13mm FlipTop® Tear-Down Seal

The 13mm FlipTop® Tear-Down is an aluminium-plastic combination seal for 13 mm neck vials in which the polypropylene disc is riveted to the aluminium body: the operator opens the disc, then pulls and rotates it anticlockwise so the whole seal comes off the vial. Total height is 6.80 to 8.30 mm, maximum opening force is 30 N, and standard packing is 15,000 seals per box. It is manufactured to ISO 8362-6 for aluminium-plastics combination caps.

This page gives the 13 mm dimensions, materials, quality position, forms of supply and applications. For the mechanism and the full three-size range, see the FlipTop® Tear-Down family page.

Key takeaways

The 13 mm tear-down is the smallest seal in the family, sized for the low-fill vial neck defined by ISO 8362-1.
Total height 6.80–8.30 mm, external aluminium Ø 13.30–13.50 mm, disc Ø 14.80–15.40 mm.
Disc height 3.70–4.10 mm, aluminium height 6.00–6.40 mm, aluminium thickness 0.18–0.22 mm.
Maximum opening force 30 N, the lowest in the Autofits range, because the small diameter uses fewer bridges.
Standard packing is 15,000 per box (5,000 × 3 bags) in a 420 × 270 × 320 mm shipper; Tyvek bagging available.
Built from AA8011 aluminium, epoxy lacquer and a moulded polypropylene disc, assembled in an ISO Class 8 cleanroom with 100% camera inspection.

What is the 13mm FlipTop® Tear-Down seal?

The 13 mm tear-down is an aluminium-plastic combination cap for 13 mm neck vials, built so that the entire seal leaves the vial once the riveted polypropylene disc is opened and turned. A deep-drawn AA8011 aluminium shell crimps under the vial neck flange and holds the rubber stopper compressed against the glass. A moulded polypropylene disc is riveted to that shell in a bridge design, so the disc and the metal act as one part when the operator grips and turns them.

That construction is what separates it from a flip-off seal. A flip-off button lifts to expose a small injection point while the aluminium skirt stays crimped in place. The tear-down is designed for full removal: opening the disc, pulling it and rotating it anticlockwise releases the crimp so the metal, the disc and the stopper come away together in one single-handed motion. Once removed it cannot be reseated, which is the tamper evidence.

Match the 13 mm seal to a 13 mm vial finish and a 13 mm rubber stopper of the same nominal diameter; vial necks follow ISO 8362-1. The larger variants of the same design are covered on the 20 mm tear-down page and the family page.

Specifications and sizing

Controlled dimensions for the 13 mm FlipTop® Tear-Down, taken from the Autofits engineering drawings, with maximum opening force and standard packing. The standard shipper box is 420 × 270 × 320 mm.

Property	Value
Nominal size	13 mm
Construction	Aluminium-plastic combination
External / inner Ø aluminium (D1)	13.30–13.50 mm
Disc Ø (D2)	14.80–15.40 mm
Disc height	3.70–4.10 mm
Aluminium / inner height	6.00–6.40 mm
Total height	6.80–8.30 mm
Aluminium thickness	0.18–0.22 mm
Design	Bridge
Max opening force	30 N
Standard packing (per box)	15,000 (5,000 × 3 bags)

Opening force varies with the number and geometry of the bridges. Finishes are glossy or matte, in a wide range of colours customised to requirement. Colour codes, minimum order quantities and lead times are available on request.

Materials and quality

The shell is AA8011 aluminium alloy (EN 15088:2005, EN 10204-3.1 certification, tested to BS EN 485-2:2008, REACH and RoHS compliant) with an epoxy lacquer coating to 21 CFR 175.300 that may be pigmented for colour. The riveted disc is polypropylene to IS 10910 / IS 10909 and FDA 21 CFR 177.1520, moulded in-house on Japanese Toyo machines; BADGE, NOGE and BFDGE are not used. Heavy metals are held to not more than 100 ppm total and the components are BSE/TSE-free to EMEA/410/01 rev. 3.

Aluminium is washed on an automated line to control particles, every seal passes 100% high-speed camera inspection, and assembly is in an ISO Class 8 cleanroom at the 75,000 sq ft Nashik plant (E-13/7/4, MIDC, Malegaon, Sinnar). Production runs under ISO 15378:2017 GMP with ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 14001:2015 certification, a Drug Master File (DMF 18100) and CFDA registration B20200000501. AQL is critical nil, major not more than 2.5%, minor not more than 4%. See ISO 8362-6 and the quality page.

Forms of supply

The 13 mm tear-down ships Regular (non-sterile bulk), Ready-to-Use (assembled and washed in the ISO Class 8 cleanroom, gamma or ETO sterilized, double-bagged for aseptic areas) and Ready-to-Sterilize. Shelf life is 3.5 years before capping for non-irradiated seals, plus 5 years after capping, and 2 years before capping for Ready-to-Use. Tyvek bagging is an option on any form; minimum order quantities, pricing and lead times are available on request.

Applications

The 13 mm tear-down suits small-neck presentations that are opened quickly and by hand rather than accessed by needle through a retained button. The primary use is oral vaccination doses, where a large number of small vials are opened in sequence and a grip-and-turn action with no tool is worth the switch from a flip-off. It also fits emergency-use presentations and any low-fill vial opened once and discarded. Where a retained injection point is needed instead, a flip-off seal in the FlipTop® range is the correct closure.

Every 13 mm construction Autofits makes, including the all-aluminium tear-off, is listed on the 13 mm by-size index; the mechanism contrast is in tear-off vs tear-down seals.

Frequently asked questions

What is the total height of a 13mm tear-down seal?

Total height is 6.80 to 8.30 mm: an aluminium section 6.00 to 6.40 mm high and a polypropylene disc 3.70 to 4.10 mm high. External aluminium diameter is 13.30 to 13.50 mm and disc diameter is 14.80 to 15.40 mm.

What is the opening force of the 13mm tear-down seal?

Maximum opening force is 30 N, the lowest of the Autofits sizes. Opening force varies with the number and geometry of the bridges, and the small 13 mm diameter carries fewer bridges than the larger sizes.

How do you open a 13mm tear-down seal?

Open the polypropylene disc, then pull it and rotate it anticlockwise. The disc is riveted to the aluminium, so turning it releases the crimp and brings the whole seal off the vial in one motion. No decapper or crimp tool is needed, and the seal cannot be reseated.

How many 13mm tear-down seals are in a box?

Standard packing is 15,000 seals per box, supplied as 5,000 in each of three bags, in a 420 by 270 by 320 mm shipper. Tyvek bagging is available as an alternative and minimum order quantities are available on request.

Is the 13mm tear-down seal available sterilized?

Yes. Ready-to-Use seals are washed and assembled in an ISO Class 8 cleanroom, sterilized by gamma irradiation or ETO and double-bagged for aseptic filling, with a shelf life of 2 years before capping. Regular and Ready-to-Sterilize forms are also available.

Sources

ISO: ISO 8362-6:2010, Injection containers and accessories, Part 6: Caps made of aluminium-plastics combinations for injection vials (https://www.iso.org/standard/52806.html)
ISO: ISO 15378:2017, Primary packaging materials for medicinal products, GMP requirements (https://www.iso.org/standard/70729.html)
Autofits engineering drawings and FlipTop Seals dossier (internal, on file)

*Last updated: 2026-08-18. This page is general technical and product information, not regulatory or compliance advice; confirm current standard editions and your own specification with Autofits and the issuing bodies.*