw breakage. After securing the jaw, the sealing equipment should be placed in an oversized plastic bag in order to prevent packaging material and particulates from entering the inside of the machine during the shipping process. The bagged machine should be placed in a heavy, preferably double walled, corrugated box with a minimum of six inches of buffer space between the machine and the box walls. This includes the bottom of the box as well. A foam sheet should be placed on the bottom of the box. The sealing machine should be placed in the center and all sides surrounding the machine should also be buffered with multiple layers of corrugated or foam material. Pay special attention to the jaw ends where the electrodes are located. This process should be repeated for the top of the machine. There should be no air space on any of the sides within the box, so the machine cannot move during shipment. Also, if you are sending any loose parts with the machine, such as cables, etc. do not place them near the machine as they may rub during shipment causing damage. Do not send the machine table (that the pouch rests on when sealing) as this may rub against the machine and cause damage. If you have any specific requests in terms of how the machine should be calibrated or serviced, or a description of the problems the machine is experiencing, those should be included with the documentation. Also, prominently note any safety concerns or specific hazardous conditions of the sealer under the Additional Comments section of the SRA Number Request Form. A Maintenance Supervisor's name and phone number should be included. The machine should be strapped with fiber strapping tape or nylon shipping straps and marked excessively with red fragile labels on every exposed panel of the shipping container. Further, the SRA (Service Return Authorization) number should be prominently marked on the face of the box. Also, it has been our experience even when utilizing extreme caution, machine damage can still occur. Therefore, it is vital that you send the equipment insured for the purchase amount of the unit in order to secure your investment. Van der Stähl Scientific Inc. cannot be responsible for any equipment in transit to our facility for service and repair. Please sign this agreement acknowledging that you understand how the equipment should be prepared for safe transit and fax back to our customer service line at 866-203-0809. Should you have additional questions regarding this service return authorization, please feel free to contact our customer service agents at 800-550-3854.