CCC installs new kit to improve testing of bakeware coatings
Keywords: Cooper Coated Coil (CCC), Coatings, Abrasive Wear
Cooper Coated Coil (CCC), a world expert in applying high temperature non-stick coatings to metal coil, has installed new equipment to help develop the next generation of bakeware coatings (Plate 1).
Plate 1
The company has added an abrasion tester developed specifically to work at elevated temperatures, a thin gauge tensile tester and a full scale production press to its R & D laboratory. CCC believes the new equipment makes it the first coil coater to have all the facilities in-house to test every aspect of bakeware systems from the liquid paint and base metal to rigorous performance trials of the finished product.
To remove all the manufacturing variables and gain a true comparison of relative performance of bakeware systems CCC coats the metal forms and then tests the end product.
CCC's new abrasion tester is thought to be the first to be installed by a coil coater in the UK. It has been specially adapted with a heated platen to measure wear resistance of the finished product at different temperatures, a key feature since most wear probably occurs at higher temperatures.
The abrasion tester has an oscillating arm carrying a 2kg weight which is fitted with a standard household abrasive cleaning pad. The pad is changed every 50 repetitions and the test continues until metal is exposed on 80 per cent of the surface. The number of oscillations taken to reach that stage is used to rate the product for durability and wear resistance.
CCC's state of the art tensile testing machine assesses the influence of the base metal on the tooling of bakeware shapes and measures strength and ductility. Analysing these properties can help evaluate any potential cost savings from changing the type or thickness of the metal.
The company's new 20 tonne production press is used to recreate conditions at the bakeware manufacturer. It allows CCC to simulate accurately the forming of deep drawn and demanding items such as Yorkshire pudding tins, loaf pans and roasters.
The new equipment has been sourced specifically to extend the range of scientific tests designed by CCC to deepen understanding of the real factors which govern bakeware performance. The tests have the support of the major international coatings and bakeware manufacturers even though they have revealed a wide variation in performance and value and produced some controversial results.
The challenge for CCC is to help coatings and bakeware manufacturers design new systems which have a balance of all the required properties, producing ranges which offer longer lasting non-stick performance and better value for money.
Derek Crawford, CCC's technical director, said: "We have tested systems under development where we have advised the coating manufacturer to have a total rethink because. for example, the release was excellent but the coating came off after just two test cycles."
As the quality and performance of bakeware systems improves, CCC is evolving and refining its tests to make them even more aggressive and demanding. The company can tailor its development and testing work to meet the requirements of individual coatings or bakeware manufacturers including products for specific applications.
Details available from: Cooper Coated Coil Ltd. Tel: +44 (0)121 521 1500.
