Every week the developers of Oxipack receive phone calls from R&D managers, product developers, packaging technologists, engineers and packaging development managers. They want to improve their leak detection systems or are enquiring about whether a new packaging concept can be tested.
The company wants to know for sure:
Does the cap leak and if so how much exaclty?
What is the band width of the variation?
What are the consequences for the shelf life?
This needs to be tested. But how? The bubble test method used by the company is not accurate enough. So there seems to be no answer to these difficult questions.
That is until an R&D colleague who has another leak detection question gets in touch with Oxipack. The member of the R&D department is amazed by the precision of the readings.
“If you are able to measure such miniscule pressure differences, then perhaps you may also be able to find a solution for our pouring caps!”
That same afternoon a prototype that has been rapidly produced shows that leak testing the caps is possible. A day later the Production and Site Managers pay a visit to see for themselves how it all works.
Testing a sample run
A week later Oxipack has already started a series of tests using an adapted version of one of the standard leak testers. During the sampling run, the permeability of 2,000 bottles with the pouring cap are tested. Determines the baseline compared to the current method of measurement. It allows a very precise assessment of the quality of the packaging machine. If the Oxipack leak detection equipment indicates a difference, then these are the actual differences caused by the production. They are not due to the measuring equipment, tester or method.
Airtightness within limits
After a couple of days of testing it is clear that the seal does in fact let a tiny little bit of air in, but is sufficiently airtight. Combined with data from microbiology tests it can be confirmed that the current quality of the seal will have no consequences as regards shelf life. Therefore the company doesn’t need to have change the packaging machine and can continue with the present means of manufacturing and testing. The company can do this in the safe knowledge that airtightness has been proven to fall within the prescribed parameters.
