Tamper-Proof Closure Test

Case study

Tamper-Evident ring push-off test at point of manufacture

Tamper-Evident ring push-off test fixture in use

Solution

Motorised tensile test stand and gauge
Custom two-cap fixture

Benefits

Simple and reliable test procedure at point of production
Quick turnaround of check result back into manufacturing

Requirement

Alcoa required a system to quickly test the tamper-proof rings on soft drink and mineral water closures.

The system had to be easy to operate and allow caps to be loaded quickly.

Solution

The VersaTest motorised stand with AFG 1000 N gauge allowed the test to be semi-automated so that it was very simple for operators to conduct. Thanks to the special double-loading fixture it was possible for an operator to load a second cap whilst the first was being tested, thereby reducing testing time.

The cap would be placed onto the plunger which was then pushed up to engage the tamper-proof ring over fixed lip. The fixture was rotated to align the plunger with the force gauge. The gauge was then driven down forcing apart the cap and tamper-proof ring and recording the peak load. In total, 6 systems were supplied to Alcoa to cope with the volume of testing required on each production line.

Test equipment

VersaTest Motorised Stand (superseded by the MultiTest-dV series)
AFG 1000 N Gauge
Cap Loading Mechanism