Testing of plastics and rubber materials and products is involving Rapra Technology's laboratories in more product design and development as reviewed here by Richard Walton.

Testing of plastics and rubber materials and products at Rapra Technology's Shawbury and Billingham laboratories has always highlighted where the leading edge lies for a number of user sectors such as healthcare, automotive, food, chemicals and others. Rapra Technology's Richard Walton provides an update on what Rapra's industrial clients are most looking for in taking their new product ideas to market. As Rapra - formerly the Rubber and Plastics Research Association - Technology becomes increasingly involved in new product design and development, there is an accompanying need for new product testing: New clients are encouraged to talk about the background and context to their work so that Rapra can provide what's needed, not only in terms of designing and engineer new testing rigs and fittings to establish a standard, but also to deliver the scientific and polymeric input and, increasingly, supply the legislative and commercial background needed for the marketplace.

A good proportion of Rapra's current activity involves helping manufacturing companies to develop and maintain product standards programmes of their own, rationalising the process, maintaining and rewriting their existing specifications.

About half of Rapra's testing work in rubber and plastics involves UKAS accreditation.

Across the board, the past twelve months have seen growth in the following areas: * The outsourcing of healthcare testing services is seeing more growth, fuelled partly by our new venture in Ireland but also from a continuing policy in pharmaceuticals and healthcare companies to reduce head counts and contract out manufacturing and other disciplines.

* Sales for tyre testing significantly increased through 2003 due to EU legislation for retread tyres to be approved by the Department of Transport and equivalent overseas national governing bodies.

The prospect of a growing business here remains high, as there is an on-going requirement for conformity of production.

The number of Rapra Technology's overseas clients has also significantly increased in the last 2 years.

* Floor testing sales continue to increase as companies have a duty of care under Regulation 12 of the Health, Safety and Welfare Workplace act to ensure that every floor shall be suitable for the purpose for which it is used.

Rapra Technology is undertaking a research project into typical walking behaviour and floor surface wear and tear.

Rapra is also working with the British Standards Institute in a number of tests as applied to a variety of bathmats.

Rapra Technology also manufactures a variety of flooring gauges and plaques in a variety of polymeric materials in order that companies can have a ready reckoner of the tactile and adhesives properties.

* Contamination testing to military standards has increased as companies are obliged to show conformity and testing is being outsourcing due to increase health and safety requirements and the need for independent test results.

* New business has been won in testing water and oil storage tanks.

Rapra is now OFTEC and AIB-Vincotte approved to test tanks according to PR EN 13341.

* The aerospace sector is providing Rapra with an increasing range of new products to test as part of product validation programmes or value engineering/weight reduction activities.

* Biocompostable materials.

This is a new area of materials testing which Rapra is set to play an increasing role, especially in standards setting.

* Polymer recyclate.

The new plastics recycling industry has a great need to analyse the new products made from recyclate as fit for purpose and Rapra Technology is the test house of choice.

The testing of End of Life Vehicle (ELV) recycled materials in the automotive sector is, for example, a significant part of the materials testing work being carried out at Rapra Billingham.

Following our MBO of July 2002 we have been able to meet these opportunities and demands with a more flexible response to capital investment.

The past year has seen us purchase and also design and build a large number of testers and testing rigs through 2003/04.

These are sited at both the Shawbury and Billingham sites.

The new equipment includes: * Q panel light UV tester.

* Large infra-red testing chamber for climatic testing.

* Large (2 cubic metre) climatic chamber.

* Hot pressure pulsation rigs (primarily for automotive customers).

* Ultrasonic thickness gauge.

* Weighbridge up to 15 tonnes.

* Additional capacity for programmable ovens.

Rapra's Billingham site in the North East, leads the company's testing work in the automotive sector and continues to compete in the demanding automotive business environment with a blend of creative and cost effective engineering skills.

Automotive products tested include everything polymeric from dipsticks to glove boxes, interior and exterior trim, modules, carpets, sunroof materials, tyre formulations, underbonnet component development and testing, tractor air filters, lighting and many other components.

New activities at Billingham this year include: the development, design and build of hot pressure pulsation rigs; the design and build of infra red heating modules for climatic testing on automotives; the testing of racing car tyre materials; the testing of end of life recycling materials; and the vibration transit testing of packaged devices as well the development of high speed tensile testing.

Historically our rubber technology group business has provided the foundation for the growth now experienced in plastics.

Rapra business in the rubber sector continues to grow.

A 50% increase in planned sales is expected during 2004 compared with 2003.

The mix of rubber testing work includes failure investigation and the provision of expert witnesses.

However, a trend to more and more product development activity is discernible as more companies outsource specialist skills.

The processing capability for elastomeric materials has significantly increased at Rapra due to the installation of a LWB Steinl VCE 500/160 combined rubber and TPE injection moulding machine.

Rapra is now able to provide designers in rubber and TPEs a fully integrated package of material selection, compound development, 3D flow simulation, tool design and injection moulding.

Rapra also has a significant business selling reference materials for use in polymer testing.

The current range includes: Rubber sliders - friction reference materials for the TRL Pendulum and BCRA Tortus apparatus; Reference oils - ASTM No.

1 oil, IRM 902 and IRM 903; Rubber Hardness Blocks - Rapra manufacture and supply standard rubber hardness blocks over the range 40 to 90 IRHD/Shore A for use checking the calibration of hardness machines.

New product development in this area has been underway through this year and is expected to yield new business during the next financial year.