L'ORÉAL - towards sustainable packaging thanks to X-ray tomography

01 Apr 2022
At its Packaging Science Center in Aulnay-sous-Bois, L’Oréal uses an RX Solutions Explorer EasyTom S CT system to inspect its new packaging non-destructively.

The goal: lighten packaging to reduce its environmental impact, without compromising sealing or performance. Roll-ons, pumps, sprays: 3D CT measures areas that traditional methods simply can’t reach.
L'Oreal la tomographie pour réduire l'utilisation du plastique

Explorer EasyTom S - L'OREALThe project at a glance

Customer
L’Oréal Opérations, Packaging department
Site Packaging Science Center, Aulnay-sous-Bois (Île-de-France)
EquipmentExplorer EasyTom S 150 kV, for 2D radioscopy and 3D CT
Software
X-Act (acquisition and reconstruction) and VGSTUDIO MAX (post-processing)
ApplicationsRoll-on sealing, pump seal position, glitter in lacquers, delivered formula quantity, version comparison

Reducing plastic: an inspection challenge for packaging

Since 2007, L’Oréal has pursued an ambitious sustainability policy, with the goal of reducing its plastic use. The Group has set strong commitments for 2030:

  • 100% of packaging from recycled or bio-based sources (50% by 2025)
  • A 20% reduction in packaging intensity compared with 2019
  • By 2025, 100% reusable, recyclable or compostable
  • 100% of new products with a better environmental or social profile

Reducing plastic means rethinking the design of packaging, using fewer components and lighter parts. But lighter packaging deforms more, and its sealing areas become harder to inspect. This is where X-ray CT brings a level of precision that traditional methods can’t match. The research and innovation center in Aulnay-sous-Bois used it, notably, to redesign a roll-on and a spray.


Why did L’Oréal choose the Explorer EasyTom S?

X-ray technology has long been used at L’Oréal. Already equipped with a 2D radioscopy system, the packaging department of L’Oréal Opérations bought an RX Solutions CT system to gain agility and expertise.

The Explorer EasyTom S is a versatile system that works for both 2D radioscopy and 3D CT. It’s compact, yet offers a large scan volume, so it covers many dimensional analyses at the heart of complex packaging, isolating the different materials as well as the formula.

CT lets you analyze a sample non-destructively as a whole, or focus on a region of interest and scan it at higher resolution. L’Oréal operates the system with X-Act, RX Solutions’ software, and does the post-processing (dimensional measurements, material integrity analyses) with VGSTUDIO MAX.
« We did a lot of research to find the system that suited us best, and we chose the EasyTom S 150 micro-CT. It fully meets our needs for image quality in both 2D radioscopy and 3D CT. Its large scan volume lets us assess large packaging, and X-Act is simple and intuitive. That means we can respond quickly to analysis requests from the L’Oréal Group without destroying our packaging, with complete and reliable results. »

Valérie Kléber, Packaging Qualification Laboratory, L’Oréal Aulnay-sous-Bois

CT applications on L’Oréal packaging

Liquid flow area
Liquid flow area

Checking roll-on sealing

On roll-ons, the interference between parts varies with the tightening torque. This sealing area can’t be measured dimensionally with traditional methods.
« CT lets us go further in analyzing complex designs and in improving our products. On the sealing areas of our flexible packaging and on assembly areas in particular, this technology lets us pinpoint the contact zones precisely, complementing our functional evaluations.”»
— Clément Jaunet, Packaging Engineer, HUB France, L’Oréal
L'Oreal la tomographie pour réduire l'utilisation du plastique
Position of the seal in a pump assembled on a bottle

Measuring seal position in pumps

CT lets you visualize the dimensions and position of seals in pump mechanisms once they’re assembled on the bottles. It’s an assembly inspection that would be impossible without taking the part apart.
Checking for glitter in lacquer tubes
Checking for glitter in lacquer tubes

Detecting glitter in hairsprays

In hairsprays, elements such as glitter can disrupt spray quality. CT can identify and locate them, right down to the dip tube.
Roll-on analysis to determine the delivered quantity
Roll-on analysis to determine the delivered quantity

Quantifying the formula delivered by a roll-on

The EasyTom S has several axes that move the sample within the field of view, so you can zoom in on a region of interest. L’Oréal used this on the product’s flow zone to image and quantify the amount of formula delivered by the roll-on.

