CSIR is one of Africa’s leading research establishments. The FT4 is being used in the metal and metals processes area, part of the Materials Science and Manufacturing Operating Unit. Scientists using the system are responsible for material characterization and developing new materials and processes for manufacturing powdered metals. They have a particular interest in die filling and making pressed metal components for the aerospace, automotive, and medical industries.
The high value of many of the metal powders, which include platinum and titanium, means that often only low volumes are available for investigation. With its ability to work with just 25-ml samples for dynamic measurement and down to as little as 1 ml for shear cell testing, the FT4 enables the rapid and fully automated characterization of these powders.
For more details about the use of the FT4 powder tester in characterizing metal powders, visit the Freeman Technology website and download the paper “Characterisation of Powder Bulk, Dynamic Flow and Shear Properties in relation to Die Filling”, presented at the 2008 World Congress On Powder Metallurgy & Particulate Materials in Washington, DC, at www.freemantech.co.uk.