Testing Packaging Pinhole Leaks Integrity

In today's world, packaging integrity serves the highest purpose for any food or drug company. If they are unable to deliver their products safely without tampering to the public then they would not be able to sell anything. Consumers demand that their food and drugs must be guaranteed fresh, safe, and cost effective. Companies place the highest regard to the safety and integrity of their products packaging but in today's changing environment this can be quite challenging. This is where Lenox Laser has the expertise and knowledge to help companies create standards that can be used to help test their packaging even in a production line.

Lenox Laser, Inc. has the unique ability to drill precise repeatable critical flow orifices in glass, vials, ampoules, lids, pouches, cans, containers, blister packs, skin packs, vacuumed sealed packs, bottle capping and advanced types of primary packaging for use in testing and a production environment. Our critical flow orifices can be drilled directly into your product's packaging often allowing the company to replace expensive testing equipment ultimately saving thousands of dollars while increasing product safety. We also specialize in controlling product atmosphere's flow rate using our orifice technologies and calculators. We can also help develop package integrity and tamper resistant technologies that can alert the consumer if the product has been compromised. Lenox Laser is ale to drill micro holes down to the half micron which allows the smallest of flow rates that can be used to test the seals of your package. Often customers use several of our drilled products to test their products packaging while they are being packaged which saves time, energy, and money while increasing quality.

Our orifices can help with both destructive and non-destructive packaging testing for whatever application you may need. Our orifices are often used in vacuum/pressure decay testing and direct gas leak detection testing methods where flow control and detection is critical down to the smallest micron. Our small calibrated orifices can also be used to detect if there are any leaks in the seal. The quality of the packaging integrity is only as good as the strength of its seal which is often the hardest to test. Using our pinhole detection technologies, manufacturers can easily test their packages for pinholes down to the half micron thus detecting microbial barrier's to the smallest possible- as noted below the smaller the hole the harder for your packages integrity to be comprised.

Recent research, such as Earl Hackett’s study explained in “How Pinholes Affect Packaging” in the July 2000 issue of PMP News, indicates that in flexible packages with breathable barrier materials, the nature of flow and the mobility of bacteria may in fact make penetration difficult with holes up to 50 µm. (According to Hackett, the data showed that essentially all particles that entered the hole exited on the far side. The flow through the entire package was split between the hole and the Tyvek or paper. The number of particles detected coming through the 100-mm diameter sample of barrier material was statistically the same with or without the hole until the hole reached a minimum diameter of 50 µm.)

Please E-mail drawings with hole size or flow rate with specific gas and up/down
stream pressures, we can calibrate your online production packaging equipment.
E-mail- quotes@lenoxlaser.com or call 410-592-3106 for more information.

Also for more information please visit -

http://www.devicelink.com/pmpn/archive/03/01/003.html
Using pinholes as tools to attain optimum modified atmospheres in packages of fresh produce
Industrial Sterilization
http://www.quartetenterprises.com/calculate_effect_of_pinhole.htm
http://www.tmelectronics.com/resources_pkgTestingFoodIndustry.htm