Validate, Improve, and Analyze with Testing Services
Polyurethane foam testing is essential in ensuring the versatile material meets the demands of the many products and applications, which rely on it each day.
The initial step of polyurethane testing is dependent on the chemical suppliers, who engineer formulations to address how the material handles external pressures — such as temperature, heat, and moisture from the elements — and the internal pressures of the formula that come from the actual composition and cellular structure.
For example, in the medical industry, polyurethane is widely used for catheter and general-purpose tubing, wound dressings, short-term implants, and a variety of injection-molded devices. The polyurethane formula used for these items must display the required properties for their eventual designed purpose, like good biocompatibility, high strength, abrasion resistance, and processing versatility.
Each industry will have its own set of specific demands for polyurethane. Proper testing from chemical suppliers ensures that each permeation or formulation can meet those challenges. But that’s just the first step.
Once the material formulation is validated with the product manufacturer, the next step is recognizing how to process that polyurethane formula at a production scale. And while polyurethane is flexible enough to be used in thousands of applications, the process for creating each is unique, and thus requires different mixing ratios, pressure controls, and temperature limitations.
It’s here that additional polyurethane foam testing, with the product manufacturer, is recommended. Testing accounts for the different types of chemical metering systems, blending systems, mix heads, and more that are needed to make sure the chemically sound material from the supplier is properly processed for long-term or mass production.
The Linden Polyurethane Difference: Learn more about our full-service testing lab and all of our testing capabilities.
How Polyurethane Foam Testing Aids the Manufacturer
By working with a polyurethane partner that provides a full-service testing lab, organizations will have access to comprehensive polyurethane process testing that will gauge and measure various nucleation machines, metering equipment, and multiple types of mix heads. Conducting this kind of polyurethane foam testing will benefit the manufacturer in many ways, including the three specific areas mentioned below.
Forecasting and Feasibility
When considering a new polyurethane process or material for your facility, you’ll want to examine three facets as it relates to production. First, does the proposed mixture or process itself make sense? Can it be achieved in your current scope of operations? In short, is it feasible?
You’ll also want to know if the material can be made and managed in the right way. Can the process (or material) be implemented right away for short-run production?
The last consideration is for long-term production evaluation to see if the finished product is cost-effective, given the material or process being implemented, and can be efficiently produced.
Utilizing polyurethane foam testing before any of the three mentioned stages can generate the answers to your questions. You’ll have the opportunity to validate if the formulation, or your existing equipment, is up to the task of making the desired product.
Quality and Performance
Once your production processes are underway, continued polyurethane foam testing will give you the data to ensure your product is reaching all of the quality benchmarks needed, including regulatory requirements. With Linden Polyurethane, you can conduct testing any time during a cycle to garner proof that equipment, materials, or processes are performing up to the expected standards.
We’ll provide all the machinery needed for your testing needs, including high-pressure metering and spray units for material distribution applications, and a full line of mix heads for testing different modes of material mixing.
Analytics and Opportunity
While testing equipment performance, Linden Polyurethane will also provide you with complete data on the equipment, material, and process to better inform you on what to expect if you move forward with further implementation. After all testing, in-depth results will be supplied to illuminate different possibilities.
You’ll be able to see how different materials mixed or moved through various machines, learn what the rates of production were, and gather other insights that could be considered for your specific application. For instance, testing with gas nucleation equipment could help you identify opportunities for additions to the process that result in material savings.
The Linden Polyurethane Difference: If you need polyurethane equipment repairs or rebuilds, we cover that, too. We’ll help you get back online quickly.
Let the Polyurethane Experts Work For You
Whatever type of equipment or application you’re looking to better understand and validate, our testing lab has the solution you need. More importantly, we’ll conduct all testing with quality and accuracy as the prime directives. Our facility is ISO 9001 certified and features more than 7,000 square feet of testing and low volume production space. The certification means Linden Polyurethane has been recognized for having the products and services to consumer requirements while also providing continuous improvement.
We’ve been engineering, designing, and making custom polyurethane equipment for industries worldwide since 1985. Every machine and device we make is engineered for the specific application needs of our clients and ensures they can reach consistent levels of performance and meet production goals. Our polyurethane foam testing processes are a key part of that success.
By working with Linden Polyurethane, you’ll not only guarantee your equipment or material will be capable of meeting your long-term production goals, but you’ll also enjoy 24/7/365 support from a team that has expertise in all things polyurethane.
Contact our team today to learn more about our testing lab, equipment, and services.
