New developments from Bohlin Instruments

New developments from Bohlin Instruments

New developments from Bohlin Instruments

Keyword: Bohlin Instruments

Rheology sample contract and RheSource outsourced testing

Bohlin Instruments are now offering two rheology contract testing services on a confidential basis. Many of Bohlin's "blue chip" clients find that these services are cost effective and augment their existing in-house test resources. These may be lacking in capacity due to varying workloads, personnel or certain pieces of equipment.

Firstly, Bohlin offers a full contract test facility at its international headquarters in Cirencester, UK, where a complete range of both rotational and capillary rheometers and viscometers, together with all accessories, is available. This service is available at short notice with rapid sample "turn around" and is charged for on a daily basis.

Secondly, Bohlin have now introduced an outsourced rheology testing service, RheSource, to corporate clients who for strategic reasons, might not want to maintain a full in-house facility for routine measurements. Both services are carried out by a team of experienced rheologists with a depth of knowledge in experimental rheometry.

Several large UK based organisations have already availed themselves of these services since they were introduced in late 2001.

The new Gemini rheometer

Bohlin Instruments has introduced Gemini, an advanced rheometer system incorporating a new Rotonetic drive. Gemini is the first Bohlin rheometer featuring Bohlin's patent pending Rotonetic technology, an adaptive control technology which is optimised for both strain controlled and stress controlled operation.

Key technical features include a broad torque range which extends to 200mNm and makes the Gemini suitable for a wide range of applications in research and product development. A new high resolution torque mapping system applied to Bohlin's inherently low bias air bearing technology allows low torques to be set extremely accurately.

The Gemini system is available with the full range of Bohlin's EasySwap temperature controllers which include peltier devices, a forced gas oven with optional liquid nitrogen cooling, electrical heating and a range of fluid circulators. This allows the Gemini to be quickly and easily configured to allow testing on a full range of materials and applications including polymer melts, composites, fluids and semi-solids.

The Rotonetic drive enables testing in all conventional strain and stress controlled modes including stress relaxation, creep and viscometric modes. Oscillation testing is available in either direct strain or stress controlled modes. Direct strain operation of oscillation allows preset strain amplitudes to be imposed upon the test sample without iteratively adjusting the stress on a cycle-by-cycle basis. A new feature, partial wave sampling, also enables rheological data to be gathered using just part of a full oscillation cycle. When used in conjunction with direct strain control, partial wave sampling makes low frequency testing far less time consuming and therefore more practical.

For more information on these developments contact Lynda Watson at www.sales@bohlin.co.uk