Rubber Product Performance Consistency Through Testing

Transcription

1 Through Testing Asia RubTech Expo 2018 Dilip Dhupia

2 Rubber products are engineered to perform in static & dynamic applications under various challenging environments. Rubber products shall always meet the designated service life in a consistent manner based on application: A racing car engine seal successfully lasts for one race. A normal car engine seal successfully lasts for 10 years. When the customer s expectations are met during the use of a rubber product then the product has good to excellent product performance. When the product repeatedly meets the expectation it is called as PERFORMANCE CONSISTENCY. 2

3 Rubber product manufacturers are dually challenged by maintaining & further improving product performance while maximizing their production efficiency. Ultimate goal is to provide highest quality products by: Assuring performance consistency. Safety. Value. 3

4 Why we use rubber Rubber is the only material which can withstand repetitive tensile, shear or compressive stress and tend to restore shape when it is removed. Rubber is a high end engineering material whose applications are, not limited to: Tire composite. Damping application. Sealing application. Weathering strips. Energy transmission in form of V belt, timing belt etc. Hose for fluid transmission. 4

5 INPUT PROCESS OUTPUT SERIES OF OPERATIONS PREVENTION APPROACH APPRAISAL APPROACH PARAMETER DESIGN (ROBUST / FULL PROOF DESIGN) TOLERANCE DESIGN (PROCESS MONITORING) 5

6 Rubber products are manufactured via batch process, thus Quality Assurance (QA) at each step is must to ensure consistent quality product. Why QA: To ensure right things are being carried out in right way. To focus on defect prevention. It deals with process. It is for entire life cycle. 6

7 Incoming raw material from different sources. Material QA Mixing Shaping In process QA Composite building. Vulcanization in pre defined shape. Inspection. Finished Product QA 7

8 Seven Quality control tools 8

9 One of the QA tool described in six sigma: DMAIC a data-driven improvement cycle used for improving, optimizing and stabilizing processes and designs. It can be implemented as a standalone QA procedure. 9

10 Voice of customer (VOC). Align business objectives with VOC and VOB. Define the Critical-to-Quality (CTQ s) characteristics considered by customers to be critical to quality. Determine how to maintain the improvement. Put tools in place to ensure that the key variables remain within the acceptable ranges during process. Identify key internal processes that influence CTQ s. Measure the defect rates currently generated relative to those processes. Identify means to remove causes of the defects. Quantify the effects on CTQ s. Identify acceptable range for the CTQ. Identify a system to measure CTQ. Modify the process to stay within the acceptable ranges. Determine the most likely causes of defects. Identify key factors that are most likely to create process variation. 10

11 Specification preparation Types of specification National / International Standards. Industrial Standards. Company Specification. Product specification. Process specification. Product Specification National /International Standards Industrial Standards Company Specification 11

12 Priority of a rubber product manufacturer is to provide product with consistent quality. At every manufacturing step process and material monitor is must to ensure quality. Factors influencing quality: MAN MATERIAL MACHINE METHOD ENVIRONMENT 12

13 In present scenario of industry functioning, all the additives and major chemicals are supplied through self certification. Rubber product manufacturer performs random QC checks of in-coming additives. Rubber is a viscoelastic material and its properties have a great influence on: Batch processing of rubber compound. Energy consumed per product manufacturing, economics of production. Product performance. 13

14 Rubber properties varies Shear rate or speed of processing. Deformation or strain. Temperature 14

15 Shear rate in rubber processing operations: Mixing Calandering Extrusion Compression Moulding Transfer Moulding Injection Moulding Shear rate (s -1 ) 15

16 Requirements for Superior Rheological Measurements Temperature Accuracy. Repeatable temperature recovery. Solution: Proprietary temperature control system. Torque Measurement Best accuracy uses NIST traceable standards. Low noise electronics with short cables provides best repeatability. Solution: Proprietary electronic boards designed for low noise operation. Apparatus Accurate dimensions made to tight tolerances. Ensure applied deformations are accurate and measurements are meaningful. 16

17 NIST traceable standards assist in the process: Constant temperature bath with NIST traceable temperature apparatus verifies accuracy of probes for temperature range: Room temperature to 200 o C. NIST Traceable dead weight verifies accuracy of Mooney viscosity measurement. NIST Traceable dead weight with proprietary Alpha Technologies apparatus verifies accuracy of torque standards for MDR and RPA applications. Key dimensions meet or exceed all national and international standards for accuracy and low tolerance. 17

18 Outcome of NIST Traceable Devices Accuracy of instrument is stable during its life time in an industrial setting Temperature. Force and torque measurements. 18

19 Current Trends in Rubber Testing LAOS Testing for Long Chain Branching Payne Effect for Rubber and Filler Interaction. Silanization Reaction 19

20 Introduction to Alpha Technologies Alpha Technologies Company Profile As the world leader in design and manufacturing of instruments and software, Alpha delivers advance precision rubber and elastomeric materials analysis for production optimization and product compliance solutions. Alpha technologies is committed to provide best solutions to rubber industry by continually improving test equipment s R & R. 20

21 Alpha Technologies at a glance 21

22 THANK YOU 22