Guill Tool, a leader in extrusion tooling, has expanded its laboratory capabilities with the creation of Guill Labs to better serve the global extrusion market. The new initiative encompasses the company’s state-of-the-art rheology lab and a dedicated facility focused entirely on the extrusion process.
The enhanced rheology lab measures flow characteristics of plastics and rubber to predict how customer materials will flow through extrusion dies before production begins. The company said this allows tooling geometry to be virtually optimized and projects to be viewed in 3D CAD. The lab utilizes sophisticated equipment including a rotational rheometer, scanning calorimeter, thermal conductivity meter, and a new CT scanner.
The rotational rheometer rapidly generates visco-elastic data for polymer melts, capturing precise polymer melt properties with test temperature ranges between ambient and 300°C. The scanning calorimeter characterizes thermal properties of polymer samples, including crystallization temperature, glass transition temperature, and heat capacity.
The company noted that these measurements enable simulation of shear heating and temperature variations in the flow area. Additionally, the thermal conductivity meter determines polymer sample thermal conductivity across various temperatures.
By maintaining these capabilities in-house, Guill provides faster turnaround on test results, reducing delays during the design process while offering better control over testing parameters. The ultimate benefit is high-quality parts delivered on schedule.
Test extrusion facility
The newly established test extrusion facility features an array of equipment, including:
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Two Killion 1.25″ extruders;
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an RDN 2.0 PVS vacuum tank;
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a Keyence LS9000 dual-axis laser gauge;
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two Dri Air ARID-X 10 30-lb capacity driers;
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a custom-built tubing puller;
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an Accurate Thermal Systems FTBLL47 fluidized bath.
The test lab supports both single and co-extrusion capabilities with proven die designs. Customers also gain access to specialized extrusion processes such as rotary die extrusion of filament and tubular end-products.
Services offered
Beyond extrusion trials, the test lab offers a range of services, including extrusion training, die cleaning, sample inspection, and end-product testing. The facility’s fluidized bath features a temperature range of 50° to 605°C and a working volume of 15.7 x 47 in.
A key advantage for customers is the ability to test materials, dies, and actual extrusion run time — all on Guill premises.
News Courtesy : Plasticstoday