Mixing with the best

Citation

(1999), "Mixing with the best", Pigment & Resin Technology, Vol. 28 No. 2. https://doi.org/10.1108/prt.1999.12928bab.003

Mixing with the best

Mixing with the best

Keyword Fillworth

Over 60 delegates from around the world, including representatives of the top four adhesives and sealants manufacturers, visited Gateshead recently for a seminar hosted by Seaham-based Fillworth (Plate 13).

Fillworth is a designer and manufacturer of mixing and dispersion equipment for applications ranging from adhesives and sealants to inks and paints. Delegates from companies such as Henkl, ATO (owners of Evode and Elf Aquitaine), HB Fuller and ICI heard speakers outline new developments in mixing and dispersion technology and analyses of the marketplace.

Plate 13 Fillworth seminar (left to right) ­ John Stead, Jim Marriner, John Dixon, Jim Palmer, Gerry Breslin

Jim Palmer, technical manager of ATO Findley in the UK and Ireland, discussed current and predicted growth rates in the European adhesives and sealants market. He concluded that the competition would continue to be tough, but that the market was not dominated by any one player. He put forward the thesis that if "quality" was the buzz word for the 1980s, in the 1990s it was "teams" and in the millennium it will be "customer service". This, rather than products, will distinguish companies in future.

One particular challenge in the field of mixing and dispersion technology is the quality control measurement, especially viscometry. "This is not a simple science", explained John Stead, northern area sales manager for Brookfield Viscometers Ltd. "It is often considered a black art because of the number of variables." He then attempted to demystify the science of viscometry, drawing from his experience of a wide range of applications as diverse as rheology and toothpaste.