TESTING | MATERIALS
Right: Hitachi High-Tech’s Nexta DMA200 offers a 20N capability to deal with high stiffness materials
loss caused by our labour shortages.” Olivier Savard, product manager for thermal analysis at Hitachi High-Tech Analytical Science, agrees that manufacturers have prioritised development of software tools to enhance usability and traceability. “Efficient software tools improve operations and ensure consistent and reliable results, meeting the exacting standards of modern industrial practices. This is evident in the advancements made in material analysers. For instance, Hitachi High-Tech Analytical Science’s Nexta TA software offers adaptable features catering to users of all levels, such as Guidance Mode for step-by-step measurement procedures and Simple Mode for intuitive use. Additionally, a specialised data input/ output support option has been developed for high throughput laboratories, allowing for the automatic application of the correct method and calibration through a simple barcode scan associ- ated with a sample.”
Below: SKZ is offering faster turnaround testing via its recently introduced DSPro service
Sustained profitability Savard says such advances help ensure that customers’ manufacturing costs remain low to sustain profitability. “New advanced materials with specific properties need to be developed and understood all the way down to the microscopic level. An example is the manufacturing of smart screens and other multi-layer materials. The production of these complex multilayer products could be affected by impurities causing a defect called a fisheye.” The company’s new polarisation microscope accessory for its Nexta DSC has been developed to
help understand the thermal properties of materials at a microscopic scale. “As materi- als become more complex, multiple analytical techniques have been interconnected. Thermal analysis instruments such as the Nexta STA are dual systems providing TGA and DSC results in a single instrument. They can also be coupled with well-established techniques such as FTIR, MS, and GCMS (Gas Chromatog- raphy Mass Spectrometry) to obtain valuable information which helps identify them,”
Savard says.
“This underscores the critical role comprehen- sive analysis plays in enabling manufacturers and institutions to make informed decisions regarding the development, production, and utilisation of advanced materials,” he adds. Last September, Hitachi High-Tech Analytical Science launched a new product in its Nexta series — the Nexta DMA200 dynamic mechanical analyser. The company says sectors such as automotive, aviation and electronics increasingly rely on DMA analysis to help understand behaviour of materials. The 20N maximum force capability of the DMA200 is a two-fold increase compared to the previous model, making it a good choice for characterising materials that require significant force for deforma- tion, such as carbon fibre composites. The upgraded Real View high-resolution camera
at the core of the system is said to support im- proved observation of the sample over a wide temperature range, capturing images in real time that can be related directly to the DMA signal. The instrument also incorporates colour analysis (RGB, CMYK, and L*a*b*) and allows for creation of videos which help identify physical property changes. In January this year, SKZ (the German Plastic
Centre and provider of laboratory testing, certifica- tion, and other related services) launched DSPro@ skz, a material analysis system designed to enable standard tests to be performed more efficiently. The company says Data Sheet Process (DSPro)
offers comprehensive support in determining characteristic values and can evaluate granulates, multipurpose test specimens in accordance with DIN EN ISO 3167, and sheets, regardless of their subsequent areas of use or applications. “We are proud to support our customers with the latest
48 COMPOUNDING WORLD | March 2024
www.compoundingworld.com
IMAGE: HITACHI HIGH-TECH ANALYTICAL SCIENCE
IMAGE: SKZ
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