Tray sealing specialist Proseal has launched a unique seal quality testing system that enables food manufacturers and processors to determine the ideal seal and peel strength for individual products. The new ProTest solution allows users to create the best seal each time, combining effective protection of the contents with the right level of ‘peelability’ that ensures maximum consumer convenience.
The compact and easy-to-use ProTest unit is an automated lid-peeling device that measures and reports the resistance offered by the film as it separates from the tray during the moment of lid peeling. This provides the user with the relevant data to determine if the seal strength is the most user-friendly while remaining suitable for the product’s life-cycle.
ProTest is capable of retaining, displaying and outputting test data, allowing the user to export the information. Up to five test results can be compared at any one time. The unit is flexible enough to handle the vast majority of trays currently used in the market with diagonal diameters from 25mm up to 380mm in any shape.
In order for companies to fully understand the results generated by the ProTest unit, Proseal has established a set of ‘Peelability Metrics’ that explains the four different stages involved in removing a film from the tray – the initial separation of the film, the peeling along the straight edges, the traveling of the film over the corners, and the final draw of the film as it is completely separated from the tray. ProTest is able to take into account the different levels of ‘weight draw’ required by the consumer at each stage, in order to assess the most appropriate seal strength required to effectively satisfy these different requirements.
Reports are generated on the machine’s 12” high-definition touchscreen and can be exported via Ethernet or USB device. This provides users with traceability records and the information to monitor peel strengths throughout production.
The ProTest unit requires only 1200mm x 400mm of bench space and a 3 pin 230v power supply. It therefore offers a highly cost-effective means of providing in-house seal integrity analysis without the need for costly, off-site third-party testing.
“Existing test equipment is capable of assessing the burst strength of a seal and how much pressure or weight it may support, but up until now there has been no test that actually measures the ‘peelability’ of a tray, finally the industry now has something that it can lean on to take the ‘person to person’ judgement away from this vital aspect of heat sealing,” explains Proseal’s Test Facility Manager Jessie Malone.
“Understanding the peel strength both before and during the production process can be a priceless tool in solving any seal issues and will help to ensure consumers enjoy both high quality products and the satisfaction of easy opening.”
Over the last few years Proseal has been at the forefront of heat sealing developments, running a series of award-winning Masterclasses that have defined ‘Heat Sealing Best Practice’ and been adopted as a benchmark of quality by major-multiples and blue-chip organisations in the UK and overseas.
The new ProTest system has evolved from Proseal’s pioneering heat sealing developments as major food producers and retailers alike look for Proseal to lead the way in seal quality testing solutions.
