Multicriteria evaluation and optimization of the ultrasonic sealing performance based on design of experiments and response surface methodology

Proper closure is an essential packaging quality aspect and can, amongst others, be achieved with ultrasonic sealing. The ultrasonic sealing performance depends on the film type, and the seal settings, such as seal time, applied force and ultrasonic amplitude. Because these parameters are less intuitive than heat seal parameters and optimal settings are undefined for many films, this work presents an efficient approach to evaluate the effect of these settings on the ultrasonic sealing performance. An experimental design defines the experiments to perform. A response surface methodology is then used to model the relation between seal settings and sealing performance. Based on these models, the seal settings are optimized. As there are several criteria to express sealing performance, single‐criteria and multicriteria optimizations are described. The approach was illustrated for a polyethylene terephthalate/linear low‐density polyethylene‐C4 film. The seal settings were optimized to obtain high seal strength, limited ultrasonic horn displacement, and low seal energy. The optimum settings were 0.1 seconds (seal time), 4.32 N/mm (force), and 28.75 μm (amplitude). The predicted optimum strength, horn displacement, and energy were 2.32 N/mm, 40 μm, and 11.66 J, respectively. Besides the optimum, the seal window is also of interest. A broad seal window ensures sufficient seal strength for a wide range of settings. For the polyethylene terephthalate/linear low‐density polyethylene‐C4 film, a strength of ≥90% of the optimum was obtained for 39% of the input combinations within the design space. The presented approach is widely applicable (other films and sealing processes) since it is flexible in the input parameters, design, and responses.     

The analysis of residual stress in glass-to-metal seals for solar receiver tube

The solar receiver tube is a key component in the parabolic trough solar thermal power system. Breakage of glass-to-metal sealing is main cause for damages of receivers in existing power plants. The residual stresses that are generated during the cooling process of the seal can decrease the seal strength and induce the breakage of the glass-to-metal sealing. Residual stresses were simulated by finite element software ANSYS and measured experimentally by photoelastic techniques. In order to lower the seal failure probability, the effects of the component dimensions were analyzed using finite element method. The simulation results agreed with the measurement results. The dangerous tensile stresses occur not only at the glass–metal interface but also on the outer surface of glass tube near the sealing area. When the depth of metal embedded into glass increases, the magnitude of residual stress decreases and the sealing strength will increase. The results of this study have important implications on the optimization of seal configuration in the solar receiver tubes.     

Evaluation and optimization of seal behaviour through solid contamination of heat‐sealed films

A method is presented to apply solid powder/granulate contamination (ground coffee and blood powder) in between the heat conductive seals of flexible packaging materials. A response surface method is tested and validated to optimize seal strength of heat conductive sealing with and without solid contamination. In this study, a maximal seal strength is defined as optimal. Using these methods, three typical packaging films with varying seal layer composition (metallocene linear low‐density polyethylene (LLDPE), plastomer, and sodium ionomer) are maximized towards contaminated seal strength. Contamination caused a decrease in seal strength and narrowed down the process window (seal temperature and time combinations) in which at least 90% of the maximal strength is obtained. The influence of seal layer composition on the clean and solid (ground coffee and blood powder) contaminated seal performance (seal strength, process window, and leak tightness) was evaluated. The film with the plastomer‐based seal layer outperformed the other films with respect to the width of the process window. It also reached a higher seal strength and a higher amount of leak tight seals (evaluated with the dye penetration test) after optimization. The hot tack test was evaluated as predictive test for the contaminated seal strength. The results of this study do not support an indicative relationship.     

Non‐destructive packaging seal strength analysis and leak detection using ultrasonic imaging

