Waters Introduces Discovery Core Rheometer for Quality Control Testing

This rheometer offers essential insights into the properties of materials used in various industries, including healthcare.

Waters Corporation has launched the TA Instruments Discovery Core Rheometer, a compact and user-friendly device designed to meet the growing demand for routine quality control in manufacturing labs.

This rheometer offers essential insights into the properties of materials used in various industries, including healthcare. It enables better analysis of products like battery slurries, printing inks, food items, and personal care products.

Compact Design for Quality Testing

The Discovery Core Rheometer enhances Waters’ portfolio of rheology instruments, delivering superior performance with up to two times lower torque sensitivity than other commercial rheometers. With its built-in temperature control and electronics, it has a compact design that occupies half the bench space of traditional modular systems.

Additionally, this new device allows laboratories, including those in healthcare and medical manufacturing, to perform more efficient and reliable quality control tests on materials.

Waters has developed the Discovery Core Rheometer specifically for inline manufacturing quality control testing. Its primary function is to assess the consistency and behavior of materials in real time, allowing manufacturers to optimize production and reduce waste. The system's easy-to-use interface and built-in training features make it suitable for all levels of rheology expertise, supporting various industries that require precise material analysis.

"Waters has long been a leader in high-performance rheometers, delivering superior results that inspire better decision-making. With the Discovery Core Rheometer, we're making world-class rheological testing available to more testing labs that screen products for consistent behavior and quality," said Jianqing Bennett, senior vice president of TA Instruments Division, Waters Corporation.

Improved Outcomes for Manufacturing

Bennett further highlighted that the Discovery Core Rheometer could potentially improve outcomes in sectors such as healthcare, where the quality and consistency of materials like medical coatings, adhesives, and gels are critical to product performance.

"Designed specifically for in-line manufacturing quality control testing, this streamlined, modern rheometer will allow better assessment of battery electrode slurry batch performance, helping to improve overall battery outcomes while reducing waste and production costs," Bennett added.

Healthcare manufacturers will benefit from the device's capability to ensure that material formulations used in medical devices and pharmaceutical products meet rigorous standards, minimizing defects and enhancing product reliability.

Rheology’s Growing Role in Quality Assurance

Neil Cunningham, founder and CEO of the Centre for Industrial Rheology, highlighted the growing importance of rheology testing in various industries, including healthcare. "Rheology profiling delivers a wealth of material insights beyond viscosity measurements. Rheology's dynamic, oscillatory measurements and controlled stress profiling approaches are becoming mainstream as their value to formulators, process developers, and quality controllers becomes more apparent."

According to Cunningham, the Discovery Core Rheometer meets a significant demand in the market by providing high-performance rheology in an accessible format. "The Discovery Core Rheometer serves a significant unmet need in the marketplace for a high-performance rheometer in an accessible package, bringing the benefits of rheology and viscosity measurements to a whole new audience," he said.

User-Friendly Technology for Immediate Application

The device features the new RheoGuide Software designed for immediate use in testing labs. The software offers self-guided training, pre-defined methods, and on-screen alerts to facilitate faster and safer operations. Healthcare manufacturers will appreciate the system's ease of use, which helps to minimize operator error and streamline quality control processes.

Additionally, the Discovery Core Rheometer is compatible with the TA Instruments TRIOS Software, allowing seamless data sharing between research development and production stages.