MATERIALS TESTING & QC | MATERIALS Testing
times for polymers
Recent advances in materials testing and quality control include an updated system to inspect
pellets, a new series of melt index testers and a way to assess flexpack coatings
Product quality is governed by a variety of factors, stretching back all along the supply chain. For that reason, maintaining this quality can involve everything from testing incoming pellets to analysing in-production processes. One approach is to keep tabs on melt index.
Here, Instron has developed a new generation of melt index testers, with its MFi5 and MFi7 models. The compact, manually operated MFi5 can make
fast, reliable measurements thanks to pre-set methods, while the modular MFi7 can be adapted to accommodate an increasing volume of testing. Both are suitable for test temperatures from 50°C to 450°C and are equipped with test weights from 0.1 to 21.6kg. A piston travel transducer resolution of 0.005mm and a piston displacement accuracy of up to 0.02mm ensure accuracy. They cover the entire range of requirements for standard melt index tests in accordance with ISO 1133 and ASTM D1238, Methods A, B and C.
Optional equipment includes: a motor-driven
cutting device for precise, repeatable separation of the extrudate by time (with 0.01s accuracy) or position; automatic die plug opening; special pistons for high-flow materials with very high MFR; and the use of corrosion- and wear-resistant steels for cylinders, pistons, and dies.
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High purity Sikora has launched its Purity Scanner Advanced, which – like its predecessor – inspects and sorts pellets.
In the latest version, the pellets are conveyed to the inspection area via a stainless steel vibrating chute During production, is essential that no contaminants, such as metals, find their way into the melt. The aim is then to detect and sort out impurities in the pellets. One particular challenge was to detect impurities even if they were melted into the pellet. The Purity Scanner’s combination of X-ray technology and a flexible optical system allowed complete inspection of plastic pellets. Discolorations and black specks in transparent or translucent and coloured raw materials are detected by up to three optical black and white cameras. In addition, the X-ray camera detects metallic contaminants from 50 microns in size in the pellets. The contaminants are then automatically sorted out so that only pure material is processed further. The system has been continuously developed since its introduction. Pellets are conveyed via a wear-free, stainless
steel vibrating chute, which is encapsulated to create a clean room within the system. The pellets fall down the inspection area via the chute. This
January/February 2024 | FILM & SHEET EXTRUSION 41
Main image: Instron’s new melt index testers can raise the speed and volume of testing
IMAGE: INSTRON
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