1、Designation: F3004 131Standard Test Method forEvaluation of Seal Quality and Integrity Using AirborneUltrasound1This standard is issued under the fixed designation F3004; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year oforiginal adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of
2、last revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval. Asuperscript epsilon () indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.1NOTEReference to RR:F02-1033 was added editorially in April 2014.1. Scope1.1 This standard method describes the technology andtes
3、ting procedures that can be used to detect seal defects in thesize range of 1 mm and characterize seal quality in a variety ofpackaging styles using airborne ultrasound technology.1.2 This test method does not purport to be the only methodfor measurement of seal quality.1.3 Heat seals and other pack
4、age components can be testedin flexible, semi-rigid and rigid packages. Only the precisionand bias for flexible package seals were evaluated in a recentILS included in the method. The precision and bias for anyspecific package needs to be individually determined.1.4 On-line, real time inspection of
5、seals can be consideredparticularly in the L-Scan mode.1.5 This method provides a non-destructive, quantitative,non-subjective approach to flexible package seal inspection.1.6 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded asstandard. No other units of measurement are included in thisstandard.1.7
6、This standard does not purport to address all of thesafety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is theresponsibility of the user of this standard to establish appro-priate safety and health practices and determine the applica-bility of regulatory limitations prior to use.2. Referenced Docum
7、ents2.1 ASTM Standards:2E177 Practice for Use of the Terms Precision and Bias inASTM Test MethodsE691 Practice for Conducting an Interlaboratory Study toDetermine the Precision of a Test Method3. Terminology3.1 Definitions:3.1.1 acoustic impedancethe product of a materials den-sity and its acoustic
8、velocity.3.1.2 airborne ultrasoundnon-contact, non-destructive ul-trasound technology that allows materials to be scanned andanalyzed without physical contact with the transducers. Nocoupling is used other than air.3.1.3 ultrasonic attenuationthe decay rate of the wave asit propagates through a mate
9、rial. It is the combined effect ofscattering and absorption.3.1.4 ultrasoundsound with frequencies greater than theupper limit of human hearing which is approximately 20 kHz.Typical industrial applications use much higher frequencies inthe 1100 MHz range.3.1.5 ultrasound C-Scanmultiple L-Scans which
10、 accumu-lates data to describe an area of interest in both X and Ydimensions.3.1.6 ultrasound L-Scana single linear scan across onedirection over the area of interest.4. Summary of Test Method4.1 Ultrasound has been used for inspecting a wide varietyof materials as well as human health issues, based
11、 on sendingand receiving ultrasonic sound waves. Airborne Ultrasound(ABUS) is a non-contact ultrasound technology that allowspackages to be scanned and analyzed without making anycontact with the ultrasonic transducers. Unlike contactultrasound, ABUS does not use liquid or gel coupling topropagate s
12、ound. It may be critical to production processes toanalyze a bond without changing the characteristics of thepackage or product in any way which may affect salability.ABUS is capable of testing packaging where continuous andcomplete bonding between two materials is essential or, if thebond is limite
13、d, the degree of bonding.1This test method is under the jurisdiction ofASTM Committee F02 on FlexibleBarrier Packaging and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee F02.40 onPackage Integrity.Current edition approved Aug. 1, 2013. Published September 2013. DOI:10.1520/F3004-13E01.2For referenced
14、ASTM standards, visit the ASTM website, www.astm.org, orcontact ASTM Customer Service at serviceastm.org. For Annual Book of ASTMStandards volume information, refer to the standards Document Summary page onthe ASTM website.Copyright ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West Consho
15、hocken, PA 19428-2959. United States14.2 ABUS is similar to most ultrasound applications inprinciple; however it uses air to propagate ultrasonic waves.The ABUS technology uses the transmission of ultrasonicwaves to create a representative data image, allowing forquantitative evaluation of the quali
16、ty of bonded materials. Ithas the ability to identify the size and location of defects, aswell as problems with bond integrity that may or may notimmediately result in leaks. The ultrasonic signal is translatedby a signal processor into a quantitative data image that refersto signal strength continu
17、ously measured by the receivingultrasonic transducer during scanning or while a sample sealmoves relatively between them. The signal strength is mea-sured in a relative value, from strongest signal capable of beingtransmitted through the air to no signal capable of beingtransmitted through the air (
18、above the natural noise level of thatfrequency). Based on this scale of sound measurement, quan-titative data representations of the material being scanned canbe used to characterize the condition of certain materials, mostspecifically whether two layers of material are appropriatelybonded together.
