Keep Your Beer Carbonation Consistent
Safety Challenges
- When bottling spirits, explosive vapors are present in the filling area. Sparks caused
by electrical equipment can ignite the explosive material causing fire/explosion. - The torque testing of twist-cap beer bottles involves the handling of pressurized glass containers. Glass can crack, and the shattering pieces can turn into dangerous projectiles.
At Mesa Labs we put operator safety and ergonomics first!
- We developed strategies to mitigate the risk of explosions and protect operators in explosive environments.
- To protect operators from glass pieces from becoming a dangerous projectile (cracked glass beer bottle), we offer the full machine guard.
QA Testing Challenges
- Operator variation: The measure of seal integrity – release torque, can be highly dependent on how each operator is gripping the cap, how tightly they are clamping the bottle, how much topload they are applying on the top of the cap, and how fast they are ramping up the torque to open the closure. The consistent application of cap gripping pressure and topload is especially important when testing the release torque of ROPP or other thin walled caps.
Mesa Labs offers various cap gripper options, from the EDM chuck to the pressure controlled and monitored pneumatic chuck and by automating the testing process, we can minimize or eliminate the errors introduced by operator variation.
- Regulatory compliance: Documenting production and securing the integrity of the data can be as important as preserving the quality of the products. We at Mesa understand electronic record keeping requirements as defined by FDA 21 CFR Part 11 and we support our customers in achieving compliance by providing a defensible audit trail, data security, and the ability to track corrective actions and user activities. Mesa makes data collection flexible with RS-232, USB or Ethernet connectivity. Results can be automatically transferred to an industry standard SPC (Statistical Process Control) software such as Mesa’s WinSPC based TorqueIQ, or InfinityQS and Zontec – in both stand-alone or published (Citrix/Windows Terminal Server) environments.
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Relevant Tests
Release Torque Testing
Description: With a highly sensitive strain gage-based torque transducer, a 2000 CPR rotary encoder and proprietary pressure controlled cap and bottle gripper designs, our servo-driven automated torque tester can accurately detect both small and large changes in the torque and angle during the removal of a closure.
TEB (Tamper Evident Band)
Description: When tamper evident caps are used just knowing the release torque is not always enough, often knowing the torque required to break the bands is desired. Using a rotation driven release both the thread break and the band break can be measured. (See pg. 45 of ST-120S operator manual for info on how to set this up).
Strip
Description: With the ability to deliver and measure up to 88 lbf.in (10 Nm) of torque, we can find and report the torque it takes to strip out the threads when tightening your containers closure.
Application
Description: Used to tighten a cap to a precise torque. Not often used by itself, aside from an evaluation or validation of a capping process, it can also be combined with the release testing for nondestructive testing as well as fatigue and accelerated aging testing.
Relevant Mesa Products
Torqo 1600 Non-Destructive Cap Torque Tester
The Torqo 1600 is a durable and reliable computerized cap torque analyzer which is setting a new standard for torque measurement. With on-board microprocessors, it makes torque testing simple, accurate and affordable. The Torqo 1600 is easy to use, easy to set up, easy to move and low maintenance! Tooling is available for any threaded closure – including child resistant caps – and this compact unit delivers and stores precise results at the touch of a button.
ST-120S Industrial Cap Torque Tester
The ST-120-S features a servo drive control, infinite chuck rotation, quick-change tooling, a color touchscreen interface, and faster cycle times. It boasts a corrosion resistant stainless-steel head enclosure and anodized aluminum frame construction. The unit is equipped with anti-bridging, anti-tie down anti-repeat dual actuation safety start switches, but for maximum operator safety, the ST-120S can be also equipped with a full machine guard.
