Seal strength is the ultimate arbiter of a packaging program on track. Many companies historically have relied on machine alarms and SOP’s. Under the new sterile barrier system, the standard is shifting towards empirical data such as seal testing. The MS-450-NG medical packager incorporates a peel tester in order to perform an ASTM F-88 peel study. The peel tester further integrates with the machine and allows all seal strength study results to be stored on-board the machine and can later be purged via a USB port to a software program in order to record and manage peel strength records.

The peel tester incorporates two thin-film grips designed to clamp on a variety of films such as TyVek® and clear films such as mylar or poly. These grips have been machined to securely grip thin film in order to thwart slipping during the testing procedure. The peel tester holds at a constant rate of 8.5 in. per minute and quality teams can set the minimum peel strength requirements based on their performance expectation of their film. If the peel test is not compliant to the minimum peel threshold set by your quality team, the MS-450-NG will lock-out the continued operation of the machine until a quality team member with a passcode can investigate possible causation for the peel failure. Once remedy has been set in place and the sealer is again producing conforming seal strengths, the machine can regain operation.

Integrating seal strength testing with the machine that created the seals is an excellent way to control possible failures in your sterile packaging program. To find out more about how the MS-450-NG medical packager can help you stay compliant, contact technical support at 1-800-550-3854.

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