In 2004 The Plastics Technology group has seen a steady increase in enquiries and orders for long-term property (creep & fatigue) evaluation. One growth area has been environmental creep rupture testing which has helped to address many chemical compatibility and environmental stress cracking issues for the packaging industry.
It is felt that not enough plastic component manufacturers realise that long-term properties are fundamental to how a plastic product will perform in service. The use of this data is vital for good product design and an important preventative measure against premature failure in the field.
Properties of a plastic material will deteriorate simply with time. This natural process accelerated by the application of stress, temperature, and chemical environment. The benefit of such testing is the assurance of not having to deal with mass product failure in the field at significant expense.
If you would like further information regarding this service then please contact: coconnor@rapra.net