Mixing and dispersing company ystral opens new trial centre

The machine and systems manufacturer ystral has opened a new trial centre at its headquarters in Ballrechten-Dottingen, Germany. The new facility enables the company to carry out more customer trials than before while processing a broader range of raw materials. The firm designs, engineers and manufactures mixing, dispersing and powder induction machines, as well as process systems. At the ystral trial centre, companies can develop new products and processes or optimise existing ones, train their operating personnel on machines, and test the mixing provider’s solutions.

A number of tests have already been conducted in the new trial building. “Our experience shows that tests carried out in our trial centre almost always lead to collaboration,” says Uwe Klaumünzner, head of development and trials at ystral.

The new trial area complies with statutory explosion protection and water protection requirements, and the machines used are ATEX-compliant. Trials with flammable and explosive media are possible there following case-by-case assessment. During the tests, users do not need to be on site themselves, but can also follow proceedings remotely via livestream.

In the company’s in-house laboratory, samples can be examined under an optical microscope with respect to various parameters. This includes both density measurement and particle size analysis by means of dynamic light scattering. In addition, viscosities can be determined using various measurement methods, with and without tempering, and curves for different shear rates can be recorded.

With a construction and commissioning phase of under 12 months, work on the trial centre progressed exactly according to plan. The new building was constructed in a compact cubic design on an area of around 150 square metres and can, in future, be expanded with an additional trial building on an adjacent open site. “At our current company size, we are very well positioned with our existing trial facilities,” says ystral managing director and co-owner Peter Manke. “However, we planned our new trial centre from the outset in such a way that expansion is possible.”