On-line viscometer unaffected by solids or flows

Until discovering the XL7 intrinsically safe on-line viscometer from Hydramotion, measuring the viscosity of epoxy resin had been a problem for Ventec Electronics in Suzhou, China

Until discovering the XL7 intrinsically safe on-line viscometer from Hydramotion, measuring the viscosity of epoxy resin had been a problem for Ventec Electronics in Suzhou, China.

Ventec is a manufacturer of copper-clad laminates for multi-layer printed circuit boards, which are used in thousands of electronic applications worldwide.

The company specialises in high-quality and advanced boards, including those using halogen-free, lead-free and high glass transition temperature materials.

The laminates are made by compressing a number of layers of "prepreg" (fibreglass matting pre-impregnated with epoxy resin) together with the outer copper layers.

Viscosity directly reflects the properties of epoxy resin, so it is very useful to be able monitor viscosity during its production.

However, the resin produced by Ventec Electronics can contain up to 40% solid mineral filler, and with earlier equipment the company soon found that filler particles significantly affected the readings.

Moreover, even small changes in flow rate would produce additional errors.

Acting on advice from friends in the industry, Ventec approached Hydramotion, and the XL7 process viscometer quickly solved their problem.

Easy to install and simple to operate, the instrument is unaffected by solid particles in the fluid or changes in flow rate, giving Ventec a reliable way of monitoring its resin production process in real time.

"The Hydramotion viscometer is very good for viscosity control of fluids with filler," commented Bill Wang, production engineer with Ventec.

The unique resonant technology of the XL7 overcomes all the problems besetting traditional approaches to viscosity measurement and can be adapted to any process environment.

The solid sensor can be fitted in any orientation with no need for ancillary pipe work.

No time-consuming on-site setup or recalibration is required, and with no moving parts to wear out or fail in service, the XL7 is virtually maintenance free.

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