Data logger monitors paint brush manufacture

A Grant OQ606 through process logger is able to monitor continuously the curing time of the adhesives in paint brush production, to ensure successful bonding of all the bristles within the ferrule

Whether used by an interior designer to apply white matt emulsion, at home touching up gloss paint, or by an artist working on a new masterpiece, one of the infuriating problems they face is the stray bristle spoiling their work.

Stray loose bristles or deteriorating paint brushes may even lead to rework, costing time and money.

Problems within the curing process is the main cause of bristle failure.

A leading manufacturer of paint brushes has addressed this problem.

Using a Grant OQ606 through process logger they are able to monitor continuously the curing time of the adhesives to ensure successful bonding of the bristles within the ferrule.

The bristles together with the adhesive are inserted into the ferrule and placed onto a conveyor belt which passes through a belt oven.

The process takes 20 minutes for the bristles to be bonded at temperatures from 65 degrees C up to 85 degrees C.

The belt speed and oven length is programmed into the Grant Squirrel software, to enable analysis to pinpoint where a problem may have occurred.

An analysis report is printed out to support quality reports.

This system has enabled quality standards to be maintained.

They have full control of the manufacturing process as any temperature variation will be known enabling them to take remedial action.

Grant was selected as the chosen supplier as apart from competitive pricing and sound technical specification, Grant provide full technical support and customer service, whilst the Squirrel software is easy to install and use.

Prior to using the Grant OQ606 through process logger the company were obliged to monitor temperature with a hand-held thermometer that, whilst useful, could not provide a complete temperature profile of the process.

Now they know that the system can be set up and run without continuous monitoring the temperatures by hand, coupled with the assurance that the curing process is taking place successfully.

The Grant OQ606 datalogger can sample rates that can be up to eight times a second for fast-moving or volatile processes, or can be slowed down to once in two hours for measurements in a relatively static environment.

It is battery powered, using three AA cells, to give up to 200 hours operation at default settings.

There are six thermocouple channels to provide operators with a full picture of temperature levels.

The measuring range is -200 degrees C to +1300 degrees C with an ambient logger operating temperature of up to 65 degrees C.

The OQ606 is normally used with a Grant thermal barrier.

There is a standard range of thermal barriers that will withstand typical operating temperatures of 250 degrees C for a duration of 45 minutes.

Custom made loggers and barriers can be supplied.

Grant Instruments provide a range of data acquisition and logging equipment and systems that are used throughout all storage, laboratory, test, manufacturing and process industries.

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