Cap removal test of plastic vial

Case study

Push-off test of medical plastic phial cap

Motorised systems and accessories for push and pull off testing of small caps

Solution

Motor-driven test stand and digital gauge
Custom-designed holding fixture for the product

Benefits

Repeatable quick test with immediate peak force
Simple, reliable procedure

Requirement

The customer approached Mecmesin with a specification to pull-off the cap of a pharmaceutical phial. The test equipment needed to be simple to use and able to perform repeatable tests.

Solution

For ease of fixturing and low cost, Mecmesin suggested to the customer to turn his sample upside-down and push-off the cap. In this case, the force to push was the same as the force to pull. The customer agreed and a simple holding fixture was designed.

The plastic phial was inserted from below the fixture until its full depth and secured by a locking screw. The long extension rod of the AFG passed through a clearance hole until it reached the cap and pushed it off.

The maximum compression force was displayed on the AFG display and noted by the operator. The alarm band of the AFG was set to warn the operator if the push-off force was inside/outside the tolerance limits.