About MP3 R&D
R&D is the heart of innovation and the driving force behind every manufacturing company’s production processes. At MP3, investment in research and development has always played a key role in opening up new market sectors and maintaining a strategic position compared to competitors. For this reason, it is an area in which significant investments have been made over the years, both in terms of technical equipment and human resources.
The MP3 R&D Department deals with:
- Development of projects for the creation of new products and the improvement of existing ones;
- Development of projects for customized products based on customer needs;
- Drafting of technical documents (product technical bulletins, etc.);
- Drafting of Food Contact Compliance, Compliance declaration and Regulatory documents (REACH; ROHS; Fire, etc.);
- Technical and analytical assistance to support internal departments (sales, quality, production, and group companies) and specific customer requests.
The professional skills present in R&D MP3
The MP3 R&D team is made up of 5 professionals:
- Two graduates with a master’s degree from the Faculty of Industrial Chemistry of the University of Bologna;
- A graduate with a master’s degree from the Faculty of Industrial Chemistry of the University of Bologna and a PhD from the Faculty of Chemical Sciences of the University of Parma;
- A graduate with a master’s degree from the Faculty of Mathematical, Physical and Natural Sciences of the University of Parma and with a first level Master’s degree in Packaging from the Faculty of Chemistry of the University of Parma;
- A graduate with a bachelor’s degree in Food Science and Technology from the Faculty of Agriculture of the University of Foggia.
Why MP3 decided to equip itself with an internal R&D Lab
The ability to carry out internal analyses of its own products, competitor products and raw materials, combined with the long experience that MP3 has gained in the co-extrusion sector and the academic technical skills of the R&D team, allows:
- An in-depth knowledge of your products and those on the market;
- A careful selection of the most suitable raw materials for product development;
- Monitoring the quality of existing products;
- Verification of any non-conformities.
The analyses performed could certainly be performed by external laboratories, but interpreting the results and understanding the relationship between performance, process, and raw materials can be complex or impossible without comprehensive cross-sectional knowledge, specific experience, and a robust database—elements that can only be developed internally. Furthermore, an in-house laboratory significantly reduces analysis times.
The added value of having an internal R&D
Having an in-house research and development department allows for the creation of a detailed database, essential for correlating the composition of MP3 products and their performance, in order to select the most suitable blends, structures, and raw materials for the performance required by customers.
Thanks to an organized database, which analyzes the same product through complementary analytical techniques, it is possible to perform a characterization that takes into account the product’s performance at multiple levels and a robust verification when compared with competing products.
What analyses can we perform with the Lab’s instruments?
The internal laboratory of the MP3 R&D department is able to carry out a wide range of analyses and measurements, including:
- DSC (Differential Scanning Calorimetry) – Determination of Tg, Tm, Tc, K (degree of crystallinity);
- TGA (thermogravimetric analysis);
- Determination of melt flow rate (MFR) and melt volume rate (MVR) of melted thermoplastic materials;
- IV (intrinsic viscosity);
- Determination of tensile properties – Elastic modulus, yield and breaking strength, elongation at break and yield (double-column dynamometer);
- Compression tests of thermoformed materials (double-column dynamometer);
- Determination of flexural properties – Elastic modulus in flexure, flexural strength (double-column dynamometer);
- Drop dart test (column dart) at room and freezing temperatures;
- Charpy impact test at room and freezing temperatures;
- Gas permeability test (OTR, WVTR);
- Natural aging test under real conditions – internal method;
- Accelerated aging test (Xenotest) with light sources simulating daylight and outdoor conditions;
- Accelerated aging test (Xenotest) with light sources simulating internal exposure;
- Determination of the effect of aqueous solutions with available chlorine and chloramine on prolonged immersion;
- Determination of stress cracking resistance (ESCR);
- Scratch resistance of surfaces;
- Surface resistance to abrasion (Taber test);
- Determination of Shore D hardness;
- Cross-cut test for evaluating the adhesion of the coating (Cross Cut test);
- Color measurements in reflection and transmission (Spectrophotometer);
- Multi-angle surface gloss measurements (Glossmeter 20°, 60°, 85°);
- Visual evaluation of color under specific illuminants – Evaluation of metamerism (light booth with illuminants D65, A, TL84, CWF, UVA, U30, HZ);
- Surface roughness measurement (roughness meter);
- Stratigraphic measurements on multilayered materials (optical microscopy);
- Determination of volatile NIAS (GC-MS);
- Determination of surface resistivity;
- FT-IR spectrometry;
- Moisture content (KF titrator);
- Volatile content (halogen lamp thermobalance);
- Determination of the static and dynamic coefficient of friction (COF);
Sample pre-treatment
In order to comply with the specific technical standards for certain types of analysis, MP3 has equipped itself with a range of tools for preparing specimens and samples to be tested and analyzed:
- Cryogenic mills (2);
- Automatic carver;
- Pantograph;
- Drying ovens;
- Furnace in nitrogen flow.
The appropriateness of the sample preparation method is of fundamental importance for obtaining reliable and significant results: an improperly prepared sample can make the obtained result unreliable.
MP3 is able to carry out preliminary process tests using a heat sealer to simulate film sealing and is equipping itself with a pilot thermoforming plant that will expand the possibilities for evaluating its products.
Conclusions
In sintesi, grazie ai risultati sino ad oggi raggiunti, e con la prospettiva di nuovi investimenti e di una continua crescita, il dipartimento R&D di MP3 si candida pienamente per continuare a rivestire un ruolo di primo piano al servizio dell’azienda, dei suoi clienti e dei suoi partner. Questa sua rilevanza strategica permette a MP3 di far crescere e migliorare continuamente la sua gamma prodotti, con soluzioni che rispondono pienamente alle esigenze del mercato e anticipano trend e standard produttivi.