Brookfield Spiral Adapter User Manual

BROOKFIELD SPIRAL ADAPTER

SPECIALISTS IN THE

MEASUREMENT AND

CONTROL OF VISCOSITY

T

EL

800-628-8139 or 508-946-6200 FAX [phone]

www.brookfieldengineering.com

BROOKFIELD ENGINEERING LABORATORIES, INC.

11 Commerce Boulevard, Middleboro, MA 02346-1031 USA

Operating Instructions

Manual No. M93-270-D0812

Brookeld Engineering Labs., Inc. Page 1 Manual No. M93-270-D0812

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. Introduction ...................................................................................................................................5

II. Components ...................................................................................................................................6

III. Specications for Test Set Up ...................................................................................................7

IV. Installation ......................................................................................................................................8

V. Operation ..................................................................................................................................... 10

V.1 Theory ......................................................................................................................................................... 10

V.2 Test Procedure .......................................................................................................................................... 10

V.3 Data Gathering ........................................................................................................................................ 11

V.4 Application Examples - Solder Paste ............................................................................................... 12

V.5 Cleaning the Spiral Adapter ................................................................................................................ 12

Appendix A - Spiral Spindle Factors for Torque Measurements .................................................................. 13

Appendix B - Online Help and Additional Resources ..................................................................................... 14

Appendix C - Warranty Repair and Service ......................................................................................................... 15

I. INTRODUCTION

Sample

Material

Paste

Container

Spiral

Chamber

Spiral

Spindle

When used with any Brookeld Viscometer/Rheometer, the Spiral Adapter can measure uid viscosity
at various shear rates. Viscosity is a measure of a uid’s resistance to ow. You will nd a detailed

description of the mathematics of viscosity in the Brookeld publication “More Solutions to Sticky
Problems”, a copy of which was included with your Viscometer/Rheometer and is also available as a

pdf le on the Brookeld website.

The Spiral Adapter has an inner, threaded spindle surrounded by a concentric outer cylinder, as shown in

Figure 1. This combination causes the sample to be continuously pumped up through the gap between

the rotating spindle and the outer cylinder. The material reaches a steady state of ow during which
viscosity is measured.

Figure 1

The principle of viscosity measurement is to drive the spiral spindle (which is immersed in the test
uid) through a calibrated spring in the Viscometer/Rheometer. The viscous drag of the uid against
the spindle is measured by the spring deection.

The measuring range of the Spiral Adapter [in centipoise (cP) or milliPascal seconds (mPa•s)] is
determined by the rotational speed of the spindle, the length and effective diameter of the spindle, the
length and diameter of the chamber the spindle is rotating in, and the full scale torque of the viscometer’s
calibrated spring.

Brookeld Engineering Labs., Inc. Page 5 Manual No. M93-270-D0812