For good measure
Canadian Plastics
The Vapor Pro is the latest addition to the company's line of Computrac moisture-specific analyzers. The analyzer comes with expanded linearity and includes a NIST traceable multi-point sensor calibra...
The Vapor Pro is the latest addition to the company’s line of Computrac moisture-specific analyzers. The analyzer comes with expanded linearity and includes a NIST traceable multi-point sensor calibration across the entire range of the sensor (100 micro-grams to 20,000 micro-grams) as part of its software. The multi-point sensor calibration also improves the instrument’s performance by removing sample size dependency.
Arizona Instrument 800-528-7411
State-of-the-art benchtop light testing is provided by the Suntest line of accelerated light/heat exposure systems. The Suntest design supplies uniform irradiance to an exposure area with proven xenon lamp technology that ensures long lamp life and close simulation to sunlight. Two different models, the Suntest CPS, and the Suntest XLS, each come with a basic and enhanced version. The basic manual control model offers high-quality, affordable light testing, while the enhanced versions (designated by a +), come with microprocessor control, facilitating test condition pre-setting for up to six programmed tests and hands-off operation. In addition to controlling the spectral energy distribution and irradiance levels, the enhanced Suntest CPS+ and XLS+ models precisely control other important test parameters such as temperature and wetting which have additional influences on the degradation of materials.
The exposure system consists of an air-cooled xenon lamp and a coated quartz glass segment. Additional filters provide spectral energy distribution that can be adjusted to meet specific applications.
R.B. Atlas Inc. 416-241-4647
Comprehensive color control in PET bottle manufacturing is possible with the ColorQuest XE colorimeter spectrophotometer. The instrument, which measures the wavelength distribution of light reflected or transmitted by a sample, can be used in all phases of the a bottle operation, including raw material inspection, product changeover, PET preform evaluation and final product testing.
Raw material inspection can be done on color pigments, raw resin or compounded materials. Because of non-uniform shape and translucence, pellets must be measured in a transmission cell with a 50 mm path length.
Testing preforms during a product changeover can reveal any batch-to-batch variation in color, as well as determine the thermal history of the equipment and effect of temperature on the resin. Preform color can also be evaluated prior to re-heat blow molding. The colorimeter can measure any degree of yellowness or the transparency of colorless preforms.
The final product can be tested using the instrument’s transmission mode to test for color, yellowness and haze. Caps can be tested using the reflective mode. The instrument comes with various types of specialized holders.
HunterLab Instruments 703-471-6870
A sphere-based laboratory spectrophotometer from Gretag Macbeth, the Color i 5, offers unprecedented ease and flexibility for accurate measurement, setting a new standard in the mid-range instrument class. The instrument accommodates the widest variety of sample shapes, sizes, textures and opacity. When integrated with GretagMacbeth’s Enterprise Color Management program, the Color i 5 enables extended supply chain color management and bridges the gap between legacy color data and data obtained through today’s high precision spectrophotometers.
The instrument’s standard feature set includes tri-beam technology for simplified gloss measurement, multiple areas of view for versatile measurement of non-uniform and variable size samples, self-adjusting, dual-zoom lens and video preview for precision targeting and measurement accuracy.
Prism Instruments 888-717-7476
Offering accurate, precise tensile, peel and tear testing, Instron’s 5500 Series of materials testing systems is ideal for manufacturers of plastic or elastomer-based parts used in industries such as automotive and medical. The Series feature advanced DSP digital technology, the highest quality load frames and a fully integrated modular software package.
The 5500 electronics provide superior accuracy and advanced real-time control. This electrical system can control the frame using any combination of load, strain or speed rates. Automatic recognition and calibration of transducers ensures safe and proper testing.
Instron Canada Inc. 800-461-9123
Touchless system monitors BlackBerry’s quality
Electronics manufacturer Research In Motion (RIM) has chosen non-contact measurement systems from Optical Gaging Products (OGP) to perform quality control checks on its portable electronics products. Based in Waterloo, ON, RIM is best known for its popular BlackBerry wireless communications devices.
At the Waterloo manufacturing site, RIM uses the measurement systems for incoming part inspections. The company has two OGP systems: A SmartScope Flash 200 and a SmartScope Flare 200 — both outfitted with optional touch probe and rotary indexer.
“We are using the OGP vision systems for inspection of plastic parts, printed circuit boards, metal parts, and other components,” explains Ed Tahiri, quality specialist with RIM. “Since the majority of our parts are non-rigid, the non-contact vision system (including laser scanning) is the best approach for them.”
“The optional touch probe is used for measuring rigid parts. The transition from one method to another is seamless, and this capability comes in very handy,” he adds.
OGP’s SmartScope Flash 200 and Flare 200 are versatile CNC benchtop metrology systems designed for state-of-the-art video measurement. SmartScope Flash 200 can be equipped with touch trigger probes, microprobes and laser scanners for multi-sensor functionality.
The systems use a self-calibrating 12:1 zoom lens and sophisticated illumination techniques for optimal imaging of fine edge and surface details. OGP Measure-X and MeasureMind 3D MultiSensor metrology software offer extensive control and analysis capabilities designed to be usable by operators of all skill levels.
The SmartScope Flash 200 system installed at RIM is equipped with an MSR Miniature Servo Rotary indexer, a programmable angular positioning device. Tightly integrated with MeasureMind software, an MSR indexer allows parts to be automatically rotated during the measurement program.
This ability to present a different view of the part to the system optics reduces the need for multiple setups.
Tahiri notes that the two SmartScope systems have been a good choice for RIM. “They help a lot with incoming inspections, creating reports and running automated routines.”
Canadian Measurement-Metrology Inc 800-606-9266