What Plastic Film Testing Services Does SolveTech Offer?

Updated

SolveTech offers four main categories of plastic film testing services: a free sample analysis report, online film calculators, repeatability and reproducibility testing, and plastic film consulting. These services are aimed at film producers, converters, and R&D teams who need to verify thickness or gauge without buying a gauging system first, or who want an independent measurement before committing to a specification. The free sample analysis report is the most direct starting point if you have film on hand and want data back.

Free Sample Analysis Report

SolveTech accepts film samples and returns an analysis report at no stated charge. This is the lowest-commitment way to see how your material measures on their capacitance-based, non-contact equipment before discussing a purchase.

What to prepare:

  • A representative sample of the film you want measured, taken from the actual production or trial run rather than a hand-picked section.
  • Enough material to capture variation across the web or roll, since a single small coupon will not show machine-direction or cross-direction trends.
  • Context on what you are trying to decide (for example, whether thickness variation is causing downstream converting problems).

What you get back: a measurement report based on their proprietary capacitance gauging method, which is designed for thin plastic film and other non-conductive materials. Because the method is non-contact, it does not mark or compress the film.

The practical value is diagnostic. If you suspect your film is out of spec but your existing measurement method is slow or destructive, this report gives you an independent read before you invest in equipment.

Film Calculators and Reference Tools

SolveTech publishes a set of free calculators and reference charts on its Resources page. These are useful when you need a quick number without sending a sample anywhere.

Tool What it does
Film thickness/gauge by weight Converts film weight to thickness/gauge for plastic film
Thickness from roll weight or dimensions Estimates thickness using roll weight or roll dimensions
Plastic gauge thickness chart Reference chart for gauge values
GSM calculator Calculates grams per square meter

These tools suit quick checks: verifying a supplier's claimed gauge, estimating thickness when you only have roll weight, or converting between gauge and GSM for a spec sheet. They are calculations, not measurements, so they depend on you entering accurate weight and dimension inputs. For a definitive number on a specific film, the sample analysis report is the stronger option.

Repeatability and Reproducibility Testing

SolveTech addresses repeatability and reproducibility as a measurement-quality topic. This matters because a thickness number is only useful if the same film measures the same way twice (repeatability) and if different operators or setups agree (reproducibility).

Use this when:

  • You are qualifying a new gauge and need to know whether variation comes from the film or from the measurement.
  • Two parties disagree on a film's thickness and you need a method that both can trust.
  • You are writing an internal test procedure and need to define acceptable measurement tolerance.

The relevant question to ask SolveTech is how their capacitance method performs on your specific material and thickness range, since repeatability depends on the film being non-conductive and within the system's measurement window.

Plastic Film Consulting and Standards

SolveTech also offers plastic film consulting and works with standards for measuring plastic film thickness. This is the right service when the problem is not "measure this sample" but "define how we should measure, and to what standard."

Typical situations:

  • Setting up an incoming-inspection or in-process measurement standard.
  • Choosing between off-line and on-line gauging for a specific production line.
  • Troubleshooting a thickness-related defect where the root cause is unclear.

Because standards and consulting depend on your process, material, and target tolerance, the useful first step is a conversation with their engineering contact rather than a fixed package.

How to Choose

  • You have film and want data: request the free sample analysis report.
  • You need a quick conversion or estimate: use the film calculators and gauge chart.
  • You are validating a measurement method: ask about repeatability and reproducibility testing.
  • You need to define a standard or solve a process problem: pursue consulting.

Contact details listed on the site are phone 302-798-5400 and email [email protected]. Pricing for the calculators, sample report, and consulting is not stated in the available material, so confirm cost and turnaround directly.