AFPTEF has the lead service responsibility for new designs as well as redesigns of specialized, long-life, shipping and storage containers. We have a complete in-house development capability from design; to fabrication; to performing environmental and dynamic tests qualifying the containers for world-wide transportation and storage. AFPTEF engineers use a parametric based, 3-D, solids modeling software for designing, finite element analysis for performing structural and dynamic analysis on components and full container designs, and creation of numeric code for manufacturing. The design process starts out by determining the container requirements. We evaluate the item being packaged for it's fragility, environmental protection, and interface requirements, just to name a few. Then we determine what the handling, transportation, and storage requirements are. We ensure our container design works with support equipment and if we can incorporate features into the design to eliminate the need for special support equipment, we do so. The design/development process yields a prototype container, a production level drawing package, a project report, and a draft special packaging instructions (SPI).