Plastic Injection Molding Machine
When manufacturing plastic containers, there are several different types of defects that will cause your quality department to scrap that particular container. If any of the following defects were to make it past your quality department and end up in the hands of your customer or their consumer, your relationship could be heavily impacted.
ALPS Inspection equipment and subsequent production processes can reject a container for any plastic bottle defects where air can escape during the leak test. Different machine options are available to effectively reject defects, based on your blow molding equipment and process.
The faster you can identify the cause of these issues, the more money your company can recoup from your production line. Resulting in a stronger customer relationship.
The following is a comprehensive listing of the various types of plastic bottle defects that can occur in your production process. ALPS Inspection manufactures testers for every type of defect. No matter what production process you use, we have a leak tester for you.
Holes in plastic bottles can occur in various stages of the blow molding process. There are many causes of holes, however some of the most common causes are:
If you have a blow molding defect, we can help! Our Feasibility Test can help determine the root cause of your plastic bottle defect. Learn more now!
A Laser Code Hole is a specific type of hole that can occur on any line using laser coding for the containers. These holes are caused by the laser burning through the plastic, which could be from a thin area the power of the laser turned up too high, or the container not moving past the laser as fast as expected.
Gate Leaks are a specific type of hole that can occur during either the plastic bottle injection blow molding process (IBM), injection stretch blow molding process (ISBM), or 2-step PET blow molding process. These processes have an injection step that forms a gate in the preform. There are several possible causes for gate leaks in plastic bottles, including, but not limited to:
The turntable vacuum option of the ALPS NextGen Rotary leak tester, NGR, will draw more air out of the bottle through the leak in the bottom so the leak test detects a smaller hole.
A hole in the sidewall leaks air at a rate based on the test pressure versus atmosphere. A hole in the base will have a greater pressure difference between the test pressure and the vacuum generated under the base. To be effective, the bottom of the container must seal to the turntable, so the full vacuum is applied to the gate area.
If there are channels in the container design that allow air from outside the container to be drawn to the vacuum hole the vacuum level at the gate area will be reduced.
A short shot is a defect that can occur on the IBM, ISBM, or the 2-step PET. These processes have an injection step that forms the finish in the preform.
During the injection step, the plastic flows to the end of the mold cavity to form a precise finish. If the plastic does not flow fully into the cavity, a low area, or notch in the seal surface will occur.
By using harder durometer seals on the probe and reducing the probe pressure, the notch or low area will appear as a leak. While a flat finish will seal against the probe.
Finish Trim Defects are specific plastic bottle defects that can occur in the EBM process. There is no trim operation in IBM, 1-step PET, or 2 Step PET.
These defects are usually caused by worn equipment or improper setup of trimmer. With a rotary trimmer, there can be “hangnails”, which are cuts in the seal surface. On a punch trimmer, the trimmed surface can be torn.
With either trimmer, the finish could be uneven when the customer has a requirement for it to be flat.
Like detecting short shots, all ALPS leak testers have a range of seal durometers. The durometers can control the probe pressure to make the finish trim defects appear as a leak.
Cocked or Tilted Necks are plastic bottle defects that can occur in all processes. They are caused by uneven material distribution usually in the neck or shoulder. As a result, one side cools and contracts unevenly from the other.
This may also be a function of the container design. For example, on a container with a handle and offset neck, the material near the handle end will have thicker plastic and more structure than near the finish. As a result, the finish may tilt as the container cools. Additionally, this can also be caused by a PET preform being loaded into the blow mold improperly. Non-tilting probes with harder seals and reduced probe pressure will contact the high side of the finish but not the low side. This will prevent a full seal that appears as a leak.
Get your plastic bottle tested to determine the type of container defect and how to fix it.
Choked Necks typically occur during the EBM process, when the neck is long with a small diameter. These plastic bottle defects are caused by the parison collapsing or wrinkling as the mold closes on it. The plastic either contacts the opposite side, and when the container is blown, the plastic stretches across the neck ID, or the wrinkle leaves a piece of plastic closing off one side of the neck ID, as the material does not get blown against the inside of the mold.
When the container goes into the filler, the fill tube may get damaged by the material in the opening, or it may get caught in the neck, causing a jam.
Choked neck probes have a nose cone that is inserted into the container neck, and if there is a choked neck, will not go all the way into the container to seal on the top of the finish (fixed choked neck probe), or compress a spring and trigger a switch (choke sensing probe).
The fixed choked neck probe is available on all ALPS machines. The choke sensing probe is available on the single head linear leak testers: SC, RS, and SX models.
In addition to the leak test, container height inspection options are available, including:
Gross Height, Single Sensor (topload check)
Gross Height, Dual Sensor
This is available on ALPS single head leak testers SC, RS, and SX
Accu-Height Cylinder
This is available on ALPS single head leak testers (SC, RS, and SX-limited to 1” stroke cylinder).
Laser Height Detection
Can be used at speeds up to 400-600bpm, depending on the handling, and container dimensions. A leak inspection system will greatly enhance your production line. Read our blog to discover what to look for when it comes to your unique production process.
ALPS Inspection has been testing empty plastic bottle defects for over 25 years. We have seen every type of bottle defect and have engineered solutions to detect and reject impacted containers. ALPS Inspection understands the business consequences of defective containers. We help you to identify and overcome issues before they reach the consumer with our Feasibility Testing services. Connect with us today to learn how we can benefit your production process.
Hotel Furniture Manufacturer Hotel Furniture Purchasing Tips Touch Screen Manufacturer Touch Screen Manufacturer Touch Screen Manufacturer led work light factory led work light factory led work light factory led work light factory led work light factory led work light factory Basketball Court Tiles Basketball Court Tiles Basketball Court Tiles Outdoor Sport Tiles Outdoor Sport Tiles