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Materials testing and laboratory analysis
To defend a result you have to be able to measure it. Our characterisation setup exists to produce data at every step of a development project, not only at the end.
Technical areas we work in
We can both develop in these areas and investigate problems in them, which are different skills.
Thermoplastic compounding
Additive, filler and reinforcement systems for PP, PE, PA, PC, ABS and their blends.
Elastomer compound design
Cure system and filler optimisation for NBR, EPDM, SBR and silicone based compounds.
Rheology and flow
Melt flow behaviour, and the use of flow data to solve mould filling problems rather than guessing at them.
Mechanical characterisation
Tensile, flexural, impact, hardness and fatigue testing to verify performance against specification.
Thermal analysis
Melting, crystallisation, glass transition and decomposition behaviour by DSC and TGA.
Failure investigation
Root cause work on returned parts: fracture surface examination and analysis of chemical and thermal history.
Process simulation
Modelling of injection and extrusion processes to check a design before a tool is cut.
Ageing and life prediction
Accelerated thermal, UV and chemical ageing used to estimate service life.
Statistical analysis
Design of experiments, analysis of variance and process capability studies to support decisions.
What we run in house and what we run with partners
Routine testing is done here to keep the development loop short. Analyses that need specialist instruments or accreditation are run with organisations we work with regularly.
The split is deliberate. Waiting two weeks rather than two days for the result of a formulation iteration multiplies the length of the whole project, so anything that drives an iteration stays in house.
Where a customer needs an accredited certificate for a regulatory submission, we arrange the testing, manage the sample chain and take responsibility for the technical interpretation of the report.
In house
- Sample preparation and compounding
- Tensile and flexural testing
- Hardness, Shore A and D
- Melt flow index
- Thermal ageing ovens
- Chemical immersion testing
With partners
- DSC and TGA thermal analysis
- FTIR and chemical identification
- SEM surface imaging
- Burn behaviour testing
- UV and weathering chambers
- Accredited certification reports
The norms we work to
Every measurement in our reports states the standard it was run to and the conditions it was run under, so the figure can be compared with someone else's.
Mechanical
ISO 527, ISO 178, ISO 179, ASTM D638, ASTM D790
Elastomers
ISO 37, ISO 868, ISO 815, ASTM D2240, ASTM D395
Thermal and flow
ISO 1133, ISO 11357, ISO 11358, ASTM D1238
Durability
ISO 188, ISO 4892, ISO 175, ASTM G154
These are the standards we reference most often. Any norm specific to your project is identified in the scope document before work begins.
Tell us what you are trying to solve
Whether you have a full development brief or a single production problem, the starting point is the same. Send us the application conditions and we will tell you what is realistic.