Exciting news

As some of you may have seen, I am delighted to announce that Freeman Technology was acquired by US based company Micromeritics on the 15th June. Micromeritics are a leading global manufacturer of premium products for advanced material characterisation. We have been acquired as a ‘going concern’, so there will be no changes to our company name, our dedicated team, our office locations or our valued distributors and agents. I am confident that being a member of the Micromeritics family will help us serve you better, with additional resources available across our applications and service teams.

“We are excited to welcome Freeman Technology to the Micromeritics family”, said Preston Hendrix, President of Micromeritics. “Not only does it expand our portfolio of products and solutions in high growth market segments where we are already active and have a large, global base of customers, but Freeman Technology’s strong scientific and applications focus is very much in line with the pre- and post-sales support customers have come to expect from Micromeritics”.

As always, we continue to recognise the value of communication, so please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or concerns.

Speaking your language

Fresh onto our YouTube channel are translated versions of the popular ‘Introduction to Powders’ and ‘Uniaxial Powder Testing’ animations. We’re delighted to extend their accessibility with versions now available in Italian, German and Japanese. These short videos provide a quick, easy to understand introduction to each topic.

In-line introduction

There is also now an animation showing how the Lenterra Drag Force Flow sensor works. This in-line technology for real-time powder measurement uses optical strain gauges to make precise measurements of the local forces associated with the flow of in-process material. Suitable for a range of process monitoring applications it is unaffected by electromagnetic interference, presents no ignition hazard and can operate at elevated temperatures (up to 120°C) - take a look.

Shining the spotlight on great research

The FT4 Powder Rheometer^® is used to support research in a wide range of areas and we’re always interested in seeing new work that illustrates its value. If you have results or a study that you’d like to share, then please get in touch. In the meantime, we’d like to highlight two recent papers that show the FT4 providing relevant information in two very different fields:

‘A Step Forward to Assess Cement Blend Flowability and Proneness to Segregation: Case Histories’ (A. Bourlon et al, Schlumberger) describes the development of an innovative methodology to assess the flowability and segregation of cement blends for oil rig applications. The case studies illustrate how the new methodology is being used to select the best cement for a given situation/application.

‘Relationship between powder characteristics and part properties in laser beam melting of Ti–6Al–4V, and implications on quality’ (V. Seyda et al, LZN Laser Zentrum Nord GmbH) tracks the impact of metal powder manufacturing route through to the properties of finished components made by the additive manufacturing (AM) process of laser beam melting. This paper assesses the pros and cons of different methods of powder testing, for those looking for an independent opinion for AM applications.

Events review...

The conference season has been in full swing over the last couple of months and it has been great to meet so many of you at various events. These have ranged from small seminars such as Powder Flow 2018: Cohesive Powder Flow, which focused specifically on techniques for the measurement and modelling of flow, to major shows such as Analytica and Achema, which this year broke new attendance records.

The World Congress of Particle Technology only comes around every four years and is always a significant event in the Freeman Technology calendar. This year we delivered several presentations and both Jamie Clayton and Tim Freeman enjoyed chairing active discussion sessions. Other highlights in the US included RAPID + TCT, the preeminent North America show for the 3D printing/AM industry, International Powder & Bulk Solids (‘The Powder Show’), and the Ceramics Expo.

If you didn’t have a chance to discuss your powder handling challenges with us, visit our website for more information on where you can see us next.

... and an invitation

We’d also like to extend an invitation to our upcoming Powder Flow Seminar which will take place on 18^th July at the Hilton Metropole, Birmingham, UK. With guest speakers from DJS Process Consulting and Malvern Panalytical this will be a day filled with useful insight and practical guidance for those looking to measure, understand and control particle properties and powder flow to achieve industrial goals. Attendance is free of charge, but you’ll need to register and places are limited. 

Registration for this event has now closed.

Environmental impact

In recent months we’ve introduced a new raft of initiatives to reduce our impact on the environment. These include a switch to environmentally friendly cleaning products, recycled paper and biodegradable packaging (wherever feasible). We have also established some excellent routes for the disposal of redundant items: IT Schools Africa and Scrapstore. In combination these efforts are helping to significantly lighten our environmental footprint.