19、4.3 The technique and instrumentation is fundamentallyvery simple. An ultrasonic transducer is used to produce asignal which is subsequently passed through a sample. Thetransmitted signal is then received and processed by anultrasonic signal processor. The signal strength, after passingthrough the s
20、ample under test and air gaps, is then compared tothe strength when a non-defective sample is tested.5. Significance and Use5.1 This method allows for the evaluation of seal quality bypassing an ultrasound signal through the sealed area of apackage or item. Poorly sealed areas will not transmit as m
21、uchultrasonic energy as properly sealed areas.5.2 This method relies on quantitative analysis of ultrasoundsignal strength, providing a non-subjective approach to assess-ing package seal quality and detecting defects.5.3 This technique has been used for inspecting a variety ofmaterials including fle
22、xible pouch seals, rigid tray seals andother packaging components such as affixed valves. Theprecision and bias for any specific package and seal configu-ration needs to be individually determined and validated.5.4 The C-Scan approach is useful for laboratory applica-tions or off-line seal inspectio
23、n. The L-Scan approach can beused for on-line, real time inspection of seal quality. Thesensitivity of either approach to detect a given defect size andlevel of severity needs to be individually determined.5.5 Sound waves propagate at different speeds throughdifferent materials generally moving fast
24、er through more densematerials. The acoustic impedance (expressed as g/cm2s) isthe product of density (g/cm3) and velocity (cm/s). Ofparticular importance is the extreme difference between theimpedance of air and that of any solid material. Any gap orpoorly bonded area can be readily detected.Materi
25、alVelocity(cm/sec)Density(g/cm3)AcousticImpedance(g/cm2-sec)Air (20C, 1 bar) 0.0344 0.00119 0.000041Water (20C) 0.148 1.0 0.148Polyethylene 0.267 1.1 0.294Aluminum 0.632 2.7 1.7106. Interferences6.1 The sensitivity of the system to detect very slight sealdefects needs to be established with mocked u
26、p samplescontaining these defects. The ability of these artificially pro-duced defects to simulate defects which may be encountered inactual production must be determined.7. Apparatus7.1 The apparatus consists of:7.1.1 A transducer to provide an ultrasonic signal.7.1.2 Air gap separating the signal
27、and detection transduc-ers.7.1.3 A detection transducer to measure the intensity of thatsignal after passing through the air gap.7.1.4 Ameans to hold and transport that sample between thetwo transducers.7.1.5 An Ultrasonic instrument, which integrates the hard-ware and software required for analyzin
28、g ultrasonic wavephenomena.7.1.6 Acomputer system to collect data as to the intensity ofthe signal at any XY location and convert that data into aformat useful to the investigator. A wide variety of datapresentations are possible.8. Reagents and Materials8.1 No reagents or other items are used.9. Pr
29、ecautions9.1 No materials not intended to be tested, objects or bodyparts should be placed between the transducers or otherwiseblock mechanical moving parts of the test instrument.10. Sampling10.1 No special sampling rules apply.11. Test Specimens11.1 Test specimens shall be representative of the ma
30、terialbeing tested and shall be free of defects, including wrinkles,creases, and pinholes, unless these are a characteristic of thematerial being tested.11.2 The specimen size and configuration shall conform tothe requirements of the specific instrument used and the itemunder test.12. Calibration12.
31、1 The instrument is calibrated in conformance to theinstrument manufacturers instructions.F3004 131213. Conditioning13.1 Typically, no sample conditioning is required.14. Procedure14.1 Each specific instrument will be operated in accor-dance with the instrument manufacturers instructions. Eachwill f
32、ollow the same general steps as outlined below.14.1.1 The sample is held in a fixture with the position of itsseal or area of interest noted.14.1.2 The sample is moved at a constant speed between thegenerating and receiving transducers by either moving thesample relative to the fixed transducers or
33、by moving thetransducers relative to the fixed sample.14.1.3 The X-Y position is recorded along with the corre-sponding acoustic attenuation or signal strength.14.1.4 The rate that the sample is tested shall be based onpulse rate and spot size so as to allow a defect, if present, to bedetected.14.1.
