Stress Engineering Services, Inc. (SES), the global leader in delivering complex engineering services and solutions, is launching Virtual ISTA 6 (VI-6™) in the fall of 2023. VI-6 is a self-service platform that allows packaging engineers to test package designs in a virtual environment. This virtual testing environment produces a digital twin of physical environments, which eliminates the need to produce costly and time-consuming physical package prototypes typically required to gauge the durability of material and design. VI-6 also helps customers create packaging with less material while maintaining the levels of structural integrity needed to withstand the rigors of commercial transport and delivery.

SES collaborated with Amazon Web Services (AWS) and their Digital Innovation program to design and develop VI-6 with a goal of delivering an improved experience around four core customer needs: self-service, speed, reliability, and lower costs. The resulting platform allows packaging engineers to quickly test package designs in a more economical way that delivers reliable results and insights which inform the final design of packaging, including materials.

“VI-6 was purpose built to help our customers better serve their customers,” said Clint Haynes, Sr. Vice President of SES. “In just a matter of days, VI-6 can provide our customers with in-depth and reliable package test results along with recommendations that enable the rapid release of innovative packaged products. Thoughtful self-service features, automation, and generative AI capabilities enable VI-6 to transform package testing by making it faster, more effective, and more efficient. We look forward to seeing our customers benefit from VI-6 and will continue to innovate on behalf of those customers in the future.” 

Haynes also highlighted the value created by the AWS Partner Network (APN), saying, “Our ability to develop VI-6 quickly is also a result of working with and learning from PREDICTif Solutions, our build partner that we selected due to its membership in the APN.”

VI-6 will use AWS’s proven global infrastructure to create a flexible, secure, and scalable framework. The company plans to use AWS’s portfolio of machine learning and generative AI services, including Amazon SageMaker and Amazon Bedrock, to allow the platform to generate insights related to the durability of package materials and design.

“VI-6 is a compelling example of how forward-thinking industry leaders can thoughtfully leverage new technologies to solve challenges for their customers,” said Todd Pond, Director of North American Strategic Sales at AWS. “AWS is pleased to provide services and expertise that help SES achieve their ambitions to reimagine the package testing process.”