Particulate Systems, a brand of Micromeritics Instrument Corporation, was recently granted exclusive global distribution rights for the Material Flow Equipment SPECTester material segregation tester.
Most manufactured products today are mixtures of several components. Generally, the individual ingredients in a mixture will separate (segregate) during the manufacturing process which results in an inconsistent final product. Segregation, or separation, of granular powder materials is one of the main causes of process failure with systems that handle powder materials. Conservative estimates suggest up to 30% of all unscheduled downtimes are due to segregation and quality issues.
Using state-of-the-art spectroscopic technology, the innovative SPECTester is capable of analyzing a sample comprised of up to six individual components and provides a simple report indicating why and how much the sample material is segregating. Fully automated, the instrument provides data about component concentrations, particle size differences, and product uniformity. The SPECTester is capable of measuring segregation by particle size, sifting, fluidization, angle of repose, chemical component, and air entrainment. It is fully capable of indentifying both primary and secondary segregation mechanisms. The SPECTester can be used in R&D facilities as well as in production plants for on-the-spot, mid-stream quality control.
Patrick Wommack, General Manager for Particulate Systems, comments, “We are pleased to offer the SPECTester as another addition to the Particulate Systems brand. This distribution agreement is part of our continuing effort to offer a wide variety of material characterization solutions to our customers.”