Nail Varnish Closure Removal Torque and Capping Check

Case study

nail varnish closure removal torque

Cosmetics closure samples and pass

Solution

Digital manually-operated cap torque tester

Benefits

Quick and easy testing in the QC lab
Clear indication of pass or fail values based on cap manufacturer data
Light and portable machine

The Mecmesin system has helped us deliver a better product to our customers with less breakages and leaks. The Tornado is used every 2 hours to ensure the torque of the nail varnish caps are within working range.

Gregorio Suarez, Quality Control and Production Manager
Barry M Cosmetics Ltd.

Requirement

Barry M Cosmetics Ltd. are the leading British colour cosmetics brand, offering a comprehensive range of products for face, eyes, lips and nails. Their heritage began in 1982, by recognising the gap in the market for fashionable, on trend, vibrant colour choices in the cosmetics industry. The company’s reputation centres not only on drama and high quality, but also a strict policy to be cruelty-free in the testing of finished products and ingredients, in-house or within their supply chain. The brand produce not only a vast array of nail paint colours and special effects, but also in a range of finishes. With such challenging criteria for the cosmetics chemist in terms of product style and formulation ethics, the performance of the product in use must also be assured. The cap's closure torque should be applied at point of production to preclude leakage during packaging or transportation, without weakening or breaking the bottle neck. The consumer should also be able to unscrew the cap with ease. The company required a quick, reliable and repeatable test method to check the capping equipment of their nail paint range.

Solution

Mecmesin supplied a Tornado digital torque tester of 3 N.m capacity, which is a complete, portable, benchtop instrument. The bottle manufacturer recommends a removal torque in the range of 55 – 65 N.cm as a quality check for in-specification application torques. Barry M’s production department takes six examples from the capping machine at regular intervals and measures the peak torque value to remove the closure. A clear/fail indicator LED and audible alarm enable a fast, consistent assessment of the production equipment. Additionally, Tornado’s versatile mounting table accommodates various container designs and has an integrated drip tray. Its casing is resistant to spillage, and the control panel/display also sealed and wipe-clean – ideal for testing liquid cosmetic products. Barry M can therefore continue to innovate, with further confidence that their customers will receive their products intact, ready to apply with ease.