Automating the testing of the compressive strength of polymer beads making up ion exchange columns has paid benefits for this manufacturer
As a manufacturer of ion exchange resins, Thermax, based in India, knows all there is to know about water purification. Naturally, the tiny polymer beads that make up a typical ion exchange column require high standards of manufacturing precision to be effective in water purification.
Compression strength analysis of beads is just one of many physical tests in the company's rigourous quality control programme.
However, until recently, the company tested each bead individually, which was extremely time consuming and placed a significant drain on resources.
To solve this problem and speed up the testing process, Thermax installed a semi-automated testing solution from Lloyd Instruments that featured the company's LFPlus 1kN single column testing machine, and a custom built rotating sample table.
Capable of accommodating up to 72 beads at once, the sample table maintains precise probe alignment for each test, and rotates at a fixed smooth speed of 0.2rpm.
The table provides greater accuracy by eliminating any inaccuracies from side load effects and features a computer interface for extended control.
A special bead compression test program, using Lloyd Instruments's Nexygen MT data analysis software and advanced Ondio application builder software, was developed.
The program rejects any beads that show abnormal results, and automatically generates a report on the percentage of beads that show a crush strength of less than 150g, less than 200g and the average strength from a batch of 60.
Viraj Devasthale, from Hemetek Techno Instruments (Lloyd Instruments's official India distributor), says: "Thermax was delighted with the new automated set-up.
"The testing time has now been reduced from two hours down to a process that takes a single operator just 25 minutes.
"Efficiency and accuracy has been enhanced greatly.
"Customers are notified only when a batch of sixty 'good' beads has passed, and the software generates an instant tailor-made report full of all the necessary test data. "It is this dedicated approach to materials testing solutions which is helping companies like Thermax achieve competitive advantage in a global economy."
