Lloyd Instruments announces a new addition to thier range of materials and force testers from AMETEK Test & Calibration Instruments — a specially developed jig to easily determine the peel strength of the aluminum foil on contact lens blister packs.
The jig features a self-adjusting sliding bed for true 90° peel tests, and is designed to be used with a low force tester, such as the Lloyd Instruments LS1 materials testing machine.
The blister pack testing jig is engineered for use with two contact lens blister packs, each containing individual lenses in a solution. One lens pack is clamped in the upper instrument grip, while the other is clamped and fitted into a special mount in the jig’s sliding baseplate.
As the test machine’s crosshead is driven upwards, peeling the foil on the lower blister pack, the baseplate slides horizontally, ensuring that the peel force also is applied vertically.
Peel strength is an important measurement parameter for contact lens packages. Too much strength and the blister package is difficult to open, leading to a risk of the lens and fluid being ejected accidently if the package tears open suddenly. If the peel strength is too low, there is a chance that the foil lid could detach accidentally, for instance when carried in a bag or pocket, with loss of fluid and damage to the lens.
With material testing and force measurements up to 1 kN (225 lbf), test speeds from 0.05 to 1270 mm/min, and accuracy greater than 0.2%, the LS1 materials tester is ideally suited for this type of peel test applications. Tests can be fully automated through the addition of the NEXYGENPlus materials testing software.