Bundle Preparation Guidelines  
"Bundle Integrity" — the ability of bundles to remain intact during transit and processing — is critical for the Postal Service’s new high-speed mail processing equipment, the Automated Package Processing System (APPS). APPS uses barcode reader and optical character recognition technology to sort parcels and bundles with little or no manual intervention.

Previously, the Postal Service processed bundles using small parcel and bundle sorters, providing Postal Service employees the opportunity to intervene and secure loose bundles or redirect damaged bundles before induction into the sorting equipment. However, with APPS, Postal Service employees have little or no opportunity to identify or correct bundling problems as bundles are inducted. This increases the need to enhance our efforts to ensure address visibility and bundle integrity.

Address Visibility

Regardless of the method used to secure the bundle, mailers preparing presort bundles must ensure that the delivery and return address information on the top mailpiece in each bundle is clearly visible and readable by the naked eye.

Mailers must ensure the heat shrink seal of shrinkwrap does not infringe on, or cross, either the delivery or return address blocks.

Addresses on bundles secured by means other than shrinkwrap must be located such that the strapping, string, or rubber bands does not interfere with address visibility. For example, on bundles with two straps perpendicular to each other, the delivery and return address blocks each must be located entirely within one of the 4 quadrants.

On bundles using tightly applied clear smooth strapping, the address block may be located in areas crossed by straps; however, it is recommended the address not be placed so that two clear straps intersect over the address block.

Securing Bundles

Shrink-wrapping is a method to secure bundles of flat-size mailpieces and irregular parcels, if applied appropriately.

Shrinkwrap must be of sufficient strength for the size and weight of the bundle. Insufficient shrinkwrap strength results in increased processing cost and potential delivery delays. Shrinkwrap integrity is of particular importance with FIRM bundles in which individual pieces are not addressed within the bundle. Shrinkwrap of insufficient strength is likely to break open during APPS processing resulting in the need to reroute the bundles to more manually intensive and costly operations.

Improperly applied shrinkwrap can result in bundles with large openings that may allow mailpieces to escape. To help ensure the bundle integrity of shrinkwrapped bundles, mailers should make sure that shrinkwrap is applied tightly and either eliminates or minimizes the size of any openings.

If an opening is unavoidable, experience has shown that openings which are less than 50% of the surface area of the open side retain their integrity better than those with larger openings. If shrinkwrapped bundles have openings, mailers should use banding to encircle bundles on the open sides. This is important as mailers increase their practice of commingling publications of varying sizes within bundles.

Banding with clear, smooth plastic strapping is another effective way to ensure bundle integrity.

It is absolutely essential that mailers ensure the banding materials are of sufficient strength and quality and the equipment used to apply the banding materials is properly maintained to consistently apply tight and secure banding on even the largest bundles in their mailings.

When mailers apply banding materials with insufficient tension, the banding material has a higher probability of slipping off of the bundle during processing. Additionally, large bundles and bundles weighing over 5 pounds place more stress on the banding materials and often result in broken bundles. For these reasons, extra care must be taken when using string, twine, and rubber bands.

Banding must be tight enough to depress the edges of the bundle and prevent mailpieces from slipping out during transit and processing. Loose bundles often result when mailers use rubber bands, string, or twine to secure bundles.

Banding, other than tightly applied clear smooth strapping, must not cross over or cover the delivery address block, including the Optional Endorsement Line (OEL).

The maximum bundle weight is 20 lbs, except for Bound Printed Matter (BPM) Bundles delivered to a Destination Delivery Unit (DDU). BPM bundles to DDUs may weigh up to 40 lbs.

The Domestic Mail Manual (DMM) includes standards for the proper preparation of presort bundles in the appropriate mail preparation sections based on shape and classification of the mail. Furthermore, bundling standards in the DMM require all mailers using strapping to use two bands to secure bundles of flats and irregular parcels that are not shrinkwrapped. Publication 248, The Perfect Bundle, dated November 2006, also includes the latest DMM Standards for preparing bundles.

Mailer Test for Bundles

The following test simulates some of the stress of normal transit and processing on bundles. We recommend that mailers use the following test to help determine if their bundles will remain intact during mail processing and transit.

1). Choose several bundles for testing, selecting bundles of different weights when possible, with emphasis on including more of the largest and heaviest weight bundles. This will ensure that strapping is adequate for the largest and heaviest bundles in the mailing.

2). Place the bundles on a raised surface at least 4 feet above the floor.

3). Push each bundle, corner first, off the edge of the raised surface with enough force so the bundle will land on the floor on one of its corners at a horizontal distance of 1 to 3 feet from the edge of the raised surface.

4). Lift each dropped bundle from the floor by grasping a corner of the shrinkwrap or the corners of several pieces in the bundle.

5). Evaluate the condition of each bundle as it is lifted. If the shrinkwrap or banding has not loosened allowing pieces to separate from the rest of the bundle, and if no pieces fall out of the bundle, the bundle is likely to withstand normal processing.

Large or heavy bundles are unlikely to pass this test if they are secured with rubber bands, string, thin shrinkwrap, or banding materials (such as polyethylene tape) that stretch and do not return to their previous tension. When bundles fail the drop test, mailers must rebundle all pieces in the mailing using stronger materials and/or adjust their equipment to ensure the consistent preparation of tight, secure bundles.

Bundle Verification at Acceptance

Bundle verifications are a standard part of the Business Mail Entry Unit acceptance procedures. These verifications include checking for address visibility and bundle integrity. Cost avoidance/Lost discount may be assessed for bundles which fail verification.

Working Together to Improve Bundle Integrity

Manual handling of mailpieces from broken or loose bundles results in delayed delivery and increased processing costs. This negatively impacts service and contributes to the need for postage price increases. Bundles that break open during processing on automated equipment could be damaged or damage the processing equipment. Postal employees use the Electronic Mail Improvement Report (eMIR) to inform the acceptance post offices of mailers with bundle integrity issues, particularly those with repeated occurrences, and to notify those customers of the problems experienced during the processing and distribution of their bundles. The mail owner and preparers can access their eMIR report information directly through the Mail Owner view in PostalOne!. Customers can apply for Mail Owner access online at http://www.usps.com/postalone. Working together we can improve bundle integrity.