ORLANDO, FLA. (April 5, 5:15 p.m. ET) — Dynisco LLC is looking at geographic expansion. Its recent acquisition of Shanghai Hao-Ying Measurement & Control Technology Co. Ltd. in China is a great example of that.
Dynisco now also is looking at growth in South America, Canada and Eastern Europe, officials said during an interview at NPE2012 on Monday.
In addition to that announcement, officials showed off new technology. The company acknowledges that the melt flow rate tester, otherwise known as the melt flow indexer, is probably the most common piece of equipment in any polymer laboratory. The design has not changed much in decades, officials said.
But now that has changed, according to Dynisco.
The company has developed a new LMI Series melt flow indexer, incorporating key features like a new weight measurement system. Dynisco has stored all weights in the unit itself and changing the weight load is as simple as moving a pin from one slot to the next.
Essentially, the design has borrowed an ergonomic feature from gym equipment. Force packing is made easy, officials said. The goal is to avoid inconsistent packing of resin samples, which can cause data inconsistency. Dynisco has developed a force packer that delivers a constant force regardless of the size or strength of the operator.
A touch screen display replaces the two-line vacuum fluorescent display, that larger, backlit touch screen allows for easier programming and viewing of testing status and results. A new digital encoder provides accurate measurement of piston displacement during Method B tests. By detecting the speed of encoder movement, the LMI can automatically determine flag length. The LMI also is capable of delivering a wide range of data in digital form. This includes melt index values, shear stress, shear rate, viscosity and apparent melt density and testing conditions. Optional software makes it possible to record these values and present them in various reports, officials said.
Separately, officials also are taking safety to a new level. Its new pressure sensors, marketed as Guardian Series, comply with the European Machinery Directive. The internal relay switch responds to input from the pressure sensor bridge, detecting an open bridge, a loss of power to the pressure sensor or user-selected pressure levels. When any of those faults is detected, the relay contacts open, sending a signal to return the extruder to a safe operating condition.
The company also teased a new sensor technology that is coming this summer.
“It’s a technological breakthrough from the way that we’ve typically built pressure sensors,” said Mike Davis, product manager. Dynisco’s customers have demanded a more sustainable, greener solution. Davis said this product will address that.
