IME - Pirouette

Injection moulding is the most important manufacturing process for polymers. Products have to be accurately shaped for functional or esthetic reasons, and changes is specific volume determine their final shape and dimensional stability. Therefore, a correct description of the specific volume during processing is of utmost importance in mold design and process optimization.

IME Technologies and the Polymer Technology group of the Department of Mechanical Engineering have developed a (patented) dilatometer that allows the investigation of the specific volume of polymers as a function of pressure, temperature, cooling rate and shear rate. The machine consists of a pressure cell, that combines a traditional "piston-die type" dilatometer and a Couette rheometer, embedded in a custom made frame that makes it a "table-sized" machine, requiring only standard laboratory supplies like pressured air and tap water for operation and cooling.

The fully automated control also allows for non-isothermal experiments with shear steps applied at prepredefined temperatures. The ring shaped samples (mass only about 65 mg) can be made by using a micro injection moulding machine.

The apparatus is now available from IME Technologies under the product name: "Pirouette, dilatometry for processing".

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