From Porosity to Barrier: How the ACA Permi Lab LP 300 Bridges the Gap in Material Testing
The challenge: testing modern barrier materials
As sustainable packaging accelerates, manufacturers are racing to develop coated papers, recyclable films, and fiber-based barriers that match the performance of plastics. But verifying barrier quality isn’t simple.
Traditional porosity testers are too limited for dense, coated materials — they can’t detect small leaks or variations. On the other hand, oxygen and water vapor transmission tests (OTR/WVTR) provide precise barrier data, but take hours and require specialized setups.
Most packaging developers need something in between: a fast, reliable tool to check air permeance and coating integrity before investing time in full barrier analysis.
The solution: ACA Permi Lab LP 300
The ACA Permi Lab LP 300 is designed precisely for that middle ground. It measures air permeance in low-porosity materials, covering a range of 100–20,000 pm/(Pa·s) — each test takes under 15 seconds, delivering quick, repeatable results with ±2% accuracy.
With its large 50 cm² test area and automated procedure, the LP 300 reduces operator variability and captures representative data even on coated or laminated samples.
ACA Permi Lab LP 300
Why it matters for packaging
For paper and film converters, coating suppliers, and packaging R&D teams, the LP 300 offers clear advantages:
• Faster development: Get instant feedback on how coatings or barrier formulations affect permeability.
• Efficient quality control: Spot coating defects or substrate variations in seconds.
• Reduced OTR testing load: Use LP 300 results to pre-select which samples need full OTR testing.
• Data-driven optimization: Correlate air permeance values with barrier performance to fine-tune production parameters.
By acting as a pre-test or screening tool, the LP 300 helps packaging teams shorten lab time, cut costs, and improve the consistency of barrier performance across production runs.
The ROI of smart barrier testing
Implementing the LP 300 as a pre-screening tool typically cuts OTR testing volumes by more than half, translating to monthly savings of roughly €20,000. The investment pays for itself in less than two months, delivering both financial and operational efficiency. Beyond the numbers, the LP 300 frees up valuable lab capacity and accelerates decision-making, helping teams move faster from development to production.
The takeaway
The transition to fiber-based and sustainable packaging demands faster, smarter testing methods. The ACA Permi Lab LP 300 brings laboratory precision to everyday R&D and production, bridging the gap between porosity and barrier testing — and helping packaging innovators move from trial and error to data-driven progress.
Want to save on testing costs? Get in touch and discover how the ACA Permi Lab LP 300 pays for itself in less than two months.
Read more about ACA Permi Lab LP 300.
