Package and Product Integrity Blog

ASTM has recently issued a new standard which tests the mechanical seal strength for round cups and bowl containers with flexible peel-able lids.  This test provides measured values for average seal strength, work and maximum seal strength when using a universal tester to separate the entire lid (cover/membrane) from a rigid or semi-rigid round container.

While the standard is specifically for round containers; oval, rectangular and circular containers with single or multiple cavities can be tested.  The test applies to various industries including food, chemical and pharmaceutical.   This test allows manufacturers of these containers to compare adhesives, seal methods and the affects of post sealing treatments such as aging or sterilization.

ASTM F2824 cites ASTM F88 which many of our customers are familiar with.  F88 tests a portion of a seal and provides an actual seal strength picture of the portion of the seal under test.  F2824 tests the entire seal by pulling the lid off at a rate of twelve (12) inches per minute while maintaining a peel angle of 45 degrees throughout the pull.

The 45 degree angle requires the test specimen to move during the test and in some cases requires a custom fixture to hold the container.  DDL is equipped to carry out this test and has several methods to create custom test fixtures for the best test results possible.

“A good example that helps people envision this test is peeling the foil lid off of a yogurt container” says Al Gale, Sales Engineer for DDL’s Product & Material Division.  “When you perform that simple act you can feel that the initial portion of the pull is harder than when you are in the middle of your pull and the pull gets harder again at the end.  This is exactly what our universal test sees and records during the test.”

Pharma IQ is holding a conference focused on stability testing, September 14-16 in London, to discuss the many concerns surrounding pharmaceutical companies meeting regulatory requirements. The conference and workshops will focus on how pharmaceutical stability testing can help the pharmaceutical industry maintain high standards, while meeting time constraints and keeping costs at bay.

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Patrick Nolan, President of DDL and Rick Roberti, Lab Manager for DDL East will both be attending the ISTA Transport Packaging Forum this week in Orlando, Florida. The Transport Packaging Forum is one of the premier events in the transport packaging industry. For those of us in the medical device industry, it is crucial to understand how the physical distribution and transportation of your products can affect the end user. Product integrity can often be compromised during the transportation stage of product distribution, often due to a lack of temperature monitoring solutions, temperature control, poor package design or non-compliance with packaging industry standards.

Some of the featured speakers at this year’s show for those of you concerned with package and product integrity topics will  include:

• Ed Church, Executive Director, ISTA and Brian Wallin, Engineer, Amgen – ISTA Standards for Temperature-Controlled-Products
• Greg Batt, Lecturer, Clemson University – Use of Simultaneous Three Axis Vibration in Simulation of the Transport Environment
• Dale Root, Lansmont Corporation – Constructed Probability, Applying Analysis Results in the Lab in Pursuit of Improved Damage Correlation
• Dr. S. Paul Singh, Professor, Michigan State University School of Packaging – Handling of Sea Containers in International Ports

Events like the Transport Packaging Forum are extremely valuable to packaging professionals that work in the medical device, pharmaceutical, life science and bio-tech industries, to ensure that we are continually learning from our peers.  Staying up to date on the ever changing world of packaging can ultimately affect how both the package integrity and  product integrity of these life saving, valuable products is treated.

How do changes in the transport packaging industry affect how your products need to be handled before reaching the end user?

Here is a glimpse of the TCP Reliable and DDL booth from last week’s Pack Expo 2009 trade show in Las Vegas, Nevada. Scott Levy and Lyndsey Danberry from DDL, David Whitt from TCP and Raj Gill from Cryopak were all there to handle the busy yearly conference.

There was a very diverse crowd of attendees; ranging from food manufacturers looking for temperature controlled packaging solutions for shipping, to pharmaceutical folks looking for cooling solutions  to streamline turnaround on time sensitive products. The biggest names in package testing and package design were all there to show off their products and services, as well as enjoy some time in Sin City.

Did you attend Pack Expo 2009?

The Medical Device Package Testing blog covers medical device package testing topics, industry testing standards, industry regulation and the most up to date industry news. Thought leaders from DDL Inc., Patrick Nolan, John Hart, Corey Hensel and Scott Levy will all be among the regular conributors to the blog.

The blog will also cover hot topics in pharmaceutical and environmental package testing, as well as package design, development & prototyping. Aside from topics covered in the medical device industry, we will also discuss issues surrounding the chemical, electronics, mechanical, aerospace, consumer products and automotive industries. We hope that you subscribe to the blog and enjoy keeping up with the excitement of the package testing industry.

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Thanks for reading!