Early one morning, alongside our partner ATD, the Oxipack team arrived at the premises of a prominent Belgian coffee producer to set up a cutting-edge piece of equipment: our semi-inline vacuum leak tester. This project, delayed by six months due to Covid-19, marked a significant advancement in our journey towards improving packaging integrity in the coffee industry.
Installation and Integration
Upon arrival, we quickly situated the leak tester in its designated spot within the production line. The integration was seamless, connecting our conveyor belts to those of the coffee manufacturer, allowing for direct testing of coffee packs straight from production. This setup aims to detect leaks that typically would not be visible until 48 hours after packaging.
Operational Workflow
The journey of a vacuum-sealed coffee pack through our system begins when it smoothly transitions onto the Oxipack conveyor belt and queues up for testing. Initially, each pack undergoes a tactile assessment to check for softness—a preliminary indicator of leakage. Packs that fail this simple test are immediately diverted to the rejection slide.
For packs that pass, the next stop is the measuring chamber. Here, the pack is securely held while we measure for any pressure differences that would indicate a leak. Depending on the results, our automated gripping fingers either send the pack back into production or divert it to the rejection lane for further inspection.
Efficiency and Quality Assurance
The installation process, conducted in both Dutch and French, went off without a hitch, and the leak tester now operates flawlessly. This technology not only eliminates the need for manual, labor-intensive checks like squeezing packs but also significantly reduces the storage space typically required for the 48-hour leak detection period.
After a comprehensive tour of the facility and witnessing our system in action, we left the site feeling uplifted. It's incredibly rewarding to see how Oxipack's innovative leak detection solutions can substantially enhance product quality and operational efficiency.
Discover the Oxipack Difference
Interested in seeing how our semi-inline vacuum leak tester can improve your production line's efficiency and product quality? Contact us at Oxipack to learn more about our technology and how we can tailor our solutions to meet your specific needs.