This study investigated the effectiveness of ultrasonic imaging for non‐destructive assessment of seal strength in 335 ml polymeric trays. In the first part of this study, the experimental procedures involved filling sample trays with beef enchilada, then sealing at temperatures of 170–260°C for 5 s at 3 bar. Ultrasonic measurements were conducted using an immersion technique in pulse/echo mode. The captured signal amplitudes of the reflections from the samples were digitized and analysed to construct high‐resolution C‐scan ultrasonic images of the seals. The acquired data were statistically analysed for each sample and used as a basis for comparison with the seal (peel) strength, measured as the energy at break. The energy at break was obtained from destructive peel strength analysis, performed using a tensile testing frame. In the second part of this study, ultrasonic imaging was used to predict the performance of the heat sealer used to fabricate the test trays by comparing the seal quality of each of the four quadrants of the samples trays. This study also investigated the minimum channel leak size that could be detected using this ultrasound system. The results of the peel strength analyses showed that a direct correlation exists between seal strength and sealing temperature (170–227°C). Results of the ultrasonic imaging showed that the statistical scatter in the signal amplitude decreased as the sealing temperature increased. This reduction in the scatter of the signal amplitudes indicated a trend of increasing uniformity in the fusion of the two seal faces. Between 170°C and 193°C, sharp changes in the scatter were observed; however, little change was noted for sealing temperatures greater than 193°C, indicating that 204°C could be a minimum recommended sealing temperature. To confirm this result, a drop test analysis was performed on trays filled with beef enchilada and sealed at temperatures of 170–260°C for 5 s at 3 bar. Results of this drop test confirmed that 204°C was the minimum critical sealing temperature. Based on these results, ultrasonic imaging appeared to offer a promising non‐destructive method for the prediction of seal quality in polymeric trays, sealing equipment monitoring and identification of channel leaks ?20 µm in diameter, and is comparable with the more established destructive peel strength analytical method. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Effects of film tension and contamination on the seal quality of flexible food packaging films made of polypropylene and low density polyethylene blends containing talc filler

Seal integrity and seal strength are important requirements in the heat sealing of flexible packaging. In this article, the influence of talc compounds and different process parameters, such as film tension and contamination on the sealant films consisting of polypropylene and low-density polyethylene blend were investigated. According to the results, increasing the talc ratio from 0% wt to 30% wt positively influenced both hot and cold seal strength. Among different polymer blends having same talc ratio, the sample having the lowest melt flow index (2.84 dg/min at 230°C and 2.16 kg) showed the highest cold seal strength with 9.07 N/25 mm. On the other hand, in the samples with higher melt flow indexes, less seal integrity issues were observed in the presence of contaminants. Elevated film tensions from 0 to 0.4 N/mm² enhanced the seal strengths significantly at the seal initiation temperatures of each film. However, this situation changed at higher operating temperatures due to the increased orientation and brittleness. Besides, in the presence of contaminant coffee particles at the seal interphase, high film tensions adversely affected the seal integrity since the average leakage increased 2.7% for samples A and B, and 7.4% for sample C. In summary, it has been shown that talc incorporation can improve seal strength, high MFI can fill the gaps at the seal interphase and the high levels of film tension (above 0.16 N/mm²) during sealing as well as the contamination need to be avoided to ensure integrity sealing.     

Heat-sealing integrity assessment through nondestructive evaluation techniques

Sealing is a critical step in different packaging industries. In heat sealing as one of the major types of sealing processes, two layers of materials (typically thermoplastics) are joined together through the application of heat and pressure load for a certain sealing time. Due to the capabilities of the heat-sealing process to seal different kinds and sizes of packages, it has a wide range of applications in many different industries such as the packaging of food and medical products. The quality and integrity of sealings produced by these techniques are crucial for the quality and safety of the contained materials. In this paper, different types and processes of sealing are discussed. Due to the variations in shape, size, and complexity of the sealing region, quality testing and inspection of these products is a challenging task. Nondestructive testing and evaluation (NDTE) techniques can be promising tools to overcome these challenges. Furthermore, a detailed study of various types of potential defects and their generation mechanism in heat sealing is presented. Then, various types of NDTE techniques that can be potentially used for the inspection of heat-sealing regions and their working principles, as well as their strength and weakness in sealing inspection, are debated. Finally, several cases of sealing inspection and relevant NDTE techniques that are developed as standard procedures are presented. The discussions in this study provide useful information for the selection and implementation of appropriate quality inspection and inline quality monitoring of sealing parts and processes.     

An Empirical Investigation into the Influence of Sealing Crimp Geometry and Process Settings on the Seal Integrity of Traditional and Biopolymer Packaging Materials

This article presents the results of investigations to determine how process settings and crimp geometry affect the seal strength and integrity of traditional polyolefin and biopolymer flexible packaging materials. The results show agreement with previous studies where temperature and dwell time are found to be the dominant factors for both polyolefin and biopolymer films. Pressure and crimp geometry are shown to be secondary factors in the process, up to the point of squeezing the film into molecular contact. In general, it is shown that biopolymers exhibit similar sealing characteristics to more traditional films. Regarding the sealing crimp geometry, it is shown that the crimp pitch has little or no effect on sealing integrity for films with gauges between 25 and 40 µm. However, for the same gauge material, crimp angles more than 80° offer the greatest potential to gain higher seal strengths. It is further shown that with the cellulose and polylactic acid films tested, a higher seal strength can be produced with crimp pitches of 2 mm and lower. Also presented are some more general implications for guiding the selection of sealing crimp geometry and their usage with biopolymers. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

