Forschung Projektdatenbank Filling and packaging processes Easy Opening of Peelable Packages

Easy Opening of Peelable Packages

Projectname:
Development of a standardized testing method to determine peel and opening forces on heat-sealed and peelable packages and the development of reference values for user-friendly opening forces

Workgroup: Filling and packaging processes

Spokesman of IVLV-Project Team: Hr. H.-K. Heinrich/Sealpac GmbH
Research Institution: Fraunhofer AVV, Dresden
Scientific Guidance: Ms. A. Liebmann

IGF: 15261BR
Financing: BMWi
Project Duration: 2007 – 2009

Packaging has to meet a variety of requirements. Opening behaviour is crucial for the customer in terms of product acceptance. Both user-friendliness and an ageing society have to be considered. Not only senior citizens wish to have easy-to-open packages to take out effortlessly and cleanly their content. In order to objectively evaluate packages with regard to their user-friendliness upon opening, reproducible and realistic testing methods are required as well as quantitative data about potential forces possible to be generated upon opening by human hand.

The research undertaking envisages the following results:

  • development of a standardized testing method to determine peel and opening forces on heat-sealed and peelable packages
  • development and construction of a variably adjustable pull-off test device for a tensile testing machine
  • development and construction of a testing device that measures maximum pull-off forces generated by different customer groups
  • determination of maximum customer group-specific peel forces (children, adults, senior citizen)
  • development of a reference value table “Easy to open”
  • development of a leaflet on „user-friendly opening forces on peelable packages“

The findings about real opening forces and guidelines on customer-oriented opening forces for an “easy opening“ process are the basis for innovative seam geometries, tear tabs and seal layers of peelable packages. These findings should also provide an optimum solution on easy-to-open, yet leak-proof sealed seams.

Die Kenntnis der tatsächlichen Öffnungskräfte und die Vorgabe von kundengerechten Öffnungskräften für ein „Easy Opening“ bilden die Grundlage bei der Entwicklung von peelbaren Verpackungen bezüglich Nahtgeometrien, Aufreißlaschen und Siegelschichten und ermöglichen eine Optimierung zwischen leicht zu öffnender und dennoch dichter Siegelnaht.

Documents

The IGF project presented here by the Research Association of the Industrial Association for Food Technology and Packaging (IVLV e.V.) is funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action as part of the program for the promotion of industrial community research (IGF) based on a decision of the German Bundestag.