Valider un choix de conception : le cas du roll-on repensé

Pour réduire le plastique, le roll-on est passé de trois composants à deux pièces. La tomographie a permis de valider cette nouvelle conception en trois temps :
  • Vérifier les points d'appui de la sphère lors de son insertion dans son logement, en 3D.
  • Contrôler l'élasticité du plastique : des tomographies comparatives avant et après insertion montrent si la pièce reprend sa forme initiale.
  • Comparer les deux versions : la surface du roll-on d'origine (trois composants), extraite par tomographie, a été superposée en quelques clics au scan de la nouvelle version (deux pièces), en utilisant la sphère comme référence de recalage. La même méthode permet une 
    comparaison avec le modèle CAO 

« Le tomographe EasyTom S est un équipement précieux pour valider ou contrôler un choix de conception. Le recalage best fit permet notamment de superposer deux scans, ou un scan et un modèle CAO, et d'obtenir très rapidement une analyse précise des zones fonctionnelles. »
— Patrick Jamet, Technicien, Packaging Science Center, L'Oréal Aulnay-sous-Bois

Un outil au service des packagings de demain

Pour réduire l'impact de leurs produits sur l'environnement, les équipes de L'Oréal se sont dotées d'un outil d'imagerie 3D capable de contrôler de manière non destructive l'intégralité des packagings nouvellement développés. Un moyen d'analyse performant, qui participe au développement des futures innovations du Groupe. Des enjeux proches de ceux de l'injection plastique  et des polymères.

CT system ranges and platforms

At RX Solutions, we offer three CT ranges: Explorer, Nano and Force. They can then be tailored with our Series to match your applications and business constraints. For production constraints, there is the  FAB Series ; for dimensional measurement, the  Metrology Series .


Product lines
EXPLORER
NANO
FORCE
Platforms
EasyTom S
EasyTom L
EasyTom XL
EasyTom B
EasyTom L
EasyTom XL
UltraTom
EasyTom L
EasyTom B
Series
Metrology Series



Fab Series





Performance
Resolution
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
Sample density
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
EXPLORER EasyTom S
Series
Metrology Series   
Fab Series   
Performance
Resolution            
Sample density            
EXPLORER EasyTom L
Series
Metrology Series   
Fab Series   
Performance
Resolution            
Sample density            
EXPLORER EasyTom XL
Series
Metrology Series  — 
Fab Series   
Performance
Resolution            
Sample density            
EXPLORER EasyTom B
Series
Metrology Series  — 
Fab Series  — 
Performance
Resolution            
Sample density            
NANO EasyTom L
Series
Metrology Series   
Fab Series  — 
Performance
Resolution            
Sample density            
NANO EasyTom XL
Series
Metrology Series  — 
Fab Series  — 
Performance
Resolution            
Sample density            
NANO UltraTom
Series
Metrology Series   
Fab Series  — 
Performance
Resolution            
Sample density            
FORCE EasyTom L
Series
Metrology Series   
Fab Series  — 
Performance
Resolution            
Sample density            
FORCE EasyTom B
Series
Metrology Series   
Fab Series  — 
Performance
Resolution            
Sample density            



Discover the three RX Solutions ranges: Force - Explorer et Nano

Dental part scanned by Explorer micro-tomography Aerospace part in metal additive manufacturing 

EXPLORER

Versatile micro-tomography

2 µm RESOLUTION
300 kV SOURCE VOLTAGE
< 1 µm MIN. VOXEL

Reveal the invisible at the micron scale.

Access the finest microstructures, porosities and interfaces with a resolution down to the nanometre scale.

Platforms Easytom S · Easytom L · Easytom XL · EasyTom B
 Discover the Explorer line      
Microscopic structure analysed at nanometric resolution Life sciences, Wood

NANO

Nanometric analysis

250 nm RESOLUTION
160 kV SOURCE VOLTAGE
30 nm MIN. VOXEL

Reveal the smallest details with nanometric precision.

Nanometric resolutions to characterise microstructures, porosities and interfaces at a scale that optical microscopy cannot reach.

Platforms Easytom L · Easytom XL · Ultratom
 Discover the Nano line      
Electronic component inspected by Force high-energy tomography Titanium additive manufacturing injector 

FORCE

High-energy solution

4 µm RESOLUTION
450 kV SOURCE VOLTAGE
250 kgs Load up to

See through the densest materials.

Inspect thick metal parts, complex assemblies and highly absorbing components with optimal image quality.

Platforms Easytom L · Easytom B
 Discover the Force line      

 How to identify your CT needs 

 


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