Process optimization, plastics processing
The Institute of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Technology (MEMTi) offers a dedicated service to companies working in plastic processing and design.
The plasturgy laboratory makes particular use of advanced techniques and instruments for compounding, polymer characterisation and quality monitoring in the injection moulding process.
The plasturgy laboratory makes particular use of advanced techniques and instruments for compounding, polymer characterisation and quality monitoring in the injection moulding process.
Activities and equipment:
- Compounding: polymers are brought to a molten state and through the addition of additives or reinforcing fillers, their physical-chemical and mechanical performance can be improved.
- Rheological characterisation: using a capillary rheometer, viscosity is measured at different temperatures and over a range of strain rates.
- PVT characterisation (pressure - volume - temperature): necessary to calculate the volumetric shrinkage of the material and a correct analysis of the packing phase.
- Heat capacity measurement: carried out using a DSC differential scanning calorimeter, this characteristic is important for the calculation of heat transfer in the polymer.
- Control and monitoring of the printing process: this is carried out on an injection moulding machine via sensors inserted in the mould cavity.