Heat-transfer-fluid specialist Paratherm Corp. invested more than $120,000 in laboratory improvements and new and upgraded equipment as part of its relocation within Pennsylvania.
Paratherm moved its headquarters 1.6 miles to King of Prussia from West Conshohocken, remodeled and furnished the new location and more than doubled its lab space to 420 square feet from 200 square feet.
The investments included a Cannon Instrument Co. mini AV-X automated kinematic viscometer for improved repeatability, wider performance ranges and faster batch testing, said Andy Andrews, Paratherm marketing manager.
The new headquarters accommodates more offices and an updated conference/meeting space in addition to the larger lab. Paratherm uses external sites for warehousing and shipping activities.
Paratherm, which has produced hot oils and thermal fluids since 1988, is working on improvements to its report presentation and formats so customers can access data and results.
On a regular basis, Paratherm distributes hot oil fluid-analysis kits enabling a user to obtain process and system insights for help in avoiding unscheduled downtime in operations. Each kit consists of a one-quart glass jar with steel cap, expanded polystyrene clamshell and corrugated packaging along with sampling instructions. Paratherm's Mike DiGiacomo said, “25 percent of these kits never come back to us.”
Lubrizol Corp. of Wickliffe, Ohio, acquired Paratherm in 2012 and is directly involved in extending Paratherm's global support, sales and distribution functions. Lubrizol is a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Inc.
