Package integrity is critical in a multitude of industries in the food and pharmaceutical fields. Food packages and health product containers must withstand unpredictable weather and altitude conditions during transportation.
Making predictions and preparing packages for different scenarios is a process of its own. Fortunately, there are products specifically made for this purpose that can make the job a lot easier.
Providing a package with no defective seals, seams, or leaks in an ever-evolving industry is critically important. Ensuring rigorous quality control of today’s food and pharmaceutical products is extremely important.
If a package seal breaks, it can lead directly to reputational damage to your brand and the loss of large amounts of money in compensation. Quality control standards must be of the highest order possible to succeed in this industry.
An effective package leak detector ensures that your brand provides the confidence and integrity you need to thrive in the marketplace. Seal-Check Pro systems are perfectly suited for various products in the food and pharmaceutical industry.
Using them correctly will allow your products to reach your end customer safely.
Importance of Package Leak Detectors
Package leak detectors reliably detect seal integrity problems. This process is essential to the quality control of modified atmosphere packaging (MAP). Compromises in controlled atmospheres lead to shorter shelf life for MAP products.
With that in mind, the three primary functions of leak testing are:
- Determining the presence of a leak
- Measuring the leak rate
- Locating the leak
Leak detectors increase production speed and minimize the risk of undetected package integrity issues leading to unwanted returns and damaged customer relationships. There are many ways and types of test equipment to solve these problems.
Unfortunately, there is no single technique that fits all situations.
Each test method is only suitable for specific leak rates, configurations, and designs.
In most cases where leak detection comes into play, it is not necessary to directly measure the leak rate, but the system must be able to detect if the leak rate is above or below a certain level.
This reference limit depends on the maximum permissible leakage rate consistent with a reasonable life expectancy of the final product, which varies from country to country depending on rules and regulations.
Equipment Utilized for Leak Detection
Leak detectors, leak testers, and quality assurance equipment are among the most commonly used methods of testing packages.
It has become the standard quality control method for freshly cut produce, coffee, meat, cheese, pharmaceuticals, surgical instruments, and hundreds of other applications.
With most packages, partially filling the device with water is part of the testing process (bursting strength tests occur in dry conditions). Insert the sealed package, close the lid and activate the vacuum.
The term “trace gas leak test” entails a set of test methods characterized by detecting and measuring tracer gas flowing through a leak. The most commonly used tracer gases are halogen (CFC, HCFC, and HFC refrigerants), helium, and a mixture of 95% nitrogen and 5% hydrogen.
Despite the simplicity of the electron detector, halogens are losing their attractiveness as tracer gases due to environmental regulations following the Montreal and Kyoto protocols.
Package leak testing devices are available from multiple manufacturers. Therefore, ensuring that the chosen design and service provider aligns with your needs is important to ensure quality and well-packaged end products.
Closing Remarks
Investing in package integrity testing equipment will pay off in the long run for your business.
Ensuring the quality of your product packaging is fundamental for your brand’s image, not to mention that company presentation is vital with today’s stringent industry standards too.
Packet integrity has become a top priority with the convenience and rise of online shopping and e-commerce. Consider contacting Seal-Check to learn more about how a package leak detector can benefit your production line.