ABSTRACT
PACKAGE SEAL CHARACTERIZATION AND OPTIMIZATION Package closure is effected either by physically mating package components or by chemically bonding them together. To ensure adequate container closure integrity, package design and development should include both theoretical and practical closure characterization and optimization studies. A clear understanding of critical component dimensions, materials of construction, and design enables the establishment of appropriate component purchasing specifications and quality controls. Package integrity studies during later development stages should also incorporate packages assembled according to actual or simulated manufacturing operation conditions. Containers assembled by hand or using laboratory scale equipment may not perform comparably to those assembled on automated, high speed manufacturing lines.
Mechanically Fitted Seals Mechanically fitted components rely on precise dimensional fit, adequate compression, and/or tortuous paths for seal integrity. Therefore, component dimensions and tolerances should ensure the worse case “loosest” fit will still preclude leakage gaps, while the worse case “tightest” fit will permit successful, damage-free package assembly. Checking component dimensional specifications and tolerances provides a theoretical analysis of worse case component fit. However, package assembly line trials performed under anticipated manufacturing conditions play an important role in package integrity validation.
