Packaging testing machines
Seal strength, hot-tack, peel adhesion, film tensile, carton compression and crush testing. Testometric universal frames, box compression testers and the XCR-5 crush tester, with fixtures for every substrate from thin-gauge film to rigid transit cases.
One supplier for the whole packaging lab
A packaging lab rarely needs one machine. Seal peel runs at a few newtons, a transit case needs several kilonewtons of platen load, and corrugated crush work wants a dedicated fixture. The range below covers all three, and every model reports through the same software so the QC record stays consistent.
Universal frames
Single-column bench machines through floor-standing systems, covering seal peel at a few newtons up to transit-pack compression.
Box compression testers
Testometric X350BC and X500BC, with large platen areas and dedicated compression workflows for case, carton and stacking strength.
Crush tester
The XCR-5 covers edge crush, flat crush and ring crush of corrugated board, the three numbers a board specification is usually written around.
Speed range
Slow-rate penetration through high-speed peel at full force, with maximum speed dependent on model.
Measurement precision
Load accuracy better than ±0.5% of reading to Grade 0.5 of ISO 7500-1, with 0.000001 mm position control resolution.
Seal strength and hot-tack are two different tests
Seal strength under ASTM F88 measures peel force once the seal has cooled and solidified. Hot-tack measures it while the seal is still molten, which is the number that matters on a high-speed line where product drops into the pack before the seal has set. A pack can pass one and fail the other, so the specification has to say which it means.
What a packaging lab needs beyond a frame
Packaging fixtures
Peel, seal, puncture, burst and tear fixtures plus compression platens for films, bags, cartons, tubs, drums and food containers.
Golden-sample references
winTest Analysis holds reference curves with tolerance bands and automatic pass or fail criteria, which is what makes line-side QC workable for an operator.
Film and sheet
Film tensile, elongation, tear resistance, puncture and coefficient of friction with specialised film grips, from thin-gauge laminate to rigid thermoformed sheet.
Food container work
Container integrity, seal strength, lidding peel and closure performance, with methods aligned to food-contact quality programmes.
Conditioned testing
Temperature-conditioned testing across storage and transit conditions, which supports accelerated ageing studies on seal and material performance.
Reporting for QC
Statistical reporting with Excel, Word and PDF export, built for production environments rather than one-off laboratory work.
Every packaging format on one platform
Flexible pouches
Seal peel, puncture and pouch top-load per ASTM F88 and ASTM F1306.
Rigid containers
Wall crush, top-load and closure torque for bottles, jars and tubs.
Corrugated board
Edge crush, flat crush and bending stiffness per TAPPI T811 and T820.
Labels and tapes
90 and 180 degree peel and shear adhesion per FINAT FTM 1, FTM 2 and ASTM D3330.
Pharmaceutical packs
Blister seal peel, child-resistant closure force and foil tear strength.
Food service
Hot-tack, barrier film tensile and lidding peel from trays.
The methods packaging specifications cite
Confirm the method and revision your customer has written into their specification before fixtures are ordered. Peel angle, jaw separation rate and specimen width all change with the reference, and a result run to the wrong one is not comparable.
Adhesion and peel
Peel and shear adhesion for labels, tapes and laminates.
Compression and transit
Carton compression, stacking strength and transit simulation.
Films and seals
Film tensile, seal strength, hot-tack and coefficient of friction.
Barrier and food contact
Water vapour and oxygen transmission, plus food-contact frameworks.
Packaging converters using Testometric systems
Amcor Flexibles, DS Smith, Sealed Air, Mondi Group, Huhtamaki, SIG Group and Uflex, alongside flexible packaging converters, label printers and corrugated board manufacturers internationally.
These are Testometric users worldwide, not FITCO installations. FITCO is Testometric's exclusive distributor in India and supplies, commissions, calibrates and services the same systems here.
Packaging testing questions
What is the difference between seal strength and hot-tack testing?
Seal strength under ASTM F88 measures peel force after the seal has cooled and solidified. Hot-tack measures peel force immediately after sealing, while the seal is still molten. Hot-tack is the critical number for high-speed packaging lines where product enters the pack before the seal cools.
Can film tensile testing be performed on the same machine?
Yes. By fitting film grips and entering the specimen width into the software, the same universal testing machine performs film tensile per ASTM D882 and ISO 527-3, along with elongation, modulus and yield point, without recalibration.
Is compressive top-load testing for cartons supported?
Yes. Using large flat platens in compression mode, the same universal testing machine performs carton compression, stacking strength and top-load testing per ASTM D642 and TAPPI T804.
Do I need a dedicated box compression tester?
For routine, high-volume carton and case testing, the Testometric X350BC and X500BC box compression testers provide large platen areas and dedicated compression workflows. The XCR-5 crush tester handles edge, flat and ring crush of corrugated board. A lab testing occasional cartons can use a universal frame with compression platens instead.
Validating a packaging line?
Send the substrate, seal geometry, expected force range and the standard your customer cites. FITCO will recommend the frame, load cell and fixtures, run your samples before you commit, and support installation, operator training and NABL-traceable calibration.