ACE Laboratories frequently collaborates with other organizations and institutions to conduct further scientific research on rubber, silicone, and polymer products and enable industry advancements. Please keep reading to learn more about how ACE accomplishes its extensive R&D services through carefully considered and selected collaborations.
Benefits of Collaboration
ACE Laboratories recognizes other key players in our field and utilizes their specific skill sets to further research and improve testing strategies and procedures. We have partnered with various institution types and engaged in client-driven, industrial, and associative collaborations, as well as collaborations with various universities.
Client Collaborations
Our spec testing is impossible without collaboration with the client. In our “straightforward spec testing,” the customer specifies what results would translate into a pass or a fail. Such spec tests typical grade aspects on an ASTM D2000 line call-out which indicates factors such as durometer, tensile, elongation, modulus, tear compression set, heat aging, fluid aging, ozone, or flammability.
By working with these customers to address their specific needs, we can further determine what makes a product functional and effective for use in their various industries. ACE Laboratories also partners with customers to facilitate custom setups and development work. The type of development can vary from compound development to test method development. Industrial Collaborations
To widen our capabilities beyond what we offer our customers in-house, ACE also collaborates with industry partners on emerging technologies that advance the polymer industry. A few such partnerships are:
LabsCubed
LabsCubed is an automated testing hardware development company that develops new technology which allows rubber and plastic testing facilities to perform more efficiently and accurately. We have partnered with LabsCubed to investigate the validation and methodologies of new automated tensile testing.
Ueshima
Ueshima is an international manufacturer of various polymer testing equipment. ACE collaborates with Ueshima on developing new test methodologies for tire applications utilizing their innovative abrasion and friction equipment.
Alpha
Alpha creates various software designed to aid the development of various small to medium-sized businesses. They specialize in creating Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS) to create customized, efficient, and multifunctional software assets for various laboratories. ACE collaborates with Alpha in the development and expansion of its LIMS programs, which will further our industry’s testing capabilities and resources.
Association Collaborations
ACE collaborates with industry associations to help provide educational and technical resource support for industry members. A few key collaborations are:
Rubber Division
Rubber Division is a division of the American Chemical Society and is composed of various industry scientists, professionals, and scholars. The Rubber Division “strengthens the bonds between science and industry for a thriving elastomer community” by providing educational programs, technical resources and other services. ACE is an active member of its regional Ohio Rubber Group.
Polymer Industry Cluster
The goal of the Polymer Industry Cluster is to elevate Northeast Ohio’s polymer industry into a dynamic enterprise that drives industry growth. This initiative enables cross-sector collaboration in R&D, workforce development, and more. ACE Laboratories is a founding member of the Polymer Industry Cluster and was instrumental in its creation.
University Partnerships
ACE collaborates with universities on research projects, emerging technologies, market resources and in providing industry education to students. University partnerships include the University of Akron, Kent State University, Cleveland State University, Youngstown State University, Walsh University, and UMASS Lowell.
Rubber Compound Development and Testing With ACE Labs
Whether a compound or testing method is developed through an R&D collaboration with another institution or is a product of ACE Laboratories’s in-house capabilities, we are committed to the highest level of quality and guarantee our work. If you need a product developed or tested, contact ACE Laboratories today to learn how we can accomplish your goals.
“ACE – Accurate, Collaborative, Efficient Testing”