Quality Control Laboratory Testing

Physical Property Testing

VIDEO TRANSCRIPTION

How do we control our quality? How do we assure our customers that they are getting products that are dimensionally correct, or that the rubber compound meets the physical properties required? And how do we control this for each batch of product received.

The answer was simple, we needed to be able to measure every part we sell, and test the physical properties of the compounds to the ASTM standards and we needed to be able to do this in-house.

Our first step was to build a precision measuring lab using state-of-the-art video measuring equipment, as well as more traditional measuring devices such as calipers, bore mics and pin gauges.

With the MicroVu video measuring machine we’re able to measure simple O-rings to very complex parts. With the mark up ability to write custom measuring programs, we’re able to repeatably measure parts quickly and accurately to the specified drawings.

The second step in controlling our quality is to ensure the customer that they’re getting the material they requested. Many compounds are black and are difficult to distinguish from one another, let alone tell the difference between two or more grades of Nitrile, EP, or any of the other 36 types of rubber. This is why we decided to build our own elastomer testing lab.

The Tensometer measures several properties of the elastomer. With this machine we can get the tensile strength, modulus, yield point, elongation, tensile stress, and tear resistance. We compare these readings before and after aging the sample in hot air or fluid.

The scale shown here is used to measure two properties of the test sample: specific gravity and volume. We measure the volume of the sample before and after aging in fluid. This lets us know how much the compound has swollen or shrunk after being exposed to the fluid. We can also check the accuracy, and identify the compound, by measuring its specific gravity.

The Fourier Infrared Spectrometer (FTIR) produces a graph based on the frequency and amount of infrared light that is absorbed by the chemical bond in a molecule. Each particular compound scan will produce a unique graph. We can compare scans of actual production parts with a known scan of that compound to see if they are similar o different.

We were able to use the FTIR scanner as a solution to a company’s problem:. They were having valves produced overseas that were certified to NSF 61 standards. The factory received rubber seals that were not made with the specified NSF 61 compound. Having no way to check the compound, the parts failed NSF inspection.

We offered them our NSF compound and upon completion of production we took apart several valves and scanned the rubber to verify that the factory used the proper compound. Perfect match! We were able to provide solid verification that the valves were made with the correct compound.

We adhere to strict ASTM D2000 standards in our in all our test procedures. This assures a high degree of repeatability in our tests and reproduce-ability compared to other labs. We attend continuing education classes to further our knowledge of performing and interpreting test results and their relationships to elastomer compounds.

With state-of-the –art technology and our sealing expertise, Satori Seal continues to lead the way in assuring customer confidence, providing value-added engineering and building long-lasting partnerships with our customers.