How Innovations in Leak Detection can Prevent Costly Recalls and Returns and Protect Brand Reputation

Contura S400 (& S600 coming soon)A non-destructive, proprietary differential pressure method that identifies leaks, both large and small, quickly, easily and most importantly, accurately.

The quantitative results provide food manufacturers with the information required to prevent costly recalls, returns and waste, and protect their brand reputation.

Bill BurnardBusiness Development – Package Integrity

Financials 2018 – OverviewSales by Geography

Sales and Operating Income (in MUSD and % Sales)

Balance Sheet

Sales by End Market

22%

3%

20%

24%

4%

26%

19%

5%

76%

Assets Liabilities

Balance Sheet Structure 2018

Fixed assets

Other non-current assets

Receivables

Inventories

Other current

Cash & short-term investments

Equity

Non-current liabilities

Current liabilities

MUSD 271.2 MUSD 271.2

Global Presence Global market organization with 7 sales and service regions and 18 local offices Eight manufacturing locations More than 1100 employees worldwide

INFICON Koln

Preventing Costly Recalls & Returns

•Preventing recalls. •Differential pressure method explanation•Both large and small leaks.•Testing speed is critical.•Ease of use.•Accuracy.•Data to support decisions.

Package Integrity

Finding Leaks Before They Depart

• Preventing recalls. In other words, finding failed packaging prior to it departing your manufacturing facility.

Effects of Leakage on Shelf Life:

What is Differential Pressure Method:

• Creating a differential pressure in the atmosphere around the package in order to inspire gas transfer.

Aristotle: “Nature abhors a vacuum”

Basic Principles

pressure gauge

pChamber

Pressure increase in measuring chamber: dp/dt = q / V

Leak rate: q ~ pP2 - pC

2

Temperature drift: Δp/ ΔT ~ pC

Best result:

Chamber pressure-> as low as possible Chamber volume-> as small as possible

Leakage rate q: Amount of gas emanating from the test specimen per time with given pressure difference

Units: mbar l/s ; Pa m³ /s leak pPackage

Rigid chamber walls

Problem of the rigid chamber

Rigid Chamber: packages expand and explode under vacuum

Contura S400

Contura S400

Solving for the Effects of Vacuum Force on Packages:

Expanding Force

Containment Force

Containment Force

Rigid Chamber

Flexible Chamber

Solving for the Effects of Vacuum Force on Packages:

Working Principle: Fine Leak

2530354045505560657075

0 5 10 15 20

pres

sure

[mba

r]

time [s]

Basic Principles

Pressure ~ 30 mbar

Pressure ~ 1013 mbar

Leakage

Package

Membrane

Gasflow

Pressure Sensor

15

17

19

21

23

25

27

29

31

0 2 4 6 8 10 12

Pres

sure

p [m

bar]

Time t [s]

Leckage

Well sealed

Test Cycle Pressure Profile:

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

3.5 4.5 5.5 6.5 7.5 8.5 9.5 10.5

p[m

bar]

t [s]

internal volume determination (delta p)

pressure increase measurement dp/dt

valve block checkdp/dt valve block

Pressure Increase Measurement dp/dt

Test Cycle Pressure Profile:

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

3.5 4.5 5.5 6.5 7.5 8.5 9.5 10.5

p[m

bar]

t [s]

internal volume determination (delta p)

pressure increase measurement dp/dt

valve block checkdp/dt valve block

Pressure Increase Measurement dp/dt

Fine leak cycle

Testing for Both Large and Micro Leaks

• Gross Leakage: Flexible Packages

• Gross Leakage: Rigid Packages

Fanc

y Sh

redd

ed

Che

ddar

Test Cycle Pressure Profile:

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

3.5 4.5 5.5 6.5 7.5 8.5 9.5 10.5

p[m

bar]

t [s]

internal volume determination (delta p)

pressure increase measurement dp/dt

valve block checkdp/dt valve block

Pressure Increase Measurement dp/dt

Secondary leak cycle

Complication 1: Gross leaksFelxible Package

Problem: Massive Leaks

Major defect

Gas escapes completely before measurement

Without gas, no measurable pressure increase

Solution: Measuring product volume

Measuring the volume of packaging by displacement

pressure sensor

valve

cap volume

product packagingflexible

foil chamber

P1 > P2

gross leak leak proof

Measuring the volume of packaging by displacement

Drucksensor Ventil

Deckel-volumen

Produkt VerpackungFolien-

kammer

P1 > P2

LeaktightGross leaking

Gross Leakage: Problem Solved

Gross Leakage: Problem Solved

Gross Leakage: Problem Solved

The dome pressure increase in

Measuring chamber: dp/dt = q / V

Leakrate : q ~ pP2 - pC

2

Temperature drift : Δp/ ΔT ~ pC

Gross Leakage: Problem Solved

Complication 2: Gross leaksRigid Packages

Measurement of volume in rigid test piece via "inner/dead volume”Benefit from the volume determination of the film chamber

Shape: Rigid Package

Switch on reference volume

Large increase in pressure = small volume

Small increase in pressure = large volume

Reproducibility Contura S400: +/- 2cm³

The dome pressure increase in

Measuring chamber: dp/dt = q / V

Leakrate : q ~ pP2 - pC

2

Temperature drift : Δp/ ΔT ~ pC

Gross Leakage: Problem Solved

Pressure Rise Rigid Package in Detail

0.1

1

10

1 10

Pres

sure

Ris

e: d

p/dt

[mba

r/s]

Time: t [s]

Leak

No leakPressure

Outgassing

What is Speed to Your Process?

Speed• Testing speed is critical

Leak rates as low as 0.001 mbar l/s as fast as 5 seconds test time!!!

Water bath equivalent: 1 bubble / minute

What is Speed to Your People?

Ease of Use:

Accuracy of measurements:

Contura S400 can detect reliably detect leakage from an orifice as small as 10 µm

Accuracy by elimination of variables:• Are the bubbles from leakage, surface tension or pockets of air?• Is the test duration exactly the same every time?• What if there’s a blink or sneeze and miss a bubble?• 360 degrees visibility around the package from every angle?• Is the tank well lit?• How big is that bubble?• Did the correct leak rate get written down properly/accurately?• Does finding leaks make work for operators?• Does everyone do exactly the same caliber of test?• What if there are distractions from personal issues?• And on and on and on……….

Data to support decisions:

Data to support decisions:

Preventing Costly Recalls & Returns

•Preventing recalls. •Differential pressure method explanation•Both large and small leaks.•Testing speed is critical.•Ease of use.•Accuracy.•Data to support decisions.

Leak Testing as a PRODUCTION aide:

• Shift change qualifications.• Reel change qualifications.• Tooling wear identification• Ambiguous quality

Implementation of the method in the Contura S400

Thanks for your valuable time andattention ….

Come See it at

Lucky Booth # .

DON’T TAKE A CHANCE WITH LEAKING PACKAGES!

USE THE CONTURA S400 & S600 TO IMPROVE YOUR PACKAGE INTEGRITY