Packages ought to be leak-tight to avoid leaks and increase the shelf life of products. Many high-end technologies are available for testing the package integrity of cans and bottled products. Fast and accurate seal integrity testing solutions delineate hole size and leak levels. They then test the seal strength to reduce costs and risks linked with integrity issues.
The choice of leak detectors at the buyer’s disposal varies widely, depending on the packaging equipment, material, and design. Of course, don’t expect to pay equally for all types of package leak detection solutions, as their cost depends on various factors.
What Affects the Cost of Package Leak Detection?
The costs of different package leak detectors depend on many aspects of the production process. It’s not easy to give an exact quote, but by contemplating these important factors, you might know what you’ll ultimately pay for your package leak detection.
Package Leak Detector Accessories, Model, and Features
The current market has a large collection of package leak detectors, varying from integrated, linear, to rotary systems. There are a variety of models of these machines, each with a wide selection of outstanding features and accessories. The ideal leak detection machine must meet your production processes and integrity testing requirements, as this is the only way to optimize leak detection while keeping costs low.
Production Setup and Floor Plan Space
Many leak detection machines are automated to make the transition from production to testing simple and fast. When choosing a leak detection machine, you must examine the production facility’s space, size, and layout. These aspects affect the conveyor work needed to transition between machines and processes. The goal is to get equipment that matches your production setup and floor plan space to optimize the production process and minimize labor to cut costs.
Types of Production Runs
Bigger production volumes always translate to more package integrity checking costs. If your firm generates lots of bottled and canned products per day, more time will be put into the testing work. Such a high volume of testing will lead to more service costs. Besides, if your production has many product runs, it will require more tooling and changeovers, which adds to the integrity testing costs.
Desired Automation
Many package leak detector manufacturers offer machines with extensive automation features. You’ll find top-notch ones with recipe-saving programs and automated, toolless changeovers. These extra features and automation functions will always come at an extra price. Be sure to research the features and accessories in your package integrity testing machine and the machine’s usability in your company.
Choosing the Best Package Leak Detector for You
In choosing the perfect package leak detector for your unique needs, you have to consider several essential things. Start by checking the tightness criteria, ensuring you go for highly sensitive leak detectors capable of testing low tightness ranges of 1 x 1–7 mbar*l/s. The testing time will always affect the efficiency and success rates of the test processes. Different leak detectors offer various test, drying, and stabilization times. Today’s most extensively used testing technology is helium leak testing, which works best for large and medium-sized components.
Some leak detection machines are affected by changes in environmental conditions. For example, pressure decay needs temperature control and stabilization times to achieve accurate and reliable measurements. These tough requirements make the technology unsuitable for areas with certain environmental conditions. Choose helium or vacuum air testing solutions not affected by external conditions to avoid such problems.
Another crucial consideration is the sensitivity levels required. You need extra-sensitive machines to test packaging with highly explosive and toxic contents like medicine and chemicals. These are vital for protecting your reputation while safeguarding the customers’ well-being.
Conclusion
Many vital aspects will determine your business’s package leak detection cost. Evaluating everything that will directly impact overall testing costs is critical for more efficient results. Start by checking the life-cycle cost of the method in question and the suitability of the integrity testing technology. Pay attention to the costs of acquiring and running the machine and its usefulness in your business settings to ensure the technology can fulfill your long and short-term package testing goals. That way, you’ll be able to meet your client’s expectations while protecting your business and brand reputation.
