Flow testers handle 450C heat

The two new Tinius Olsen MP600 melt flow index testers are used in the quality control laboratory within the new plant, where they test ETFE at a temperature of 297C to the standard ASTM D3159.

AGC Chemicals Europe has specified two Tinius Olsen MP600 melt flow index testers for its new ETFE Plant near Blackpool.

AGC Chemicals manufactures a wide range of fluoropolymers from its UK base.

The new ETFE plant is the company's first to be built outside of Japan and was constructed in response to the increased demand for ETFE, especially as a building material.

In addition to demanding markets such as the automotive and aerospace industry, the best known usage of ETFE supplied by AGC Chemicals Europe is the cladding on the Allianz-Arena in Munich, which was built for the World Cup and is now home to Bayern Munich.

Fluon ETFE is also being supplied from Japan for roofing on both the spectacular Olympic Bird's Nest stadium and the Watercube swimming arena in Bejing.

The two new Tinius Olsen MP600 melt flow index testers join an older MP600 that is used for technical service support.

The testers are used in the quality control laboratory within the new plant, where they test ETFE at a temperature of 297C to the standard ASTM D3159.

As part of the specification for the two MP600s, Technical Service Manager, Phil Spencer, also opted to have them fitted with an automatic timing switch to enable Method B testing and a motorised weight support to lift/lower the 5kg weight they use, in order to meet manual handling regulations.

They are also supplied with anti-corrosive barrels.

"The original MP600 is now three years old and has performed extremely well and despite being used for corrosive Fluoropolymers, it is still in very good working order, so I am very pleased with the protection the chamber provides", according to Spencer.

"Having had a good look at other units on the market, I was impressed by the high specification of the MP600 and its ability to run at up to 450C is useful for PFA assessments, so at the lower level for ETFE it is not really being put under too much strain".

"We have a lot of confidence in the results and like the repeatability of results plus its high-temperature performance in corrosive fluoropolymer environments".

"Allied to this the support and software provided by Tinius Olsen has been excellent".

The Tinius Olsen MP600 melt flow index tester is designed for resin flow measurement and by being able to measure pre-process raw material variations or highlight post-production problems, ensures that any potential problems can be quickly and cost-effectively identified.

The MP600 uses a dual-zone heating system in the core, which has an accuracy of 0.1C with a maximum temperature of 450C.

The standard specification includes an integral microprocessor-based controller/timer and a fluorescent display and keypad.

The standard unit can be upgraded at any time to enable automatic testing and operation, plus up to 10 units can be linked to a computer using the EP600 software.

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