In conversation with: Andy Francis, Marketing Director, Q-Lab Corporation
Andy Francis, Marketing Director, Q-Lab Corporation, discusses the ability, and the sustainability, of the company’s new QUV/uvc weathering tester.
What can Q-Lab’s QUV/uvc weathering tester bring to the plastics industry in terms of consistent quality and productivity?
The QUV/uvc brings the same consistent, reliable testing as QUV accelerated weathering testers have worldwide for over 50 years. The precise control of UVC irradiance using our SOLAR EYE system ensures consistent radiant dosage test to test, and the QUV’s adaptable design allows for simultaneous testing of a large number of two- or three-dimensional specimens.
In what ways can it contribute to a stakeholder's sustainability targets?
Durability testing with the QUV/uvc tester can demonstrate the ability to withstand UVC disinfection without the need for costly, wasteful replacement. Additionally, the tester’s energy and consumable requirements are small – no water is needed, lamps last for a full year, and the modest amount of electricity required can be supplied from a normal building mains power.
Which markets and applications would the QUV/uvc offer its optimal performance and results?
The QUV/uvc is targeted at any users whose materials undergo routine or periodic exposure to UVC light for ultraviolet germicidal irradiance (UVGI) disinfection. Key products would include heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, transportation seating, and interior surfaces in sterile hospital environments. Key materials include plastics, leather, fabrics and textiles, and coatings.
How has Q-Labs managed to maintain its research and development efforts over the past year, and how have these practices helped bring about the QUV/uvc?
Q-Lab quickly implemented safe in-office working protocols early in the pandemic, including personal protective equipment, social distancing, adjusted manufacturing schedules, and a robust work-from-home structure. This allowed our engineering teams to continue design and testing work in-office and for our manufacturing team to continue to produce equipment. Without this, the rapid development of the QUV/uvc tester would not have been possible.
In what ways can the QUV/uvc be developed further to help plastics industry stakeholders meet modern challenges?
A key will be to work with leaders from the testing, manufacturing, and standards development worlds to agree upon standardised testing protocols for UVC light. The QUV/uvc has a wide range of achievable conditions, and getting the world to agree on which conditions are appropriate for UVC testing will help the plastics industry better understand their materials’ performance.