NDG5 is a testing machine used to measure the puncture strength of packaging films and lithium-ion battery separator films. It employs a Φ1 needle to puncture the film and measures the strength at the point of penetration. This device is utilized in product safety evaluation and quality control.
Developed over approximately 10 years based on feedback from various companies, NDG5’s predecessor was the KES-G5 compression testing machine. The G5 mechanized the sensation of “pressing with a finger” to measure the “hardness” of materials. Its versatility allowed it to measure compression characteristics across various industries, including car seats, diapers, towels, cosmetic puffs, foams/creams, and switches, among others.
(1. Photo) Measuring the compression hardness of a cosmetic puff using KES-G5
As the development of electric vehicles progressed, we received inquiries from customers about measuring the strength of separator films, essential for lithium batteries.
Consequently, our development team modified the G5, replacing the compression element with a needle, creating a machine that punctures thin films like separator films to measure their strength. Continuous improvements, incorporating feedback from multiple companies, led to the current testing machine, NDG5, developed in collaboration with a leading Japanese company in separator manufacturing.
(2. Photo) Using a specialized needle to puncture the test material.
Now, NDG5 is implemented by the top three separator manufacturing companies globally, contributing to the quality control of electric vehicles worldwide.
For those interested in this product, please contact us here
(NDG5 Puncture Strength Tester | KATO TECH CO., LTD. | Pioneer of Texture Testers and Electronic Measuring Instruments (keskato.co.jp)).
The First Testing Machine Enabling “Pure Bending” Tests. It measures the pure bending “hardness” of a single hair strand, thread, paper, fabric, etc.
“Pure bending” refers to measuring the force of bending without applying shear force (force caused by gravity).
Most market-available bending measurements assess the force required to bend under the influence of gravity. Kato Tech’s pure bending testing machine measures the force required to bend at a certain distance with a specific force and speed. This method of bending calculation was developed in the 1970s by Professor Sueo Kawabata at Kyoto University. The completion of the pure bending testing machine involved not only the formula for micro-area measurements but also the mechanization of this technology.
Detecting these minute forces is made possible by the torsion wire produced in-house. This wire plays a crucial role, twisting at a set speed to detect the bending force.
(3. Photo) Measuring the bending hardness of a single thread with the KES-FB2-SH bending testing machine.
To ensure stable measurement results, each component’s tightening strength is finely adjusted by skilled craftsmen to meet quality standards.
Approximately one month of verification and adjustments are performed before a machine meets our stringent shipping standards. This level of precision machining is unparalleled in other companies.
Mainly delivered to various industries such as textiles, cosmetics, automobiles, and paper manufacturing, this testing machine excels in multiple purposes, measuring the softness of hair, the suppleness of leather, the texture (softness, roughness) of paper, and evaluating the feel of towels.
For more information about this product, please click here (KES-FB2-SH Single Fiber Bending Tester | KATO TECH CO., LTD. | Pioneer of Texture Testers and Electronic Measuring Instruments (keskato.co.jp)).
Quantifying the “Cold” and “Warm” Sensations Upon Touch. Measuring the cold and warm sensations of clothing, bedding, towels, interior materials, cosmetics, etc., with JIS, GB, CNS standards certification.
When people touch objects, even at the same temperature, metals feel “cold,” while clothing materials like wool feel “warm.” This is due to the difference in the amount of heat transferred from the skin to the fabric, termed “warm-cool feeling.”
(4. Image) Measurement with KES-F7 ThermoLab
The KES-F7 Thermo Lab, which measures the “qmax” index for evaluating warm-cool feeling, is introduced here.
The KES-F7 Thermo Lab, developed by Professor Professor Sueo Kawabata at Kyoto University (the creator of KES) as a demonstration model in the 1970s, was launched by Kato Tech Corporation in 1980 (as per contract confirmation).
Until Professor Kawabata’s research, the touch and warm-cool feeling
of materials were not well-understood and were evaluated based on human sensation.
Around 1972, Professor Kawabata and Kato Tech started using testing machines to evaluate the “texture” and “touch” of materials, allowing for a unified evaluation through numerical representation.
Professor Kawabata also discovered that the maximum heat flux, qmax, is related to thermal sensation. Continued research led to the development of the current KES-F7 Thermo Lab in collaboration with Kato Tech.
Today’s KES-F7 Thermo Lab can measure not only warm-cool feeling but also the thermal insulation and thermal conductivity of materials. It contributes to evaluating various products, including the coolness and warmth of clothing, insulation properties, thermal conductivity, touch evaluation of automotive interior materials, and the refreshing sensation of cosmetics.
(5. Image) Evaluating the touch of automotive interior materials using KES
Additionally, for fabric cooling tests, the following standards based on the KES-F7 Thermo Lab have been established domestically and internationally: Japan: JIS L 1927 – Textiles — Measurement method of cool touch feeling property. China: GB/T 35263-2017 – Textiles — Testing and evaluation for cool feeling in contact instant Taiwan: CNS15687, L3272 – Method of test for the instantaneous cool sensation fabrics
Kato Tech continues to evaluate various aspects of “texture,” focusing on human sensory quantification with the “KES”(“KAWABATA EVALUATION SYSTEM”) as its mainstay, delivering to over 50 countries worldwide.
For any issues in material property evaluation or sensory evaluation, feel free to contact Kato Tech.
For more information about this product, please click here. (KES-F7 Thermo Labo | KATO TECH CO., LTD. | Pioneer of Texture Testers and Electronic Measuring Instruments (keskato.co.jp))
Translation by GPT.