If you are, or want to be,  involved in any facet of the manufacture or sale of baby diapers, sanitary napkins, adult incontinence or similar absorbent products, please read through our pages and contact our Consultant, Philip Hardy, by phone,  fax or  e-mail. 

Description: A mechanical device for the repetitive raising and dropping of disposable absorbent products in order to quantify the breaking strength of the absorbent core within the product. The product can be tested in a dry condition or with a specific targeted wet area so that the dry and wet strengths of the product can be determined at different stages of saturation. A reliable and consistent test device for the determination of a pad strength parameter in absorbent products such as diapers, underpads, shaped pads or sanitary napkins. Doubles also as a vertical light box for clear and detailed product inspection (see below)

 

Rationale

The ability of the absorbent core of a disposable product to remain intact before and after absorption of fluids despite the dynamic impact from the wearer is key to the effective performance of the product. Our integrity tester is the only device available on the market to test the strength of the absorbent core within the product envelope. This new device and test method finally provide a reliable means of evaluating the pad integrity.
The strength of the absorbent core is dependent on several factors -
Fibre length Fibre entanglement Pad compression	Pad embossing Adhesion to roll materials Superabsorbent distribution	Core shape Core structure Drum forming consistency

The Hardy Integrity Test (HIT) method and device finally resolve this issue for disposables manufacturers. A real measurement of the integrity of the core can be achieved for consistency checks and as a development parameter.

 

 

Test Categories

Consistency testing	Drum forming
	SAP and fluff homogeneity
	Glue application
	Compression / embossing
	Bifolding damage
	Package compaction

 

Development testing	Removal or reduction of tissue layer
	Improvement of adhesive bond
	Change of embossing or compression
	Change of absorbent core structure
	Changes in fluff and SAP content

 

Comparison testing	Comparison with other brands in dry and wet states
	Comparison with other pad structures

 

 

Device Function

1	All longitudinal elastics are cut from the absorbent product (if present).
2	The trial product is placed in the clamp thus suspending it in front of the light box
3	The height of drop is set at required level.
4	The light box is switched on.
5	The handle is turned and the product is repetitively dropped from the set height until failure is observed or a specified count is reached. (Manual or electrical version)

 

 

Typical Test Results

 

The above test results were carried out for two very different baby diaper cores. The blue graph was a diaper without a carrier material, the red curve was a diaper with top and bottom tissue glued to the core. The Diaper break up curve is created from the average values for a set of samples. A characteristic curve can be produced for each insult point position and for each insult quantity.

 

The scatter envelope above shows the HIT results for the diaper Sample B. Each point on the graph is a test result for a diaper. The x axis shows the drop height and the y axis shows the number of times the diaper was dropped before a failure crack appeared in the core. This general funnel shape is typical of all diaper results, the test results being more closely grouped as the drop height increases.

 

The daily or weekly drop height graph will give indications of two quality parameters:

Consistency of the pad formation. Any cassette defects can be quickly identified. Improved consistency of pad formation will be reflected by a narrowing of the range of results. Improvement in the pad integrity: A rise in the average line (red line above) indicates general improvement of the pad integrity of the product.

 

 

Vertical Lightbox Display

 

An important additional feature of the Hardy Integrity Tester is that is can be used as a Vertical Light box for regular product inspection.
The details of the internal materials can be seen without difficulty. Even spray glues can be seen due to excellent light level
The product can be quickly and easily turned to view from the other side without unfastening the clamps
The product can be tensioned laterally as well as vertically due to the friction between the clamps and the cross bar.

Contact us at Disposables Consultancy Service if you would like to receive more information. A video of the test and device is available on request. Please contact us if you require a price for this equipment.

Equipment Options:
The standard light box is 600mm high x 450mm wide and will be adequate for testing all products up to 1300mm high. Larger vertical light boxes are available on request if full display of large products is required.

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Disposables Consultancy Service
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Revised: March , 2008