Laboratory Testing at Romar
You can trust our testing process…its one of the best in the business
When we test
To ensure this, we conduct testing during the manufacturing process and again at completion.
How we test
1. Size and shape
Testing the size and shape of a product is a standard test across most industries. We aim to assess the metrology of the product to ensure it looks and feels as it should.
2. Materials testing
Romar’s expertise in material analysis and selection sets us apart during the testing process. Years of experience allow us to pick up issues throughout the testing process.
We test various material properties to ensure consistency in what we are manufacturing.
Rheological Testing
When testing silicone and rubber, we look at their rheological properties. Rheology is the study of the flow of matter, usually in a liquid or ‘soft solid’ state.
Rheological testing allows Romar to compare batch after batch of materials. We analyse how silicone and rubber changes in strength and cross lengths with time and temperature. Our ultimate aim is that all materials react the same way to these tests.
Durometer Hardness Testing
We use durometer hardness testing to assess the toughness of our materials.
We conduct this test using a steel spring loader.
We can gage how deep the steel on the spring loader penetrates a piece of rubber or silicone.
The more it sinks in, the lower the hardness. The less it sinks in, the high the hardness.
Here at Romar we refer to this as ‘the thumbnail test’!
Specific Gravity Testing
By testing the weight or gravity of a product, we can assess if it comprises all the ingredients required.
A rubber formulation can have anywhere from 6 to 20 ingredients.
If we know the weight of each ingredient (grams per cubic cm), we have an expectation of the overall weight.
Basically, this test is a cross check to ensure all the ingredients used to manufacture are correct.
Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) Testing
Spectroscopy means shining a beam of light onto a sample and measuring how much light the material absorbs, reflects or allows to pass through it. It helps to understand a material’s molecular structure.
By looking at the infrared absorption and transmission, we can create a molecular ‘fingerprint’ of a product or material.
FTIR is even more advanced than spectroscopy because it allows us to collect and process large quantities of spectrometric data using a mathematical formula called the Fourier transform.
FTIR is perfect for testing plastics and rubbers because of their molecular makeup.
This test is suited to materials that have carbon atoms that are linked to other atoms, which is consistent with rubber and plastics.
We also use FTIR to test that our suppliers are always provided the highest quality materials to manufacture our products. Using FTIR to test material quality puts us ahead of our competitors because customers can always rely on the quality of our products.
Our testing facilities
Our testing facilities are all in house. This means we have control over the testing process and can ensure its completed to the highest standard.
Our team of highly skilled engineers are here to answer our customer’s questions.
Our customers are welcome to contact us anytime to come and observe the testing process.
What sets us apart?
- Our engineers are on-site and available to be inspected at all times
- We are certified to the highest standards. We recently achieved ISO 9001: 2015 which is the world’s most popular and commonly used standard for quality management systems.
- Our team are highly skilled and experienced in silicone and rubber molding. This knowledge is essential to our testing process.
If you’re looking for innovative and scalable manufacturing solutions with world-class testing, contact Romar today.
