The cap torque tester is used in the packaging industry to measure the opening or closing

torque In physics and mechanics, torque is the rotational analogue of linear force. It is also referred to as the moment of force (also abbreviated to moment). The symbol for torque is typically \boldsymbol\tau, the lowercase Greek letter ''tau''. Wh ...

of the screw cap. Proper torque is required for the cap to perform its functions of maintaining a tight seal. It is a piece of specific

quality control Quality control (QC) is a process by which entities review the quality of all factors involved in production. ISO 9000 defines quality control as "a part of quality management focused on fulfilling quality requirements". This approach plac ...

equipment that can be placed on the

production line A production line is a set of sequential operations established in a factory where components are assembled to make a finished article or where materials are put through a refining process to produce an end-product that is suitable for onward ...

or in the

laboratory A laboratory (; ; colloquially lab) is a facility that provides controlled conditions in which scientific or technological research, experiments, and measurement may be performed. Laboratories are found in a variety of settings such as schools ...

. Several designs have been developed.

Packaging development

torque tester A torque tester is a quality control device to test or calibrate torque-controlled tools. This includes electronic torque wrenches, click torque wrenches, dial torque wrenches, electric screwdrivers, air screwdrivers, pulse tools, cordless screwd ...

is required during the packaging design process. It can be used as a destructive tester to identify if there is any material weakness of the packaging during the screwing process. It also allows one to define the torque tolerances of the capping machine. The lower torque limit is considered the minimum pressure of the cap to avoid any leak of the product. This torque test needs to be combined with a leak test with secure seal analyzer. The higher torque limit is the maximum torque the customer can apply to open or close the product's cap. The best application torque and the removal torque can be determined experimentally with the specific capping equipment, bottle, contents, closure, and closure liner.

Production line control

Once torque

tolerances Engineering tolerance is the permissible limit or limits of variation in: # a physical dimension; # a measured value or physical property of a material, manufactured object, system, or service; # other measured values (such as temperature, hu ...

have been defined, the cap torque tester is used as a torque control device on the final product. If measurements are out of the limits, the capping machine needs to be adjusted. Depending on the production process, it could be necessary to control the opening torque, 24 hours after the packaging process.

Temperature Temperature is a physical quantity that quantitatively expresses the attribute of hotness or coldness. Temperature is measurement, measured with a thermometer. It reflects the average kinetic energy of the vibrating and colliding atoms making ...

variations can modify product characteristics with a result of different torque measurement.

References

External links

Modern Plastics Encyclopedia issue

Food science abstracts, Volumes 18-20ASTM standardization news, Volume 32Great Britain. Dept. of Scientific and Industrial Research, Great Britain. Food Investigation Board, H. M. Stationery Off., 1955 - Technology & Engineering
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