Test Equipment and Measurement Instrument Blog

As a process engineer in a highly competitive industry, it’s imperative you stay up to date with the latest technology and processes. You understand how a small change in your cost or performance structure makes a huge impact on your bottom line.

I’ve just returned from an incredible experience meeting hundreds of scientists and industrial professionals at Analytica, the International Trade Fair for Laboratory Technology, Analysis and Biotechnology in Munich, Germany. It’s never simple to compete against 1,100 exhibitors. However, it’s a little easier when you are in the country of the Hoffbrauhaus… I always underestimate how much scientists love their beer!

How does an NIR analyzer work? What are the benefits of a desktop moisture analyzer versus a portable one? Can I test a specific moisture analyzer on the process line before purchasing? What is the best test instrument that will work for my unique requirements?

As the voice of Kett on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook, I am familiar with our products, but have had little opportunity to interact with our customers. So, John Bogart, Kett’s CEO, invited me to find out more at my first tradeshow. I had no idea what to expect as I boarded the plane heading from Denver to Chicago to join John Bogart, our Japanese colleagues and several thousand analytical chemists at Pittcon14.

It’s the first day of Pittcon 2014 and it’s buzzing with scientists, all seeking to find out how the latest instrument advances will help them achieve lab quality results efficiently and simply. We’ve enjoyed speaking to individuals involved in applications as diverse as analytical chemistry, food analysis and safety, drug discovery, water and wastewater analysis, life sciences and other emerging markets looking for new analytics techniques.

The city that launched the boon of American industrial optimism with the historical Chicago World’s Fair, is set to host the largest annual global conference dedicated to laboratory equipment and instrumentation. Early March 18,000 laboratory scientists will converge in Chicago to attend the Pittsburgh Conference on Analytical Chemistry and Applied Spectroscopy, or Pittcon 2014.

As we discussed in last week’s blog, there are two types of friction: static and dynamic (kinetic). These values have traditionally been measured via incline methods and manual strain (or pull force) gauges. We’re now fortunate enough to have automated friction analyzers that provide substantially more precise (repeatable) measurements and are able to quantitatively distinguish very small differences in two samples or two proposed development versions. Moreover, recent technological developments have allowed for the novel, and widely popular, portable friction analyzers in addition to traditional desktop versions.

As the Sales Director of Kett, I field daily calls from people asking the question, "Why would I want to measure ___?"  It's the same question I asked my superiors when I first started here 20 years ago, and, after much practice, I'm confident I can answer that question pretty thoroughly. Just to narrow it down though, today we'll be answering the question:

Dale Carnegie, whose book, How to Win Friends and Influence People, took its groundbreaking cues from such industrial giants as Henry Ford and Charles Schwab, some great educators in the laws of success. Instead of focusing on the specific manufacturing process, Carnegie’s lessons recognize that it’s the people who run the equipment that make a business successful. No matter what test instruments or state-of-the-art moisture meters you own, your attitude will ultimately determine the quality of your business, and product.