A leak tester for packaging may be referred to as a package integrity tester. It is necessary to test medical packaging, flexible food packaging, and cosmetic packaging for leaks and weaknesses in seals. Seal strength (for instance, as seen in burst testing or creep testing variability) and whole package leak rates (as seen using a pressure or vacuum decay leak test) can be measured as an aid to process control.
Both seal strength testing and package integrity testing are mandated by ISO-11607 for medical device package testing.

In the food industry, non-porous food packages such as food vacuum packaging and induction sealed food and drink containers can be tested for package integrity and seal strength. Permeable, breathable food packages are suitable for seal strength.

TM Electronics offers package testers that are both seal strength testers and package integrity leak testers. These testers enable fast, accurate, quantitative testing for aseptic and/or flexible food packaging, packaging for medical devices, cosmetic package testing such as tube seals, induction seals such as cup foil lids (induction seals), and pharmaceutical blister packs and blister cards. TME also offers non-destructive package testers for closed flexible packages made of non-porous barrier material and for induction welded bottle seals. Users of packaging designs that include cutting edge packaging technology for food, pharmaceuticals, or medical device packaging find that the package test equipment offered by TM Electronics fills their needs.

Seal Strength Testing - Package Integrity (Leak) Testing

Seal strength testing with the TME BT-1000 Automated Package Tester is pneumatic (uses compressed air flow). Seal strength can be described by the burst strength test, the creep test and the creep to failure test.  The BT-1000 can perform these inflation seal strength tests on packages with porous or non-porous material. The BT-1000 is programmed to function as a burst tester, a creep tester, a creep to failure tester, and a package leak tester.

Package integrity (leak) testing can be done using the BT-1000 on non-porous packages. The TME automatic test equipment uses an air pressure decay test. Leak testing with the BT-1000 is a leak detection method that is suitable for a variety of applications including medical package testing, vacuum packaged food testing, cosmetic package testing, and leak testing of flexible packages that are open or closed, as long as the barrier and seal material are non-porous. The BT-1000-100 high pressure package tester is designed for high pressure applications such as tube seal testing.

Non-destructive leak testing of non-porous, flexible packages or products such as blister packs or blister cards and other pharmaceutical packaging, medical devices, food vacuum packaging containers, sealed foil coffee bags, cup foil lids and other flexible food packaging, container leak testing and closed products testing can be done using pressure decay or vacuum decay leak testing in a closed chamber. The TME Solution-C Chamber Test Instrument with appropriate fixturing is recommended for this type of application.

If you are now using fluorescent dye leak detection methods, bubble leak testing, or mass spectrometry leak testing, you need to meet the TM Electronics BT-1000 automated package tester for leak testing and seal strength testing of your packages and seals.

TM Electronics also offers gas detection equipment that can be used as a leak locator. The Gas Check series of gas leak detectors can perform argon leak tests, helium leak testing, hydrogen leak detection, and nitrogen leak testing. Gas "sniffers" can detect a gas other than air that is leaking from a pressurized container. Refrigerant gas leak detectors and lp gas leak detectors including intrinsically safe versions are also available.