Dublin based ACK Solutions has partnered with Innowep to provide Irish industry and R+D institutions with the capability to fully characterise their surfaces and coatings with one instrument
This will enhance the range of products and services that ACK Solutions offers Irish customers in the increasingly important area of surface engineering and materials analysis.
The Innowep Universal Surface Tester (UST) can measure all the critical micromechanical properties at the surface of metals, plastics, paper and textile products including: 2D and 3D roughness, scratch and abrasion testing, deformation (plastic and elastic), micro-friction, and polymer coating thickness with a micro taber abrader module.
The capabilities of the UST can be added to modularly over time with either software or hardware modules.
For example a microfriction module may not be required at time of purchase but can be easily added to the system a some later date.
This approach may suit research institutions and R+D departments in particular.
It means that they can gear up for a new consultancy or research project without the purchase of a whole new instrument system.
"We now offer Irish customers one instrument which will undertake many of their surface and coating testing requirements" comments Alan Keogh, managing director of ACK Solutions.
"The capabilities of the UST allow our customers to fully characterise the surface of a sample with one instrument.
"This reduces your total instrumentation and outside testing requirements thus significantly reducing costs and timeline for the development of new products, coatings etc".
There are multiple standard tips and styli available with the UST but it is also possible to specify your own.
This allows you to for example, abrade a surface with the actual material that will abrade it in operation thus simulating the system you are trying to characterise as close as possible to reality.
Another Innowep instrument system, the Abrex, simulates soft chemo mechanical abrasion.
In other words real life abrasion, that occurs in automotive interiors and consumer goods when they are operated by humans.
Thus, it can very quickly give you an indication of how your surfaces will bear up to many years of wear and tear.
Wolfgang Weinhold, president of Innowep, comments, "As we expand our product offering into Europe we are pleased to have found a partner in ACK Solutions".
"Our new partner understands the techniques involved and has the background of many years helping to find technical answers to demanding and complex, industrial questions."
