Precision and traceability combine with speed in new inline leak tester

Launched at interpack was a robotic system for inline leak checking that Witt Gasetechnik says will detect apertures down to just 10 micrometres.

As the German company explains, leaks in modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) constitute one of the most common causes of quality loss, customer complaints and food waste in the food industry.

Witt claims its LEAK-MASTER ONE system for the first time combines two previously conflicting requirements: high-precision leak detection in the micrometre range and clearly traceable individual testing at full packaging speed.

The system can be integrated into the MAP packaging line and will check products individually for leaks. It utilises a CO₂-based vacuum testing method with infrared sensors, specifically designed to detect micro-leaks relevant to practical applications, down to around 10 micrometres.

Pick-and-place robots load product into 12 mini vacuum chambers operating in parallel, achieving a testing capacity of up to 120 packages per minute. For the first time, says Witt, this allows manufacturers to automate highly sensitive leak testing of individual packages in real time.

The claim is that this resolves a common trade-off in inline leak testing, between either slow but highly sensitive methods or fast but less accurate systems. This new module not only combines speed and precision at the individual package level but also documents results on an item-by-item basis and enables targeted removal from the production line.

Witt says its system helps food manufacturers to reliably meet the contractual quality requirements of retailers, avoid complaints and secure long-term supply reliability with major retail partners. It is suitable for almost all CO₂-containing MAP, it adds, with the exception of high oxygen content of 20.9% or over.

01925 234466

www.wittgas.com