Protection is a prerequisite if packaging consumable goods. During handling, storage, transportation, the PET bottles, cartons, and cans have to resist the compressive forces. The manufacturers of beverage containers need to ensure the sufficient strength of the containers to tolerate the capping process. The top load tester is used to measure the resistance to top loading to quantify the design and quality of containers. Top load testing (also called compressive strength testing or crush testing) determines the structural resistance of packaging material to a compressive load until deformed or collapsed. The top-load testing is crucial to ensure the packaging integrity.
The top load tester performs the column crush testing, used for PET and Preform. The bottles must have the ability to resist the stresses during filling and closure. The packaging products need to be stacked at some point whether empty or filled. During transportation, the packaging is subject to move, or other products are placed one above another causing extra strain. If the products or PET bottles are not robust to maintain the integrity within the desired standards, leakage or breakage of products may occur. This could lead to losing of business or income, product return or replacement, as well as environmental impact.
The materials used in plastic bottles, containers, glass jars, containers or cardboard, affect the structural designs of such items. For example, PET bottles are globally used for bottling the beverages, cooking oil, cleaning liquid, etc. The closure, grip areas, shoulder, handles, and base design can affect the axial load strength. Some designs made for the unit to unit stacking that minimizes the batch packaging and increases the stack stability.
Top load testing is an essential testing procedure that ensures the most efficient design and raw material ratio
Recommended Industries for Top Load Tester
- Beverage or Bottle Industry: The manufacturers of PET bottles need to comply the environmental standards limiting the use of materials. The PET bottle production involved process beginning with the preform. The preform is shaped and sized and then cooled in water. The shaped bottle is then placed on the filling line, capped and packed. The weak areas of PET bottles are base and neck. These areas have the possibility of deformation when under compression. The top load tester also checks the light-weight capped bottles that experience crush failure during handling and storage. The top-load testing is crucial for PET bottle as it prevents crushing of bottles during shipment or movement.
- Packaging Industry: The packaging industry includes cardboard, plastics, and metal. The cartons have significant use in the packaging industry and are a most preferred item for delivery or supply of the products. The manufacturers require a good quality of cardboard so that end users receive the product in saleable form. The packaging products need to be placed stacked at some point and, therefore, the compressive strength is vital to prevent material distortion. The top-load testing helps to determine material limitation, ascertain the packaging strength, and protect the product.
The Advanced and High-Quality Top Load Tester for the Packaging Manufacturers
Presto designs and manufactures the top load tester, available as a digital model, computerized model and analogue model. The top-load testing checks the finished material and determines the required force to produce deformation of bottles and containers. The testing also measures the thinned areas in the wall of the bottles that causes the poor distribution of wall thickness. The instrument provides digital compressive buckling of load complying with Indian and international standards. The manufacturers required top load tester to maintain the quality of the bottles due to following reasons:
- The top load tester testing procedure determines the strength of the sample and measures the initial and recovered height of the sample.
- The test assesses the behavior of the sample and prevents crushing during transit and storage.
- The crush test evaluates the possibility of the vent in a bottle or slipping sideways.
- The test determines the pattern of failure, or conditions in which a bottle could get crushed
- The test involves applying a downwards compression for measuring the resistance to crushing of a product, usually a container or bottle.
- The testing procedure determines the speed of compression and extent of deformation. The product sample strength is evaluated by the peak force.