Leak testing is crucial for industries like plastic, food and beverage, and dairy industry to preserve the integrity of products within the package. It is an important part of their quality control process. Even minute physical breaches in a package such as leaks or cracks can spoil quality of products making it unfit for use. Therefore, it is important to use high quality leak detection instruments that can detect leaks in timely manner and ensure container quality is not compromised. As important as leak testing is, it is vital to conduct leak tests without causing damages to the product or packages. Manufacturers currently rely on non-destructive leak detection techniques that ensure effective testing of packages without spoiling its usefulness.
Overview of pressure decay leak testing
A Pressure decay leak test involves evaluating the drop in pressure on a transducer during a leak test. Under this method, the component under test is pressurized (filled with air until it reaches a set pressure), then isolated from the supply pressure. Using a pressure sensor, the pressure within the part is monitored. The pressure drops as the air leaks out. The leak rate can then be calculated based on change in pressure over a certain period.
The biggest advantage of pressure decay test is that it is sensitive to very small leaks. This makes it an ideal choice for leak testing in industries such as automotive components, castings, food and beverage containers. Not just that, compared to other methods, pressure decay leak testing is simplest of the leak test methodologies and is therefore generally the least expensive to implement. Hence this method is well suited for high-volume industries that require quick accurate tests within their facility such as beverage containers for milk, juices and other beverage products.
Overview of PTI’s VeriCon technology
VeriCon systems utilize either pressure decay or vacuum decay technology and a three-step phase to each test cycle: Filling, Equalizing and Testing. VeriCon testers consist of either one or more testing stations (test heads). During the filling stage, the container is filled with either pressure or for vacuum systems, a vacuum is pulled inside the container. The equalizing phase follows allowing the pressure or vacuum to stabilize within the container. The amount of pressure or vacuum decay is monitored and measured during the test cycle which correlates to the presence of leaks within the container. The pass/fail result displays on the operator panel and the defective container is rejected from the line.
PTI's VeriCon Series offers a wide range of leak tester configurations capable of accommodating multiple container specifications. Its applications include plastic, blow molding, food, beverage and pharmaceutical industries. VeriCon technology works well for small, medium to large size containers and has inspection rates upto150 bottles/min. range. In addition to the basic inspection economics of identifying leaking containers and minimizing false rejects, VeriCon systems offer many additional advantages that increase overall operational efficiency. Real time inspection data with reject statistics and test result trends for on demand analysis of container quality.
All VeriCon systems utilize high resolution non-drifting transducers (either pressure transducers or vacuum transducers) for consistent leak detection. VeriCon testers are available in one to four station configurations, depending on the line speed/leak size requirement.
VeriCon Configurations:
1.
Trimmer Mount: designed especially for blow molding lines and indexing machinery integration, VeriCon Trimmer Systems are available in single and dual station configuration. VeriCon Trimmer leak detectors offer very high reliability and low maintenance, running 24/7.
2.
Linear Leak Testers: available in single or multi station configurations for standard online linear leak detection with high inspection speeds.
3.
Continuous Motion Testers: available in 1 to 4 station configurations with inspection speeds up to 150 bottles/min. Continuous motion inspection’s high speed testing ensures uninterrupted continuous motion inspection of containers.
Benefits of VeriCon technology:
All VeriCon systems offer the following features and benefits:
- VeriCon technology uses high resolution non-drifting transducers thereby ensuring consistent leak detection.
- Accurate leak testing with repeatable results
- 24/7 operation
- Capable of accommodating multiple container specifications and test sensitivity requirement