Trusted voices

Finding time to invest in education and development can be difficult but I usually find insights from trusted experts the most rewarding. Those who have faced similar challenges and are prepared to share in-depth, relevant knowledge typically offer invaluable guidance.

I am therefore particularly pleased that this newsletter includes interviews with two engineers working at the forefront of their fields, in healthcare and additive manufacturing. Both explain, with openness and clarity, why powder testing is useful in their industry, and how it can enhance profitability and product quality. You can also now read the first of a new series of LinkedIn posts drawing on my experience of working with powders over the past 20 years.

I hope you find all these insights interesting, and useful in tackling powder processing issues.

New whitepaper available

Profitable Powder Processing: Enhancing Efficiency with the FT4 Powder Rheometer^®

Our new whitepaper summarises ways in which our technology has helped users to work more effectively. Experience has shown that by boosting efficiency, from R&D to manufacture, the FT4 can contribute significantly to greater profitability.

Click here to download your copy.

A healthy approach

In an interview entitled ‘Why Powder Testing is a Powerful Tool for Healthcare’, Todd Mollner, Global Product Owner, Respiratory Powders, GSK, provides a compelling insight into the value of powder testing in building a more secure supply chain and boosting manufacturing efficiency. He also makes a strong case for getting to grips with powder testing yourself, rather than relying on external consultants.

Perfecting additive manufacturing

There is growing evidence that the dynamic powder characterisation offered by the FT4 Powder Rheometer is essential when it comes to specifying powders for optimising 3D printing applications.

In a recent interview, Andrew Klein, Director of R&D at ExOne, a global leader in binder jetting technology, discusses the challenges of specifying powders for 3D printing. He explains how ExOne relies on dynamic powder properties, along with other parameters such as particle size, to reliably identify metal powders that will print well, assess new suppliers and to optimise use of the company’s printers.

This experience is echoed by that of 3D MicroPrint GmbH, a company that develops Micro Laser Sintering processes to print precision, micro-scaled components. Click here to learn more about the importance dynamic powder testing for those pushing additive manufacturing to its limits.

Visit our online presentation library

Our growing collection of on-demand presentations is now easily accessible. With talks covering the basics of powder behaviour and introductions to all our products, it is a great place to start if you want to find out more about what we can offer.

Click here to view the presentations.

Take on board our Top Tips

Jamie Clayton, Operations Director at Freeman Technology, has compiled a Top 10 Tips for Powder Characterisation, summarising some of the key points we most often convey to customers. From rejecting the myth of the ‘good or bad’ powder to the limitations of single number testing, there is food for thought here for anyone working with powders.

See you at Powtech

Preparations are well-advanced for Powtech which runs from 9-11th April in Nuremburg, Germany. Both Freeman Technology (Hall 4 Stand 547) and Micromeritics (Hall 1 Stand 653) will be exhibiting, if you’d like to discuss your powder handling challenges please visit either of our stands or get in touch to set up a meeting with one of our experts.

Our team will also be presenting at the Partec conference which runs alongside the exhibition. Topics range from the impact of elevated temperature and triboelectric effects on powder behaviour to process studies relating to blending and fluid catalytic cracking. We’ll also be presenting new research with the in-line Drag Force Flow sensor. You can find details of all the presentations here.