Smithers services

Selecting the appropriate material for an application is crucial to product performance and can lead to a reduction in claims, shorter development time, as well as improved quality. Common areas in which Smithers assists clients in their materials selection needs are; Evaluation of new raw material sources to meet existing specifications. Evaluation of new raw materials to qualify and quantify new specifications. Selection of raw materials to achieve rubber property goals.

Smithers offer rubber material consulting and model compounds to meet a variety of needs. Our services include: Evalutations of new rubber innovations, Custom formulation to develop recipes that meet existing requirements of new applications, Proprietary recipe development for applications filled only by custom mixers

Smithers offers programs designed to evaluate product streams from rubber recycling operations, including recycled polymers, oils and fillers. These programs are aimed at qualitatively and quantitatively characterizing the recycled product streams as well as determining the impact using recycled materials in model formulations.

Smithers formula reconstruction can often accelerate the development process by informing our customer about the state of the art in the industry. Smithers conducts both qualitative and quantitative chemical analyses to investigate the composition of polymer products. Its consulting services are able to combine the results of composition investigations with physical property characterizations to develop new formulations.

A variety of markets are imposing ever increasing product qualification requirements, ensuring that products used are fully compatible with the changing environments in which they operate. Among the wide range of testing and consulting services available from Smithers Rapra, we have the capacity to provide fluid susceptibility testing and environmental testing to a number of recognized standards or to customer specific parameters. Our test equipment has been developed and proven on-site and is flexible to satisfy demanding testing criteria.

Smithers delivers a complete portfolio of rubber and plastic analysis to support a wide range of industry sectors. The key sectors supported include automotive, pharmaceutical, transport, industrial, and consumer. Smithers ISO 17025 accredited laboratories provide chemical analysis of plastic to examine the chemical properties of numerous materials and compounds including: Compounds e.g. rubbers, thermoplastics and thermoset formulations, Additives e.g. fillers, plasticizers, antidegradants and curatives, Base polymers e.g. elastomers and thermoplastics, Polymer based products e.g. adhesives, paints, inks, lacquers, laminate films, plastisols and coatings, Manufacturing sector products and components e.g. those used in the automotive, construction, electrical, medical and offshore industries

Understanding the nature of a contaminant can often aid a manufacturer in quickly identifying a processing issue. Smithers utilizes state-of-the art analytical tools coupled with optical and electron microscopes are used to study and characterize foreign matter occlusions in polymer-based products.

Reduce costs: Lower costs arising out of poor quality with proactive materials management with an effective pre-qualification of materials and systematic checks to assure suppliers continue to meet your specifications. This type of activity pays for itself through a reduction in processing scrap and an effective charge-back program. Improve product quality: Drive continuous improvement through your supplier chain by requiring detailed material specification and performance results through in independent third party, ISO 17025 registered company. An objective third party review will help determine which materials fit your exacting needs instead of relying on supplier data.