单金属密封的结构优化及其密封性能研究

针对油气田勘探中,复杂的钻井工况导致动密封工作性能极不稳定的问题,结合单金属密封结构和井底高压环境,利用有限元方法对单金属密封受压情况下的接触压力进行分析。用雷诺方程计算单金属动密封的泄漏率,以减小最大接触压力和泄漏率为优化目标,利用正交试验和F评价方法对单金属密封结构参数进行优化,得到密封结构参数对密封面接触压力和泄漏率的影响情况,并将每个水平数对应的优化目标计算结果分别取平均值,得到不同水平影响下接触压力和泄露率平均值的变化趋势,从而确定密封结构的最优水平值,并借助有限元仿真对优化前后的密封性能进行对比。最后根据优化前后的密封结构参数加工2套密封试件,进行密封实验。仿真分析和实验结果表明：高压工况下优化前的密封面内侧磨损严重,钻井液颗粒容易侵入密封面;而优化后密封面的最大接触压力有所降低,动密封面的最高温度和泄漏率明显降低。研究结果对改进单金属密封的工作性能、提高井下动密封的可靠性有重要的现实意义。     

塑料包装袋热合强度的失效模式分析

热合强度是考核复合塑料包装袋热合面封口牢固度的一个重要指标,检测标准中并没有说明测量热合强度时的失效模式。根据QB/T 2358—1998《塑料薄膜包装袋热合强度试验方法》,对PET/Al/PA/RCPP结构、OPP/VMPET/PE结构、PET/RCPP结构、PET/Al/PA/RCPP结构薄膜和阴阳镀铝复合薄膜几种不同材质塑料包装袋进行了热合强度试验,总结得出了5种失效模式,即热封层剥离、热封边缘断裂、薄膜断裂、薄膜分层、先分离后撕裂,结合测量曲线图与失效模式图,分析了各失效模式的形成原因,以便有效指导与改进塑料包装袋的生产工艺。     

飞机舱门密封结构的气密可靠性研究

采用可靠性思想分析飞机舱门密封结构参数对密封性能的影响。对两种型号的舱门密封带进行整体规格的压缩实验,拟合成Ogden模型代入有限元计算获得门体与门框的二次接触力的隐式响应关系。将关门行程、装配尺寸、挡件尺寸等视为随机变量,采用Monte Carlo法对两种密封带的气密可靠性进行比较,得到了密封结构参数的均值灵敏度和方差灵敏度,对舱门密封带选型与结构的优化设计提供参考。     

基于Ansys的铝箔密封受热温度场研究

目的研究铝箔不同的密封情况对电磁加热过程中铝箔表面温度分布的影响,建立非接触式密封性检测方法的理论依据。方法首先创建感应加热理论的有限元数学模型,计算感应电流产生的焦耳热量,以此为内部热源求解温度场。然后通过有限单元法创建6种不同密封情况的铝箔封口稳态热传导模型,对不同铝箔密封情况在恒定温度条件下进行温度分布的三维分析求解,并采用Ansys软件模拟分析加热温度场下铝箔密封的传热特性。结果得到了各种密封情况对应的温度场图像及温度曲线,其中铝箔密封完好的热图像呈高温闭合且均匀的环状区域,在其温度曲线中,温度集中分布在70～80℃,并具有对称性特点,且有2个高温峰值;另外5种为不成环或成环不均的热图像,表明铝箔密封失败。结论通过研究热温度场分布特性可以判断铝箔封口密封程度,能够为进一步优化非接触式密封性检测的自动化程度提供理论支持。     

柱塞密封结构的漏率预估

柱塞密封结构是飞船管路系统常用的一种密封结构形式,故研究柱塞密封结构的密封性能具有重要的工程意义。文中,通过对柱塞密封结构密封机理的分析,给出了一个计算其漏率的理论公式,并与试验数据进行了对比。研究结果表明:该公式能较好地预估柱塞密封结构的漏率值。本文所得的结论可以为柱塞密封结构的设计提供理论参考依据。     

