Mecmesin Systems Test Beauty Product Closures

A Greece-based manufacturer of skin, hair-care, make-up, and sun-care products has recently replaced their outdated torque testers with up-to-date digital torque testers supplied by Mecmesin, a British company with over three decades of experience in engineering force and torque testing systems. The beauty manufacturer, whose wide ranging key lines include numerous well-known personal care products, acquired the torque testing devices to ensure consistency in production quality, focusing on the integrity of seals, which are vital to leak prevention and maintenance of product quality.

The manufacturer required torque testers with the ability to test the tamper-evident closures of various plastic and glass bottles and pots for slip and bridge torque. In addition, the torque testers had to feature clear, intuitive controls, easy-to-read pass/fail indicators, onboard memory for storage of statistical test data, and waterproofing to withstand the splashing that is common on the production floor.

Mecmesin supplied the company with two Tornado 10Nm digital torque testers. These devices are comfortably capable of testing the torque required to open tamper-evident closures, which is a critical specification in the design of packaging for personal care creams and liquids. The Tornados are fitted with a four-peg clamping frame (shown in the illustrations). These frames provide the versatility required by the manufacturer, since their adjustability allows them to secure a large variety of containers while their seals undergo torque testing. During the test, peak torque readings are clearly displayed, and operators have the option of exporting the test data to a statistical printer or other output device.

Mecmesin’s Greek distributor, George Gousoulis and Co., provided the manufacturer with several after-sales services, including training and technical instruction. The manufacturer was pleased to say that reliability and value for money were their main reasons for their choosing Mecmesin’s Tornado digital torque tester.




Plastic pot placed on Mecmesin Tornado torque tester




Equipment
• Two Mecmesin Tornado 10Nm digital torque testers
• One Mitutoyo DP1VR printer

Why test top-load? Because top-load testing cuts down waste and brings savings to packagers

The article “Why Test Top-Load?” explains what top-load testing is and highlights the business case for effective and economical testing. The essence of the case for top-load testing is dual – less material usage and wastage, which means greater savings and compliance with environmental standards.

Many packaging manufacturers might find the prospect of investing in materials testing technology daunting, with complexity and cost as reasons for deferring a decisive move toward acquiring a good system. It seems however that top-load testing can be very straightforward – for typical applications, operators will require no re-skilling. Budget worries are likely similarly unfounded – sophisticated test platforms are in most cases not necessary. Easy-to-use touch screen-operated machines are available, and at a price that will not scare the accounts department. Of course, more sophisticated solutions are available too, and the article introduces the many options and advantages that higher end systems offer to businesses whose test needs are more specific.

If you still feel that investment in a top-load test system is a gamble, perhaps you should consider the alternatives – products whose material volume exceeds minimum requirements make expensive landfill. In packaging, less is definitely more. Less volume is less weight to ship and ultimately less waste to process. For businesses, this translates into more savings and more freedom from worries about environmental regulations.