Plastics & PolymersPlastics, rubber and foams are important materials in products that we use every day. 

Along America’s Gulf Coast, from Gulf Shores, Ala., to Layfayette, La., you will find locations for regional supermarket chain, Rouses Food Market. From its beginnings, Rouses has prided itself on providing customers with local fare such as Louisiana grass-fed beef, Chappapeela pork, Mississippi Lamb, Boudin and Andouille sausages, and locally grown fruits and vegetables. With more than 50 stores in three states, Rouses shares […]

An area Sales manager (ASM) had developed a relationship with a local pipe company and uncovered an opportunity to help them with a scale solution. The pipe manufacturer had no means to confirm product / shipping weight. They were purchasing steel coils based on weight so they needed a scale to confirm the weight of the coils. This […]

Fairbanks has a solid and successful track record in tank weighing assemblies, and the word is spreading. Many industrial processes need and demand weight integration in the inventory holding tanks these processes depend on. This trend is expected to continue as more and more tank users demand integrated weighing systems on their above-ground tanks. With our expertise, Fairbanks is perfectly positioned to deliver […]

The cost for hand-harvesting operations has steadily increased over the years without regard to the delivered-in price that growers receive. Growers spend more money on harvesting operations than for all other production costs combined, including fertilizers, sprays, irrigation and weed control. This cost squeeze, created by increasing costs and a constant or decreasing price for […]

• 3,000 deaths • 1 in every 6 Americans get sick (that’s 48 million people) • 128,000 hospitalizations These yearly estimates are provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in reference to the foodborne illnesses in the Unites States. The unfortunate part is that they were all preventable and, to make matters worse, a recent study […]

In 2001, the National Association of Corrosion Engineers (NACE) released a study that calculated the cost of corrosion to the United States economy. According to this study, rust costs nearly $280 billion dollars per year. These costs come from maintenance, repair and replacement of equipment. Taking the advice from the NACE report, demand that your OEM can provide corrosion prevention technologies. […]

What is IP69K? Is this a concern for me? If so, how can I be
protected?

Maintenance practices don’t immediately show profit or savings but good practices prevent short and long-term expenses. Here is the good news; follow these best practices and prevent unnecessary failures, repairs and errors that dip into and rob you of profits you have worked so hard to maximize!

Do not be fooled by service companies selling scale maintenance agreements that lack focus on calibration. Calibration is the most important component of any periodic maintenance program.

The furniture manufacturer OneLeg used the LR30K Plus materials testing machine from Lloyd Instruments to perform tensile tests and compression tests on their plastic stools and accessories. When OneLeg first started designing their key product, a one legged stool for gardening, their main focus was on functionality and ergonomics. They wanted to design a stool that saved […]

Materials characterization specialists at Exeter Advanced Technologies used the EZ20 test machine to measure the behavior of paint coating. Introduction The worst-case scenario for an exterior paint coating is early failure when at the mercy of demanding environmental conditions. Whilst companies can test samples in challenging climates over the long term, it is possible to […]

Breakaway Effects, a leading stunt glass manufacturer, used the EZ20 test machine to test the stiffness and flexibility of stunt glass. For many years, stunt glass has been used to convey dramatic realism on stage and screen. The foundation to any new product launch is accurate testing in carefully controlled conditions. Based at Shepperton Film Studios […]

Many manufacturing facilities currently have load cells installed in tank systems that are no longer operational. Most of the times the load cells are left in place and the electrical cables connecting to the controls are simply cut. Production Managers, QC Managers, and maintenance personnel alike have surely encountered “that tank” or “vessel” which never […]

During a measurement, weight acts on the load cell’s body and causes elastic deformation.  The body has some spring constant. This strain (positive or negative) is converted into an electrical signal by a strain gauge installed on load cell. Read more about load cells here.

Batching systems, whether manual or automated, are everywhere. Compounding liquid solutions or blending powdered components into a final mixture is one of the most common industrial weighing applications.   Read more about multi-component batching here.

A load cell is a device that is used to measure weight or force. W hen a force is applied to it in a specific manner, a load cell produces an output signal that is proportional to the applied force. One end of a load cell is typically supported on a rigid structure while the […]

When selecting a supplier to fulfill your testing, calibration or measurement needs, you need to be sure that they can supply you with accurate and reliable results.  Whilst a laboratory can reassure you that they are technically competent, or you can attempt to evaluate the service yourself, neither provides you with confidence that you have […]

In the past force measurement generally meant obtaining a peak load measurement on a product, part or material to verify or validate that the product or part could exceed or withstand a specified load. Force measurement was generally accepted as a fairly innocuous test performed in the lab or on the production floor. Material testing, […]

Force measurement is used in many differing types of applications and may be accomplished with devices utilizing differing technologies. Typical applications include measurements of tension and data and/or compression and are directed at capturing properties such as strength of a material, component or a bond. Read more about force measurement here.

Businesses are turning to the Internet for a wide variety of purchases, including scales. Although convenient and sometimes less expensive, online purchases can be misleading. Knowing exactly what is being purchased from the Internet is essential— especially if the scale is going to be used in buying, selling or shipping applications. The scale may be […]

This chapter states the requirements for balances used for materials that must be accurately weighed (see General Notices, 8.20). Unless otherwise specified, when substances must be “accurately weighed”, the weighing shall be performed using a balance that is calibrated over the operating range and meets the requirements defined for repeatability and accuracy. For balances used […]

Single column force testers today represent the largest single market segment of the force testing marketplace for a number of reasons. Capacities now range from a couple of ounces up to 500 Lbf, with a few models offering capacities up to 1,000 Lbf. Read more about single column force testers here.

Our range of polymer test instruments are used worldwide in the polymer and plastics industry for QA/QC conformity of incoming polymers and process control, as well as testing and validating plastics and finished products. We offer machines designed for density measurement, polymer testing, and the PETPlus test system specially designed for intrinsic viscosity measurement, ensuring […]

One of the crucial factors when developing a new plastic product is testing. Only by testing the raw materials, components and finished product in accordance to the relevant standards within plastics testing, are you assured that your plastic product lives up to the high expectations on the market and that it is strong and flexible […]

Standard Description ASTM D1238 This test method covers measurement of the rate of extrusion of molten resins through a die of a specified length and diameter under prescribed conditions of temperature, load, and piston position in the barrel as the timed measurement is being made. ASTM D1414 These test methods describe the procedures for determining […]

The Clients – Warehouses, manufacturing facilities and all customers with portability needs The Challenge – To make a drum scale mobile with an attached ramp for easier drum loading and unloading The Solution – B-TEK Scales transforms a standard drum scale with a set of casters to make the scale mobile and attached indicator column and hinged […]

How do you weigh product accurately in a portable tank, vessel or reactor? With a specially designed  caster load cell! Read more about castor load cell systems here.

A plastic pipe manufacturer mixes raw ingredients together to make plastic piping.  Their facility runs 24/7 so down time must be kept to a minimum.  This customer had outdated Hardy batch controllers that were no longer supported.  This controller was interfaced to a PLC system and controlled 14 different ingredients and up to 99 different formulas.  The customer did not want to replace the entire system because it would be costly and create extra down time, but they wanted the ability to run the new system in fully automated mode or manual mode.