离心式压缩机密封动态特性分析及稳定性评价

稳定性问题是离心压缩机在向高端化方向发展过程中遇到的主要瓶颈,密封间隙内流体周向流动导致的压力在圆周方向不均匀分布是导致失稳的主要原因。采用数值模拟的方法预测密封的动力特性系数,有助于加强对密封机理的理解,实现密封结构的优化进而提高转子的稳定性和设计的可靠性。本文使用数值模拟的方法,首先基于ANSYS APDL语言,开发了参数化程序来构建迷宫密封、孔式阻尼密封及蜂窝密封的几何模型,采用ANSYS CFX软件,计算并比较三种密封的刚度及阻尼等动力学特性参数,研究结果表明孔式阻尼密封及蜂窝密封相对于迷宫密封可以提供更大的刚度和阻尼、且具有较好的密封特性。在此基础上,以孔式阻尼密封为对象,研究比较了不同孔间距,不同孔径的孔式阻尼密封,找到影响阻尼密封动力学参数的基本规律。最后以一台九级合成气压缩机转子为例,比较不同密封对转子稳定性的影响。CFD计算的结果预测了密封的动力特性以及密封结构参数对转子动力学特性的影响,可以指导密封的设计和压缩机改造,综合考虑性能和制造成本,实现优化设计。     

Vakuum‐Lineardurchführungen mit Magnetflüssigkeitsdichtungen

Vacuum linear feedthroughs with magnetic fluid seal A magnetic fluid sealed feedthrough is a device that transmits linear motion into a vacuum chamber with minimal frictional resistances and minimal contamination level.They are widely employed in high and ultra‐high vacuum equipment among others in semiconductor fabrication industry and robotics applications. The operating conditions of magnetic fluid seals during reciprocating motion are so different from those with rotating motion that the use of their conventional structures for reciprocating motion seals yield no good results. Analysis of sealing mechanism of magnetic fluid seal in reciprocating motion shows that the operation of these seals is affected by the carry‐over and the magnetic fluid deformation in the sealing gap, which depends on the velocity of reciprocating motion. The reduction of magnetic fluid quantity in the sealing gap,caused by the reciprocating motion of the shaft is reason of the seal failure. In the paper a short characteristic of magnetic fluid sealing technology , principle of sealing, behaviour of the ferrofluid and seal failure mechanism in the linear motion of the shaft are given. Moreover some new structure designs of vacuum linear feedthroughs with magnetic fluid seals, which have practical application value are presented.     

Numerical and experimental evaluation of performance of centrifugal seals

‘Centrifugal seals’ or ‘Slinger seals’ offer an attractive choice as non-contact-type sealing in fluid machinery. These seals utilize the radial pressure gradient caused by centrifugal forces in a rotating fluid ring, to create a sealing of the working fluid. Basic construction of a typical seal consists of a rotating disc inside a stationary casing; one side of the disc (sealing side) is provided with a set of slots (Type-1) or vanes (Type-2) to enhance the tangential velocity of the fluid. The other side of the disk (back side) in both the configurations is exposed to high pressure liquid being sealed. Both numerical and experimental investigations of the performance of Type-1 seal (with slots) have been carried out so as to optimize the seal configuration to achieve maximum sealing capacity, with minimum power consumption. A comparison of the performance of Type-1 seal has been made with that of conventional one (Type-2) in view of economy of construction and better sealing with minimal expense of power consumption. A test rig that allows for varying the major geometrical and operating parameters was designed and tests were conducted with water as the medium. Influence of major geometric parameters like dimensions and number of slots, axial/radial clearances and major operating parameters like rotational speed, inlet pressure and sealing fluid bypass flow rate has been investigated. Apart from various pressure, temperature, flow and torque measurements, the interface between the sealing and working fluid for the experiments was captured and recorded using a high speed camera at ~26,000 frames per second. Geometrical configuration for the slots that maximizes the sealing capacity is arrived through 3D numerical simulations using commercial CFD solver ANSYS Fluent^®. A good agreement is obtained with respect to experimental results. In view of economy of construction and better sealing with minimal expense of operating power, a modified version of Type-1 seal termed as Type-3 seal is investigated. A simple 1D model for prediction of the interface radius during the seal operation, which could be used as a quick design guide, is also presented.     

