Any type of packaging from medical and pharmaceutical to food products or beverages has to be designed to be leak proof. This is critical to ensure the material inside of the packaging is preserved and will provide consumer safety by preventing possible bacterial growth within the packaging as the MAP (modified atmosphere packaging) fails to maintain a seal.
Leak Detection at Manufacturing
With all types of food and pharmaceutical packaging part of the requirements is for the use of standardized and approved leak detection equipment. As the contract packaging company, it is essential to choose the correct equipment for the type of package testing on-site.
Not only does the leak detection equipment have to be accurate and meet the requirements set forth in the applicable regulations, but it also has to be able to keep up with production. Testing is only of value to the packaging company if issues with the seals on the packages are detected and corrected early in the packaging process.
Running tests after a day or even an hour of packaging may result in hundreds of thousands of units being thrown out. Not only is this a loss of production for the packaging company but it can also be a significant risk if some of the items are shipped and out to distributors before the problem is detected.
Specific Data
Using leak detection equipment is not just about looking for overall packaging failure, but also in specifically identifying the issue causing the leak. Knowing where in the processing or packaging line the problem is occurring narrows down the potential issues that may be causing the problem.
This, in turn, allows for faster correction of the system to address tears or holes in the packaging from the equipment or process as well as potential issues with incorrect film or packaging materials being selected.
