HUDSON, Ohio—Alttran Inc. has invested $250,000 in lab equipment and equipment upgrades, the first phase of a multi-year plan to enhance the capabilities at the firm's research and development laboratory.
The specialty elastomer compounding and development company installed a MonTech D RPA 3000 dynamic rubber analyzer last year.
"The RPA is an amazing tool," Carlee McCowin, application development engineer at Alttran, said in a statement. "We have been able to model different molding processes and identify how compound changes impact scorch times and mold flow. The post-cure dynamic testing opens up a new area for us to study."
A lab scale extruder, with a digital data acquisition system, was also purchased. The company said the machinery makes compound development more efficient, has reduced the time needed to optimize extrusion compounds and provides quick feedback on the dispersion of fillers.
Alttran also installed data acquisition systems on its lab mixers, using touch screen panels to control and display the mixing process. Key data is displayed on the screen, the company said, and the data is continuously captured on a dedicated computer. Alttran said the increased level of detail has improved the success rate as compounds scale-up from the lab to the factory.