In manufacturing, even minor details can significantly influence product quality and machinery performance.
One crucial factor is viscosity, which plays a vital role whenever fluids are involved.
Today, we’re going to go over the viscosity’s meaning, why it’s important, and how it can be optimized.
In simple terms, viscosity describes how thick a fluid is and how much resistance it has to flowing through an object.
Technically, it measures the effort required for a fluid to change shape and move, but in most cases, knowing the precise details isn’t necessary.
Water is a very low viscosity fluid. If you pour it through a pipe, it will almost instantly conform to the shape of the pipe and flow through it without any friction.
Honey is a high-viscosity material that will clog up the pipe, move through it slowly, and leave lots of material behind.
Viscosity is important in manufacturing in two different ways.
First, viscosity greatly impacts the performance of machinery. Hydraulic machinery, often used in manufacturing, relies on hydraulic fluid to keep the machines operating properly.
If a fluid’s viscosity changes because of contaminants, heat, or aging, the machinery may not operate correctly. As a result, the products produced could experience quality issues that affect performance for the end user.
Next, consider the fluid products themselves, such as motor oil, lubricants, or certain food items. If their viscosity isn’t properly controlled, it can cause significant problems.
For example, motor oil that is too thick can clog an engine, while a baker using overly viscous gel icing may struggle to create precise designs because it won’t flow correctly through the decorating bag.
Regardless of what industry you’re serving, viscosity plays a major role in manufacturing and product quality.
Determining viscosity is very difficult without the right tools for measurement. You can clearly tell if something isn’t right by simply looking at how the fluid acts, but when you’re making products, you need precise measurements.
You get those measurements with a viscometer. Using ultrasound, it tracks the flow of a fluid through a pipe or similar setup and calculates its viscosity. This method is highly accurate and widely used across industries.
Once you know what the viscosity of the fluid is, you can start troubleshooting issues, adjusting settings on machinery, or changing the product you’re using to better align with the product you’re making.
To achieve this, it’s important to use a reliable viscometer. Companies worldwide trust AQ Measurement for their needs.
Contact us today and we’ll help you pick the right viscometer!
