How small is small? How small is micro? How about parts weighing as little as 0.00012 g and measuring no more than 0.038 in. (1 mm) long?

From polymer characterization to on-line bottle or preform inspection, coordinate measuring, and color sensing, new testing and measuring instruments at the NPE show in Chicago were easier to use and more compact, yet often packed higher performance than earlier versions—and sometimes with a more attractive price tag.

The SmartScope Quest 300 benchtop multisensor optical metrology system will be introduced by Optical Gaging Products Inc. (OGP), Rochester, N.Y.

Thermal and mechanical testers, color and appearance sensors, vision inspection devices and CMMs—the NPE had them all in more compact, economical, and easy-to-use models.

The huge triennial plastics exhibition in June showcased new developments in product inspection and lab instruments for testing mechanical properties, melt rheology, weatherability, color, and appearance.If you are looking to outfit a new lab or upgrade an existing one, the NPE 2000 show in Chicago this past June spotlighted many new instruments for use in product development, material evaluation, and quality control.

There was no shortage of new developments in product inspection devices and instruments for testing color and appearance as well as mechanical, rheological, thermal, and weathering properties.