34、5 The signal strength shall be sufficient to adequatelydetect defects. The sensitivity of the instrument to detect agiven defect is determined by testing known defects andcomparing this to known, non-defective samples.15. Calculation15.1 Typically, non-defective and defective samples aretested and t
35、heir respective responses noted. The informationgenerated, typically the degree of input signal attenuation, canbe entered into the computer data analysis system to providethe criteria for presentation such as numeric, graphical orimagery. False color imagery has been found to be useful withvarious
36、colors assigned to different levels of acoustic attenua-tion.16. Report16.1 Report the following information:16.1.1 The data reported must be selected based on theapplication and the instrument employed. Typically, in normaluse, the attenuation of the input signal is noted for:16.1.1.1 No sample bet
37、ween transducers.16.1.1.2 Samples without defect.16.1.1.3 Samples with various defect levels.16.1.2 With C-Scan applications the severity, size, shapeand position of the defect can be recorded.17. Precision and Bias17.1 The precision of this test method is based on aninterlaboratory study conducted
38、in 2012 (see RR:F02-10333).Four laboratories participated in the study, testing three differ-ent types of packaging, modified with six different intentionaldefects (also one non-defective). SealScan 525 systems fittedwith three ultrasonic transducers, using the L-Scan technique,were used by each par
39、ticipant.The total number and description of samples tested by eachparticipant were:3 Materials (complete layer thicknesses and material de-scriptions included in Research Report)(1) PET/LDPE/FOIL/EMA (inside) sealed to itself (insideto inside) Shown in tables below as “Foil Variable”.(2) PET/adhesi
40、ve/nylon/adhesive/PP (inside) sealed to it-self (inside to inside) Shown in tables below as “All PlasticVariable”.(3) PET/LDPE (inside) sealed to Tyvek 1073B Shown intables below as “Tyvek Variable”.45 Samples (consisting of 15 non-defective + 30 defective)(a) Non-defective Seal 15 replicates(b) 1 m
41、m Channel 5 replicates(c) 3 mm Channel 5 replicates(d) 0.75 mm Channel 5 replicates(e) 2 mm Wrinkle 5 replicates(f) 2mm2mmMaterial Inclusion 5 replicates(g) 37 mm width Incomplete Seal 5 replicates3 Test Heads (SealScan 525 systems from PTI / PackagingTechnologies and Inspection. Operating at 280 kH
42、z, beam size1.5 mm, air gap 2.5 mm, pulse rate 200 pulse/sec, scan speed100 mm/sec)(1) Serial number 0052565(2) Serial number 0052594(3) Serial number 0052595TOTAL = 405 readings per participant.Except for the limited number of laboratories participating,Practice E691 was followed for the study desi
43、gn; the details aregiven in RR:F02-1033.17.1.1 Repeatability limit (r)Two test results obtainedwithin one laboratory shall be judged not equivalent if theydiffer by more than the “r” value for that material; “r”istheinterval representing the critical difference between two testresults for the same m
44、aterial/defect combination, obtained by3Supporting data have been filed at ASTM International Headquarters and maybe obtained by requesting Research Report RR:F02-1033. ContactASTM CustomerService at serviceastm.org.TABLE 1 Minimum Acoustic Transmittance (Percent) Variable A Non-Defective SealMateri
45、al AverageRepeatabilityStandard DeviationReproducibilityStandard DeviationRepeatabilityLimitReproducibilityLimitxsrsRrR“Foil Variable” 39.46 2.65 2.65 7.43 7.43“All Plastic Variable” 39.04 0.38 0.44 1.06 1.24“Tyvek Variable” 55.84 1.34 1.35 3.74 3.79F3004 1313the same operator using the same equipme
46、nt on the same dayin the same laboratory.17.1.1.1 Repeatability limits are listed in Tables 1-7.17.1.2 Reproducibility limit (R)Two test results shall bejudged not equivalent if they differ by more than the “R” valuefor that material; “R” is the interval representing the criticaldifference between t
47、wo test results for the same paint, obtainedby different operators using different equipment in differentlaboratories.17.1.2.1 Reproducibility limits are listed in Tables 1-7.17.1.3 The above terms (repeatability limit and reproduc-ibility limit) are used as specified in Practice E177.17.1.4 Any jud
48、gment in accordance with statements 17.1.1and 17.1.2 would normally have an approximate 95% prob-ability of being correct, however the precision statistics ob-tained in this ILS must not be treated as exact mathematicalquantities which are applicable to all circumstances and uses.The limited number
49、of laboratories reporting replicate resultsguarantees that there will be times when differences greaterthan predicted by the ILS results will arise, sometimes withTABLE 2 Minimum Acoustic Transmittance (Percent) VariableB1mmChannelMaterial AverageRepeatabilityStandard DeviationReproducibilityStandard DeviationRepeatabilityLimitReproducibilityLimitxsrsRrR“Foil Variable” 28.52 2.34 2.34 6.55 6.55“All Plastic Variable” 28.61 2.18 2.18 6.10 6.10“Tyvek Variable” 18.20 13.54 13.54 37.90 37.90TABLE 3 Minimum Acoustic Transmittance (Per
