Product Testing

Whether you need to understand how a new formulation performs, confirm that a production batch meets specification or independently evaluate an existing product, StarToll can develop a testing programme around the properties that matter.

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More Than Quality Control

Quality Control and Product Testing are closely related, but they serve different purposes.

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Routine Quality Control (QC) is primarily concerned with consistency — confirming that a manufactured batch falls within the established parameters for that product.

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Product Testing can go considerably further.

It can be used to establish how a product performs, compare different formulations, investigate a problem, benchmark competing technologies or determine whether a material complies with a customer's required specification.

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This makes testing an important part of product development, troubleshooting, supplier evaluation, benchmarking and technical due diligence.

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Extensive In-House Testing Capabilities

Our well-equipped laboratory allows us to undertake a broad range of physical, chemical and performance tests.

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Depending upon the product and application, our capabilities include testing for properties such as:

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• Viscosity

• Shore hardness

• Gel time

• Tack-free time

• Cure time

• Water content

• Appearance and colour

• RAL colour comparison

• Expansion

• Time to torque

• NCO content

• Taber abrasion resistance

• Adhesion

• Cross-cut adhesion

• Bend performance

• Gloss value

• Pencil hardness

• Water permeability

• UV stability

• And many other product and application-specific characteristics

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Rather than applying the same tests to every product, we can select the appropriate methods according to the chemistry, intended application and required specification.

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Testing Third-Party Products

Our laboratory is not limited to testing products manufactured by StarToll.

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We can also evaluate third-party products and materials to determine whether they meet a customer's specified requirements.

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For example, a customer may wish to verify the consistency of a product purchased from another supplier, evaluate a proposed alternative material or determine whether an existing system actually provides the performance being claimed.

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Where suitable test methods are available, StarToll can provide an objective technical assessment against defined parameters.

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Comparative & Benchmark Testing

Testing can also be used to compare products directly.

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A customer's existing product can be evaluated alongside a newly developed StarToll formulation, alternative raw material or competing technology under the same test conditions.

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This can help answer practical questions such as:

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Is it stronger?

Does it cure faster?

Is adhesion improved?

Is it more abrasion resistant?

Is the hardness comparable?

Does it maintain its performance after exposure?

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The objective is to replace assumptions with measurable data.

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Supporting Product Development

Testing plays an important role throughout the StarToll development process.

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During formulation development, different prototypes can be tested and compared. As the product progresses through pilot plant scaling, testing can determine whether performance remains consistent as batch sizes increase.

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Once the product enters commercial manufacture, the appropriate tests can then form part of its ongoing quality-control specification.

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This creates a continuous process:

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Develop → Test → Improve → Scale → Re-Test → Manufacture → Verify

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Industry-Specific Testing

Our experience also allows us to undertake a range of specialist and industry-specific test procedures, including testing associated with raised access flooring systems and PSA MOB requirements.

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Where a project requires specialist testing, certification or equipment outside our own capabilities, we can also work with approved independent laboratories and specialist partners to provide access to additional testing services.

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Testing to a Defined Specification

Product testing is most valuable when there is a clearly defined objective.

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This may be an existing technical specification, an industry test method, a customer's internal standard or simply a series of performance targets developed specifically for a new product.

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StarToll can work with customers to establish what needs to be measured, how it should be tested and what constitutes an acceptable result.

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Test It. Measure It. Prove It.

A technical claim is considerably more valuable when it can be supported by meaningful test data.

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With our combination of in-house laboratory facilities, specialist equipment, experienced chemists and access to external testing partners, StarToll can help customers understand exactly how a product performs.

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Whether we manufactured the product or someone else did, StarToll can help test it, compare it and determine whether it meets the required specification.