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Portable instrument checks ink viscosity

A Hydramotion product story
Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team Mar 28, 2006

Industrial printer firm turns to portable viscometer with integrated temperature correction for measuring ink viscosity in the field.

Viscosity and temperature are important in the inkjet printing process.

With that in mind, industrial printer firm A2N of Somerset, Wisconsin, USA, turned to the Hydramotion Viscolite portable viscometer with integrated temperature correction for measuring ink viscosity in the field.

"The size of the Viscolite made it ideal for field service", said Allen Cork, owner of A2N.

"The equipment we had before was heavy and awkward".

A2N supplies high-speed coding markers and inkjet printers for labelling, mailing and imaging, provides a round-the-clock repair service for the printing equipment used in the coding and marking industry, and undertakes related engineering and design work.

The company needs to control the viscosity of MEK, acetone and ethanol printing inks for the inkjet printers it sells or services.

With such volatile fluids, and a working temperature of around 29C, viscosities are low.

Moreover, the required measurement range is narrow - from 2.5 to 6.0mPa.s.

For the company's engineers, the Viscolite proved an easy-to-use instrument that could cope with such conditions while offering long-term accuracy and reliability in the field.

Fully portable and ready for use straight out of the box, the Viscolite can detect a viscosity difference of as little as 0.1mPa.s with repeatability even at low viscosities.

For A2N, this level of sensitivity is essential given the tight measurement requirements.

With no field calibration required and no delicate accessories to fit, the Viscolite is simple to operate.

Measured viscosity is displayed on the read-out unit as soon as the probe is dipped into the ink, and the probe is just wiped clean after use.

The benefit to A2N has been immediate, as field engineers are equipped with a viscosity measurement tool which is both accurate and convenient.

Cork said: "We've eliminated potential guesswork by introducing an easily transportable method of testing viscosity in the field".

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