Mecmesin Turns On Screw Caps For Wine Quality

Mecmesin torque testers are providing an affordable means for wine producers to guarantee that screw cap wine closures retain a hermetic seal, thereby maintaining wine quality, whilst avoiding leakage and oxidation.

Torque testers, such as the Orbis 6N.m manually-operated torque unit, have long been used to measure release torque of closures, but are being increasingly employed by wineries and manufacturers of metal screw caps to ensure correct manufacture and application on the bottling line for the wine industry’s requirements.

Incorrect manufacture instigates production problems, compromising the seal quality, which ultimately causes contamination of the wine. Inaccurate production processes leads to poorly fitted screw caps and difficulties for consumers opening bottles. Regular monitoring and testing of samples straight from the production line can identify problems quickly and enable rectification with minimal loss of time and money.

Mecmesin’s Orbis is a fundamental product for use within the production environment, and is extremely easy to set-up and operate. Four gripping pegs securely hold the base of bottles, ready for manual torque application. Featuring a fast sampling rate, the Orbis delivers accurate torque measurement and incorporates a water-resistant design rated to IP54.

To assess application and release torque of screw caps, Mecmesin’s Vortex-d motorised test system offers an ideal and affordable solution. Motor-driven, the Vortex-d eliminates the variability in results often associated with manually-operated testers.

Both products enable instant verification of closure quality and can help;

• ensure capping machinery is set correctly to avoid damage to closure
• measure consistency of release torque to maintain a standardised level of quality
• minimise risk of oxidation and leakage due to badly fitted screw caps

Andrew Wright, Operations and Logistics Manager of CSA Australia (a supplier of wine closures) comments on the Orbis, “This unit has been an integral part in testing screw cap closures. We chose the Orbis because of its reliability and robustness. It is great value for money especially compared to the old analogue units.”

Find out more about the Orbis

Find out more about the Vortex-d

Find out more about testing closures