Nov 2006

CANNING "That easy pull lid is a science"
TOOLING FOR CAN TESTS IS THE CATS WHISKERS

There was a time when cans were all made from steel and used almost exclusively for preserve foods. Today they are made to a vast range of specifications for everything from drinks to deodorants. Assuring design performance and maintaining quality during manufacture is easily achieved with Tinius Olsen’s test machines and specially developed tooling.

Designers and marketing experts are demanding more than ever from the basic “tin can” in terms of materials used, loadings expected and performance features. Yet with these expectations comes the occasional failure – such as the “handy” ring pull that needs a large screw driver to prise it away from the can.

Accurate testing during design and manufacture avoids these problems – which is why commercially astute manufacturers are turning to the latest test equipment to ensure reliability. Tinius Olsen test equipment can be operated directly from a PC using QMAT PRO test software. The companies T series tension/compression testing machines are available with a wide range of tooling specifically designed for testing canning materials, ring pulls, opening lids and even adhesives and packaging in general.

Just one machine can perform pull, tear, puncture, peel and burst tests – all in accordance with selected international standards such as ISO, EN, ASTM, BS, Din, JIS and more. Tests can be configured to immediately show Pass/Fail results for ease of use, in for example Quality Control, or the results can be used for close analysis such as during prototype development.

The data generated from an Olsen system can be stored, printed, displayed on trend charts, e mailed to colleagues, designers or customers. Food chain and pharmaceutical applications are typical sectors where the traceability and accurate measurement achieved using an Olsen system are proving invaluable in meeting commercial and legislative requirements.