Problem

• Severe cracking in closures at retail
• High product return rates across multiple beverages
• Issue appeared suddenly across product lines

Investigation

• Reviewed injection molding parameters
• Analyzed capping torques and application conditions
• Evaluated part design for stress points and sharp angles
• Conducted ESCR (Environmental Stress Crack Resistance) testing
• Assessed resin grades and recent material changes

Root Cause

• Multiple contributing factors identified
• One key change isolated as primary driver of failure

The Solution & The Result

• Corrected the critical change
• Addressed secondary contributing factors
• Eliminated closure cracking issue
• Reduced returns and stabilized product performance

More Info

TeckPac LC learned that client was experiencing severe cracking in closures in customers stores leading to a high level of returns. The problem was occurring in many different products from juices to sports drinks to iced teas and was a recent occurrence.

TeckPac LCk conducted an investigation including a deep assessment of what changed. Investigation included Injection Molding Parameters, Capping Torques, Part Design to identify stress points and sharp angles, Environmental Stress Crack (ESCR) assessment, and Resin grade and changes.

The assessment showed that multiple attributes were driving the cause. However, one overpowering change was identified and was enough to overshadow all the other limitations and fix the issue in a timely manner.