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LPD Lab Services

RAPRA - Rubber and Plastics Research Association

RAPRARAPRA Limited (Rubber and Plastics Research Association) was a Not-for-Profit Membership Association for companies in Polymer and Rubber manufacturing, processing or end use.  For over 90 years it contributed to Research and Development of innovative new materials, products and processes by providing members with privileged access to a range of services including technical, information, business development, skills and training.

Following recommendations from some of their members who were also customers of the company, LPD Lab Services was put on on RAPRA Limited's Preferred Service Providers (PSP) list. Subsequently RAPRA asked LPD Lab Services to become a Foundation Member and many years as a consultant and unusual problem solving business allowed LPD Lab Services to grow and invest in polymer and rubber support activities including failure analysis, Pyrolysis GC-MS, FTIR Microscopy, and DSC as well as increase its experienced technical staff to support a growing client base. 

The range of services LPD Lab Services included for polymer, rubber, composite materials and paint coatings:

In the field of paints, coatings, rubbers and plastics, LPD Lab Services has dealt with materials failure investigations, embrittlement and leaching issues, degradation and polymer swelling, adhesive and cohesive failure, interfacial contamination, depolymerisation, paint delamination problems, wetting and mixing issues for example. Customers using polymers and rubbers or their customers in turn use them in association with other materials like metals, ceramics and composites where unforeseen problems can be associated with chemicals and materials interactions or a combination of contributing factors which can be found out, often starting from basic good / bad comparisons but can involve 8D or 6 Sigma techniques depending on the complexity of the problem. Problems can be small or large and work is scoped accordingly.

RAPRA said of LPD; “We are extremely pleased to have LPD as a ‘Preferred Service Provider’, their response is always prompt and efficient and geared to giving the very best service to the client and RAPRA. RAPRA are receiving an increasingly diverse range of enquiries and having a facility such as LPD greatly increases RAPRA’s ability to service those enquiries”.

Sadly RAPRA ceased trading a few years ago, but LPD Lab Services continues to provide rubber and plastics analysis and consultancy built on the client foundations built with the involvement of RAPRA. 

Technical Industrial Problem Solving and Failure Investigation Publications

In early November 2016, LPD Lab Services was invited by RAPRA to speak at the Aerospace section of the Advanced Engineering exhibition 2016 at the NEC Birmingham in association with RAPRA. The company Technical Director Dr Simon Romani's presentation covered Industrial Problem Solving and Failure Investigation of Modern Materials.

In September 2013, LPD Lab Services was invited by RAPRA to speak at Mediplas 2013.  The presentation covered Technical Industrial Problem Solving and Failure Investigation for plastics, materials and coatings used in the medical devices and pharmaceutical industry.

In November 2013 the laboratory presented Technical Industrial Problem Solving and Failure Investigation at the Composites Engineering Show 2013 which covered activities like particulate contamination elimination, delamination, moulded part cracking and shrinkage, degradation and mechanical property changes. 

Chemical, Materials and Physical Analysis

introduces the range of materials and chemical physical, microscopy and analytical techniques available at the laboratory.

Technical Consultancy Services

summarises some of the technical and consultancy services available from the experienced staff.

Industrial Product and Process Problem Solving

The diverse industrial experience of the staff provide a rapid industrially focused approach to problem solving for both product and process issues.