LPS Industries, a leading producer of flexible packaging solutions, recently announced that its Vapor Flex Division is playing a key role as the manufacturer for a distributor that was recently awarded a two-year General Services Administration (GSA) contract.
The winning bidder was designated as the sole supplier of MIL PRF 131 to the military on a global basis and LPS is supporting the winning bidder as the manufacturer of the material.
MIL PRF 131 is a high barrier water-vapor-proof and grease-proof flexible material used throughout the military. LPS Industries is one of a select few companies in the world that have the expertise, capabilities and is certified by the military to produce it. Madeleine Robinson, CEO of LPS, commented "I am very pleased that we were able to successfully partner with and support one of our key distributors for this contract. Our long history demonstrating that we can manufacture to the precise specifications and high quality standards required by the military were no doubt important factors that resulted in our mutual success."
Manufacturing mil spec material requires being certified to do so by the government. In order for LPS to obtain the certification to become a qualified manufacturer of MIL PRF 131, the company went through a rigorous approval process designed and applied by the military. Conducted over a period of several months, LPS initially evaluated and tested various solutions to deliver the required performance characteristics of the material. The process culminated with LPS submitting samples of their solution for performance testing in a military laboratory. Approved manufacturers are also subject to post award on-site inspections of their manufacturing processes, procedures and quality standards.
As the term mil spec generally applies to high barrier flexible materials, it simply means that the specifications to produce the materials contain specific minimum performance standards across a number of dimensions, not a recipe of what materials to use. The standards may include watervapor and/or oxygen transmission rates, puncture resistance and seal strength, among others.
LPS' extensive knowledge and long history as a specialty manufacturer of custom foil laminations, primarily used to protect medical tests and devices, was easily leveraged into the military high barrier flexible material arena. LPS has a rich history of pioneering flexible materials and packaging to the military. The company's support of the military dates back to 1959.
