PPT Group solutions for the food and drink sector. We live in a world where the majority of food and drink products are supplied pre-packed in packaging that protects, but that is designed to be opened easily.

The sheer amount of single-use packaging and the growth in environmental regulations creates pressure to produce it with minimal waste and expense, whilst still making sure that it is fit for purpose. That is where physical testing of food & drink packaging becomes essential to ensure the customer experience is positive:

• Consumer food packaging needs to be peeled open so must be designed and checked for 'maximum seal and minimum peel'.
• Retort pouches require the consumer to overcome a pre-tear perforation whilst withstanding puncture forces to protect the contents.
• Plastic drinks bottles need to use a minimal amount of raw material yet still be able to withstand the forces applied during filling and stacking, so they need to be tested for top-load strength.
• Twisting opening a drinks cap or closure can itself be a challenge particularly for the elderly. Torque testing during the design and production cycle becomes critical to ensure usability and that the brand image is not harmed by poor packaging.
• Spray cans require the correct finger pressure to activate the aerosol. Ring-pulls must provide a secure seal but not require excessive opening force which breaks nails or cut fingers.

The list of applications is almost endless and the more packaging becomes aesthetic in itself, the more difficult it can be to grip and test.

At PPT Group we design force and torque measurement systems and fixtures for testing packaging products of all kinds, so that you can apply industry standard test methods in both designs and on the production floor for quality-control.

Our Emperor control and analysis software is powerful and flexible for reliable, accurate, repeatable testing at the push of a button.

Test to your own company standards as well as to ASTM, BS EN, ISO, DIN, CEN, Afera, FEFCO, FINAT, PSTC, TAPPI and TLMI

Interested in texture analysis?
Mecmesin has over 40 years' experience in the design and manufacture of texture analyzers, texture presses and tenderometers. There's more to discover in texture analysis on our dedicated Texture Analyzers site (www.textureanalyzers.com).