MULTIVAC provides new testing equipment for one of the worlds most recognisable brands

• Wednesday, March 10, 2021
• VACUUM CHAMBER MACHINES
• MULTIVAC UK

WD-40 was invented over 60 years ago by employees at the Rocket Chemical Company in California with the aim of creating rust-prevention solvents and degreasers in the aerospace industry. It was then discovered that the formula had even more everyday uses in the household and cans were first sold into stores in 1958. In addition to the famous blue and yellow can, WD-40 Company now offers a wide range of products spanning speciality maintenance and cleaning products for a range of users. WD-40 has offices across the globe and has recently acquired and renovated a new building in Milton Keynes in the UK for all UK staff, including their Research and Development team.

Unique application of the C 200

The Research and Development team at WD-40 were looking for a new process to test for leaks from their wide variety of plastic bottles. After seeing one of their suppliers use a vacuum chamber machine to pressure test for leaks on plastic bottles, WD-40 were inspired to change their process.

Grant Roberts, Research and Development Associate Scientist at WD-40 was recommended a MULTIVAC C 200 Vacuum Chamber Machine to perform the required testing on the plastic bottles. The machine enabled the business to reduce time spent testing for leaks and was able to reduce their manual seventy-two-hour process down to a five-hour process by using the Chamber Machine to check for leaking bottles. Not only did this save a considerable amount of time for the team, but it enabled them to improve the efficiency of their testing.

Why the C 200 Vacuum Chamber Machine?

One of the key features of the C 200 vacuum chamber machine is its MC06 control panel with recipe storage functionality. This allows for ease of operation and a reduction in operator tampering, resulting in less risk and waste of product. The control panel’s vacuum sensor control also enables repeatable accurate vacuum levels and consistent quality every time. Having these functions was not only time saving for WD-40 but ensured consistency across the testing process.

The C 200 machine also has stainless steel, hygienic design with sloping surfaces and so is therefore easy to clean. This was important for the WD-40 Research and Development team so that if bottles did leak and substances leaked into the chamber, it was easy for them to clean.

WD-40 have tested over 10,000 newly designed bottles this year, so the new MULTIVAC vacuum chamber machine will have a big impact on the Research and Development processes for the business. Grant Roberts expressed “The machine not only significantly reduces our testing time but it is repeatable, reliable and easy to operate!”.