Why Tray Fit Matters for Seal Integrity
Sealing issues in food and packaging lines often aren’t about the machinery — they’re about the tray fit. At Packaging Automation, we frequently see two scenarios where tray fit can cause headaches for our customers.
1.Designed to Drawing, But the Reality Differs
When a new tray has been designed but not yet manufactured, and our customers are up against a deadline to launch a new product we can support by designing and manufacturing a tool to the tray drawing provided. Everything checks out in theory. But when the production trays arrive — often direct to the customer site — the fit isn’t always perfect.
Even small deviations between the production tray and the drawing can prevent a proper seal, leading to leaks or compromised product quality.
2. Supplier Changes Can Introduce Hidden Problems
Other times, the tooling and trays work flawlessly together in production for a sustained period of time. Then a customer switches to a new tray supplier.
Visually, the trays look the same. But subtle differences in tolerances can result in the sealing issues — even with the same machine settings.
Why Trials Make the Difference
These scenarios demonstrate the importance of trialling new trays before going into full production. By testing trays in our Trial Facility, we can:
- Detect fit issues before they affect production
- Confirm sealing performance under real-world conditions
- Provide customers with actionable data to address material or supplier variation
At the end of the day, a reliable seal isn’t just about temperature, pressure, or time — it’s about the tray fitting perfectly in the tool.
Small differences make a big impact, and catching them early saves time, money, and product integrity.
