Top-load crush testing
A leading European brewing company, part of a global group, produces economy brands in plastic (PET), as well as glass bottles. The PET bottles must be quality-tested for top-load crush strength, and the caps for both unscrewing and release of the tamper-evident ring. Many tests must be done each day on the production line to ensure consistent compliance against internal quality standards.
The company was supplied with two test stands. A Vortex-d is used for torque testing the caps, and a computer-driven MultiTest 5-xt is used for the top-load crush test.
The motorised Vortex-d unscrews caps at a set rate of rotation and is used with a Mecmesin Advanced Force & Torque Indicator (AFTI). This records all test profiles and downloads the data for graphical display, comparison and analysis in Mecmesin’s Emperor™ Lite software.
The MultiTest 5-xt is fully computer-controlled via a touch screen, and is used with a 2500 N intelligent loadcell and perforated compression plate. A library of customisable test programmes ensures consistent operation every time. Real-time graphic display on the screen, with pass/fail indication, gives instant results, and all test profiles are recorded for comparison and analysis in the Emperor™ software.
The company chose the systems for the way both tests are very quick to set up, and give instant, accurate results under conditions that are reproducible with complete consistency.
Bottle cap torque testing
