20mm FlipTop® Tear-Down Seal
The 20mm FlipTop® Tear-Down is an aluminium-plastic combination seal for 20 mm neck vials: the polypropylene disc is riveted to the aluminium body, and the operator opens the disc, then pulls and rotates it anticlockwise so the whole seal comes off the vial. Assembled height is 8.80 to 9.80 mm, maximum opening force is 35 N, and standard packing is 6,000 seals per box. It is made to ISO 8362-6 for aluminium-plastics combination caps.
It is a different product from the all-aluminium 20 mm tear-down seal, which has no plastic disc; that distinction is set out below. For the full range, see the FlipTop® Tear-Down family page.
Key takeaways
- The 20 mm tear-down is the aluminium-plastic member of the family in the most common vial neck size.
- Assembled height 8.80–9.80 mm, inner aluminium Ø 20.00–20.60 mm, PP disc Ø 22.00–23.00 mm.
- Disc height 3.00–4.00 mm, inner aluminium height 7.20–7.80 mm, bridge design.
- Maximum opening force 35 N; standard packing 6,000 per box (2,000 × 2 bags) in a 420 × 270 × 320 mm shipper.
- It is not the all-aluminium 20 mm tear-down seal, which is one-piece metal with a perforation and no polypropylene disc.
What is the 20mm FlipTop® Tear-Down seal?
The 20 mm FlipTop® Tear-Down is an aluminium-plastic combination cap in which a moulded polypropylene disc is riveted to the aluminium shell, so that opening and turning the disc removes the entire closure from the vial. The deep-drawn AA8011 shell crimps under the vial neck flange and compresses the rubber stopper against the glass, and the riveted disc gives the operator a single grip point on the metal.
Opening is one continuous action: the disc is lifted, then pulled and rotated anticlockwise, and because the disc and the aluminium are joined, the crimp releases and the whole assembly comes away. It needs no decapper, and the removed seal cannot be reseated.
The 20 mm neck is the most common injectable vial finish, so this is the highest-volume size in the family. Match it to a 20 mm vial finish and a 20 mm stopper of the same nominal diameter; vial necks follow ISO 8362-1. The other variants are on the 13 mm and 32 mm pages.
Not the same as the all-aluminium 20 mm tear-down
Autofits sells two different 20 mm closures that both carry the words “tear-down”, and they are not interchangeable. The seal on this page is an aluminium-plastic combination with a riveted polypropylene disc. The all-aluminium 20 mm tear-down seal is a one-piece AA8011 closure with no plastic component, opened by tearing a perforated band of metal down.
| 20 mm FlipTop Tear-Down (this page) | 20 mm all-aluminium tear-down | |
|---|---|---|
| Construction | Aluminium plus riveted PP disc | One-piece aluminium, no plastic |
| Inner Ø aluminium | 20.00–20.60 mm | 20.50–20.70 mm |
| Height | 8.80–9.80 mm assembled | 7.50–8.50 mm |
| Opening | Open disc, pull, rotate anticlockwise | Tear the perforated metal band down |
| Reference standard | ISO 8362-6 | ISO 8362-3 |
When specifying, state the construction, not just the size and the word “tear-down”. The metal-only mechanisms are compared in tear-off vs tear-down seals.
Specifications and sizing
Controlled dimensions 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 | 20 mm |
| Construction | Aluminium-plastic combination |
| Inner Ø aluminium seal (D2) | 20.00–20.60 mm |
| Outer Ø PP disc (D3) | 22.00–23.00 mm |
| Disc height (H3) | 3.00–4.00 mm |
| Inner aluminium height (H1) | 7.20–7.80 mm |
| Assembled height (H2) | 8.80–9.80 mm |
| Design | Bridge |
| Max opening force | 35 N |
| Standard packing (per box) | 6,000 (2,000 × 2 bags) |
Aluminium thickness was not specified on the drawing supplied for this size and is available on request. Opening force varies with the number and geometry of the bridges. Finishes are glossy or matte in a wide range of colours; colour codes, order quantities, pricing and lead times are available on request.
Materials and quality
The shell is AA8011 aluminium alloy (EN 15088:2005, EN 10204-3.1, 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. Heavy metals are held to not more than 100 ppm total and the parts are BSE/TSE-free to EMEA/410/01 rev. 3.
Aluminium is washed on an automated line, 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. 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%.
Forms of supply
The 20 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 for Ready-to-Use. Tyvek bagging is an option.
Applications
The 20 mm tear-down suits products that need the whole seal removed fast and by hand rather than a small retained injection point. Oral vaccination presentations are the main use, where vials are opened in quick sequence and a grip-and-turn action removes the closure without a tool. It also fits emergency drugs and any 20 mm presentation opened repeatedly across a shift. Where a needle is pushed through a retained button, use a flip-off seal from the FlipTop® range.
Every 20 mm construction is listed on the 20 mm by-size index; the alternative full-removal design is compared in pull-ring vs tear-down seals.
Frequently asked questions
What is the height of a 20mm tear-down seal?
Assembled height is 8.80 to 9.80 mm: an inner aluminium section 7.20 to 7.80 mm high and a polypropylene disc 3.00 to 4.00 mm high. Inner aluminium diameter is 20.00 to 20.60 mm and disc diameter is 22.00 to 23.00 mm.
How is the 20mm FlipTop tear-down different from the all-aluminium 20mm tear-down seal?
They are two different products that share a name. The FlipTop version is an aluminium-plastic combination with a riveted polypropylene disc, inner diameter 20.00 to 20.60 mm and assembled height 8.80 to 9.80 mm. The all-aluminium version is one piece of metal with no plastic disc, inner diameter 20.50 to 20.70 mm and height 7.50 to 8.50 mm, opened by tearing a perforated band of metal down.
What is the opening force of the 20mm tear-down seal, and how many are in a box?
Maximum opening force is 35 N, varying with the number and geometry of the bridges. Standard packing is 6,000 seals per box, supplied as 2,000 in each of two bags, in a 420 by 270 by 320 mm shipper. Tyvek bagging is available and minimum order quantities are available on request.
What standard does the 20mm tear-down seal follow?
It is made to ISO 8362-6, for caps made of aluminium-plastics combinations for injection vials, under an ISO 15378:2017 GMP quality system; vial necks follow ISO 8362-1. The all-aluminium tear-down seal relates instead to ISO 8362-3.
Related reading
- FlipTop® Tear-Down seals (full range)
- All-aluminium tear-down seals
- 13mm FlipTop® Tear-Down seal
- 32mm FlipTop® Tear-Down seal
- FlipTop seal range
- 20 mm vial seals by size
- Pull-ring vs tear-down seals
- Tear-off vs tear-down seals
Sources
- ISO 8362-6:2010, Caps made of aluminium-plastics combinations for injection vials (https://www.iso.org/standard/52806.html)
- 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.*
