An advanced leak detection system designed for monitoring the seal performance of flexible and semi rigid packages.
The design and development of the packaging system has come under close scrutiny with a great deal of emphasis placed on the integrity of the final product. Although factors such as type of package, materials of construction, size and desired outcome all add to the equation of flexible package integrity, the seal leak strength is an important element.
FLEXSEAL® was developed in response to an industry wide need for improved quality assurance of packaged food products. FLEXSEAL® is a useful tool for the manufacturer of product, needing an airtight package, where protection of the internal product from environmental elements is necessary to ensure the end user of quality.
Once all considerations of package material and design have been finalised and a validated sealing process employed, one of the ways of effectively monitoring the integrity of the package is to test the condition of the seal via FLEXSEAL®. Other testing methods, such as the Hot Tack Test, can evaluate the strength of the seal, whereas FLEXSEAL® can detect the integrity of the seal ie: the seal may be strong but will still allow air to pass through.
Some testing labs use Dye Penetration to test the seal integrity. A low surface-tension solution and dye indicator is used to flow through any channels in the seal. Although this is a sensitive leak indicator, it is very slow and messy for quick results on a production line.
The Vacuum Leak test involves submersing the package in water in such a way that it is difficult to detect the location of the leak. The vacuum method has been shown to be an inadequate test to accurately qualify and quantify the seal performance of snack bar products. Again, like the dye penetration test, the vacuum leak test is more time consuming than using FLEXSEAL® and not suitable for porous material.
Tracer Gas Systems have proven to be not only expensive, but complex and present many problems where reproducibility and sensitivity affect the outcome of testing.
FLEXSEAL®, being very economical in comparison, is the quickest and easiest visual way to test the integrity of flexible and semi rigid packages, although it is not the only test needed to determine the overall package integrity.