碳/碳复合材料密封性能分析

为使高性能碳/碳(C/C)复合材料在航天密封材料领域中得到进一步的应用,本文研究了碳布叠层以及碳毡结构的C/C复合材料在一定压力下气体的渗漏情况,对比试样为俄罗斯高强石墨密封环材料,采用扫描电镜观察分析气体通过C/C复合材料的途径.结果表明:C/C复合材料比高强石墨更适合用作航天动密封材料.碳毡C/C复合材料比碳布叠层C/C复合材料气密性更好.C/C复合材料中的穿刺纤维以及贯穿基体的孔隙和裂纹以及纤维与碳基体的结合情况对密封材料的密封性能会产生很大的影响.     

Effects of viscoelastic properties of engine cover sealing system on noise and vibration attenuation

Automobile engine cam cover seals are made of elastomeric materials and used to seal the interfaces between cover and underlying structures. The design of engine cam cover seals has been traditionally focused on the sealability aspects. Recently, there has been additional demand that these seals be designed as vibration isolators to attenuate the radiated noise from the engine. To accomplish this goal, the frequency-dependent viscoelastic properties of the sealing components will have to be considered during the design process. This article examines the frequency-dependent viscoelastic properties of some commonly used elastomeric seals at various mounting configurations. An analytical spatial transmissibility method is used for evaluating the design of elastomeric sealing system for reducing vibration and radiated noise.     

Effects of different sealing conditions on the seal strength of polypropylene films coated with a bio‐based thin layer

This paper presents the results of an investigation through the design of experiment technique regarding the influence of temperature, dwell time and bar pressure on the heat seal strength of oriented polypropylene films coated with a gelatin‐based thin layer. This chemometric approach allowed achieving a thorough understanding of the effect of each independent factor on the two different responses (maximum force and strain energy) considered in this work as a measure of the strength necessary to break the bond across the sealed interface. Surprisingly, the factor affecting both responses the most was the bar pressure rather than the sealing temperature. Moreover, whereas the bar pressure negatively affected the seal strength of coated polypropylene films, the sealing temperature had a positive effect. Dwell time did not have any significant influence as a main factor, while influencing negatively the seal strength as an interaction term (i.e. time × pressure), together with the further interaction temperature × pressure. The mathematical models obtained for the two responses provided different results in terms of fitting capability (R²) and prediction ability (Q²). In particular, for the maximum force response, R² and Q² were equal to 0.571 and 0.405, respectively, whereas the model supporting the strain energy response gave R² = 0.932 and Q² = 0.937, highlighting that for quantifying the seal strength, the energy necessary to break a seal is a better measure than the maximum force. The highest seal strength values obtained during this work were of 0.6615 N and 19.6 N·mm for maximum force and strain energy, respectively. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

航空发动机直通型篦齿封严鼓筒气动力分析

鼓筒篦齿是航空发动机风扇部分的重要封严结构,其密封性能极大地影响着航空发动机的整机性能。为了充分认识鼓式篦齿封严结构中齿腔内的压力分布,了解篦齿封严机理,该文采用数值方法对鼓筒篦齿封严流场进行了仿真分析,重点讨论了旋转速度和篦齿封严出口静压对鼓筒表面气动力的影响。仿真结果表明:1)沿着流动方向鼓筒表面静压总体上呈现先减小后增大的变化趋势;2)与旋转速度的变化相比,篦齿封严出口静压的变化对鼓筒表面静压的影响更为显著;3)旋转速度一定时,鼓筒表面静压随着篦齿封严出口静压的增大线性增大。     

Effects of weight reduction of packaging material on the mechanical performance of PET bottles for cooking oil

This study compares and evaluates the mechanical performance of two types of PET bottle of different nominal weights but identical design and filled with 900 ml vegetable cooking oil. The air in the headspace of all the bottles was replaced with liquid or gaseous nitrogen upon conclusion of the filling operation and immediately before capping. Two different closures, with an internal or external tamper‐evident feature, were used on the 20 g bottles. The 27 g bottle was closed exclusively with the closure fitted with an external seal. The 20 g PET bottles prior to capping were either flushed with gaseous nitrogen or pressurized with liquid nitrogen. The air contained in the headspace of the 27 g bottle was removed by injection of gaseous nitrogen only. Corrugated fibreboard cases containing 20 bottles each were submitted to a vibration test and all the components of the packaging system were subsequently evaluated with respect to important mechanical properties, such as stacking strength, drop impact strength and package integrity. The results show that the closure with external seal provided considerably better protection against leakage. Also tests conducted with stacks of five corrugated cases each and arranged onto two pallets placed one upon the other demonstrated that reducing total bottle weight by 26% is viable in terms of mechanical performance. On the other hand, the use of pressurized liquid nitrogen was found to be unnecessary. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.