In small to mid-sized production companies, particularly those manufacturing rubber and various elastomeric compounds, it has traditionally been the practice to use a third-party testing lab to provide information on the quality and consistency of the products being produced.
Today, small to mid-sized companies can now look to cost effective in-house options for elastomer testing. This equipment is designed to be small and compact while still delivering quality results that are equal in reliability to those completed in specialized testing facilities.
Testing Options
There are several different considerations for elastomer testing. Most testing will require the use of multiple behaviors of the material including viscosity, vulcametry, and capillary rheometry.
Different systems and testing options can be applied to the production when the testing can be completed in-house. This will provide greater insight during the process and allow testing to extrapolate to the what can be seen by usually different processes on the same sample material.
What to Consider
When choosing in-house elastomer testing equipment, there are several important factors to keep in mind. While one will be the cost of the equipment, don’t forget to also compare this against the testing operations that can be performed with the equipment.
A more sophisticated testing device is not just a better option, it provides greater opportunity to complete the full spectrum of testing on elastomer and rubber products produced both immediately as well as into the future.
Look for a company that specializes in testing equipment, and that has a proven reputation in the industry. Avoid equipment that perhaps very low cost but that is unknown as to reliability and testing accuracy. These types of purchases can result in high variability in test results and genuine concerns about test validity and quality of elastomers and rubber product for your customers.
