Top-load testing solutionsTop-load testing PET (PolyEthylene Terephthalate) bottles

Solution

Motorised compression test stand
Digital force gauge
Vented compression plate

Benefits

Quick and easy test procedure
Single button press performs the buckling test

We have performed top-load tests on our PET bottle production line for nearly a decade with Mecmesin equipment, which has proved extremely robust and reliable. We plan to upgrade our QC test equipment soon and I will have no hesitation in sticking with Mecmesin, owing both to the longevity of their products and the broad range of advanced capabilities on offer.

John Gilroy
Quality Manager, Esterform Packaging

Requirement

Esterform Packaging manufacture more than a million PET bottles and preforms per day for major processors of bottled water, juices, soft drinks, dairy and household products.

During production, Esterform need to be able to assess the axial load capacity of the PET bottles in line with the company's exacting standards of quality.

This is a critical factor to ensure the bottles will not buckle during filling and capping, or when stacked for transportation and storage.

Solution

Esterform have used a Mecmesin VersaTest (now superseded by the MultiTest-dv), with an AFG 1000 N Force Gauge, for nearly a decade to perform top-load tests as a quality control measure at the point of production.

A sample bottle, taken at regular intervals from each production line is placed directly beneath a 50 mm diameter compression plate and a compressive load applied at a rate of 250 mm/min until the bottle has visibly buckled.

The AFG records the maximum load experienced during the test and displays this result on its clear, digital screen.

Test equipment

MultiTest-dV motorised tensile and compression test stand
AFG digital force gauge (1 kN)
50 mm diameter compression plate
Suitable for ASTM D2659: Standard test method for column crush properties of blown thermoplastic containers

Company Info