High-performance process sieves meet or exceed ASTM standards
High-performance process sieves meet or exceed ASTM standards
Keywords: Electroforming, Equipment
By employing leading-edge electroforming techniques, believed to be the most advanced in the world, UK-based Tecan is producing high-accuracy sieves with super-fine apertures which are highly consistent across the mesh (Plate 2). The sieves can be supplied in American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM)standard frames, and unlike traditional frames, can meet or exceed the standard's aperture tolerance requirements.
Plate 2Tecan high-accuracy sieves
Electroforming produces highly-accurate sieves with repeatable consistency,at the lowest possible cost. Typical applications are found in pharmaceutical,food processing, powder and bulk, medical, electronics (e.g. solder balls) and measurement markets demanding the highest standards. The new sieves are fabricated in hard nickel, as opposed to the traditional soft nickel; this significantly boosts operational life, especially where abrasive materials are being processed, such as industrial diamonds.
Easy cleaning and long operational life are resultant advantages of electroforming. Unlike traditional woven products, the single-sheet sieves do not have cross-over areas, such as those found in woven-wire sieves. This brings a range of benefits, including the elimination of contamination due to trapped debris, no de-lamination at the edges, consistent cross-sectional thickness and consistently accurate aperture shapes and sizes. If desired, the sieves can be gold-plated, in-house, for custom needs.
Sieves can be supplied in standard 3 in. polycarbonate diameter frames, or 8 in. stainless steel frames, the latter can be full-depth (2 in.) or half-depth(1 in.). In all cases, the sieves may be specified with or without integral hard-nickel support grids. Furthermore, the company can also supply sieves with no frames, again with or without integral support grids. All apertures are highly accurate and, regardless of the aperture size, or shape (square or round), have tolerances of ±2 micron.
