How Powder Testing Solutions Can Improve Product Quality And Manufacturing Efficiency

Tim Freeman, Managing Director at Freeman Technology (a Micromeritics company), discusses how using powder testing instrumentation can lead to improved product quality and manufacturing efficiency.

- 

Freeman Technology focusses on powder characterization and how it can be used in process and product development. What are the typical industries you work with?

Powders are utilized across a broad range of industries, and we work closely with customers to understand their individual powder handling challenges. This can range from pharmaceuticals, foods and powder coatings, to those processing ceramics and metal powders. It is estimated that up to 80% of manufactured products are handled in powder form at some point, extending powder processing capability is a major goal for the industry as it works to improve manufacturing efficiency.

While traditionally we have working with the well-established pharmaceutical sector, we are seeing rapid growth in additive manufacturing (or 3D printing). Here there is a growing appreciation of the need to optimize powder properties in order to exploit the full potential of this pioneering technology.

Do you see similarities in the problems your customers are trying to solve, or do they vary between industries?

The majority of our customers come to us with similar challenges, irrespective of the industry in which they work. An overriding challenge is ensuring that powders perform consistently, whether as a finished product or during processing.

The fundamental mechanics that dictate this are consistent regardless of the specific application. However, the exact nature of the problems industry face can vary considerably. To provide context to this, the filling is a common operation across all industries, however, fill weights and tolerances vary widely.