Wine Cork Extraction Test to ISO 9727-5

Solution

• Motorised tensile tester.
• Digital force gauge with on-screen display or data acquisition software.
• Bottle clamping fixture with corkscrew attachment.

Benefits

• Immediate visibility of test results.
• The adjustable setup accommodates different bottle dimensions.
• Secure recording and storage of extraction force values.

Requirement

The customer, AMORIM & IRMÃOS, S.A. – Unidade Industrial da Valada, needed a simple and affordable testing system to determine the force required to extract corks from glass wine bottles. The requirement is to conduct the test at a set speed of 300 mm/min and for the corkscrew to fully penetrate at least 3 mm below the cork's bottom.

Solution

A corkscrew designed with a loop-style handle was used to allow easy engagement with a fixed hook on the testing system. The operator first inserts the corkscrew into the cork to the specified depth before mounting it onto the hook for testing.

The bottle is then firmly secured to the base platform of the testing machine using a collar-type clamping system positioned around the neck. This collar can be adjusted along vertical guide rods, enabling the testing of bottles with varying heights and shapes.

Once the setup is complete, tensile force is applied at a constant rate until the cork is fully extracted. The peak force required for removal is captured by the digital force gauge, ensuring accurate and repeatable measurement for quality assessment.

Test equipment

• Motorised test stand
• Force gauge or data acquisition system
• Corkscrew fixture
• Adjustable bottle holding fixture

Test Standards

• ISO 9727-5
  Cylindrical cork stoppers – Physical tests – Part 5: Determination of extraction force
• NFB 57 100
  Mechanical and physical test methods for Cork stoppers for still wines
• CETIE Guide 1
  Guide 1 – Capping of still wines on cork mouth finish