Intertronics aids quality control process at Powdertech

Oxfordshire-based Powdertech places quality at the centre of its work. Because adhesion is so important to them and their customers, assessing surface energy and cleanliness is a key QC step before many of their processes.

Good wetting is a prerequisite for adhesion, and for Powdertech, ensuring that the surface energy of the aluminium parts is high enough for good adhesion is a simple process using Dyne inks. Ink is applied to the surface; if the ink spreads or wets evenly, then the part has the expected high surface energy. If the ink fails to spread, does not wet, and forms beads on the surface, then the potential for good adhesion is low.

Powdertech needed a simple, reliable way to further assess surface cleanliness on metal substrates to support their coating and bonding. Casting and machining processes often leave organic contamination behind on aluminium parts. Powdertech uses the CleanoSpector to check incoming parts to establish if they need additional cleaning steps before moving through the assembly process, or levels are too high for conventional cleaning methods and require special treatment. A key customer references the CleanoSpector Relative Fluorescence Unit (RFU) measurement on drawings, and it is a strong validation of the CleanoSpector that a major OEM quotes the instrument's RFU cleanliness measurement on drawings.

"We're a technically focused business where QC is integral to what we do. The Dyne inks and CleanoSpector have become a core part of our day-to-day business," explains Jimmy Phillips, Marketing and Sales Manager at Powdertech. "As we look to move in more markets where technical proficiency is key, we are likely to keep investing in this area."