Date Of Publication:2020-02-22 15:29 Click Rate:471
The aseptic package is only as good as the final sealing of the ingredients. A small amount of inert gas is injected into a package of dairy and meat products to ensure freshness. The gas is injected at atmospheric pressure to keep the package dimensions stable. Testing the presence of a minimum amount of the inert gas and the integrity of the package seal posed a problem to the manufacturer. Loss of gas either by a puncture or from a poor seal means inevitable product spoilage. To reduce the potential of loss, a method of testing the final package had to be developed. Intrusive testing was eliminated as test method because it too time consuming. |
Honeywell worked with the customer to come up with a 100% inspection method by placing several sealed packages in a chamber with a reduced atmosphere and allowed the gas filled package to enlarge. A Honeywell Load Cell with a platen attachment was automatically lowered against the top of the package to sense the force created by the increase in relative pressure. A force-level window was created to reject under pressurized packages.
Honeywell’s Model 31 Load cell was selected because of the capability to hermetically seal the all-welded, stainless steel load cell and to provide a submersible cable for the sanitary wash-down procedure. The Model 31 Load Cell would also have to operate in a near vacuum condition inside the test chamber.
The quick response time of the Model 31 in the range of 0-50 lbs, allowed up to 2,500 packages per hour to be inspected. The high overload protection option in the Model 31 assured continuous operation of the testing equipment even though a jam in the process could generate up to 500 lbs or ten times the Load Cell range. Space was also a premium in the package testing chamber and the Model 31 fit the bill perfectly with the small footprint.
Honeywell supplied a standard model load cell with standard options to 100% monitor the integrity of a complicated food package seal. The load cell was located in a wash-down area and reliably operated in a reduced pressure atmosphere. The quick response by the Honeywell Sales and Engineering Team was rewarded by the continuing success of this customer's high quality product in the consumer market place.