Draft:Labthink International and Instruments

Labthink Instruments Co., Ltd. (Labthink) was founded in 1989. It is a supplier of packaging testing instruments and a corporate partner of the World Packaging Organization (WPO) China. The operational headquarters is located in Jinan, Shandong. The international headquarters is in Medford, Massachusetts  USA, by the Malden River. The building is LEED Gold Certified with standards set by the U.S. Green Building Council for energy and water efficiency. The property has undergone significant environmental clean-up starting in 1994 when the Mystic Valley Development Commission formed. In 2017 the Mystic River Watershed Association worked with cities and businesses to develop the Malden River Greenway Plan. The park along the Malden River with walking paths was designed by Shadley Associates. Labthink has European branch in Frankfurt, Germany, Asia-Pacific branch in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and an office in Dubai, UAE.

Laboratory
Labthink has developed patented technologies. including "independent core sensor technology." Labthink’s product group, centered on the C Series, covers performance testing for packaging and related materials, such as oxygen permeability air permeability, water vapor permeability, mechanics, heat seal, hot tack, thermal shrinkage, coefficient of friction, thickness, impact resistance, seal and leakage, headspace gas analysis, adhesion and rubbing.

Labthink instruments have been used in studies testing biodegradable plastic for packaging using natural biopolymers instead of petroleum-based packaging materials in an effort to reduce environmental pollution. In a study done at Northeast Forestry University, China, a Labthink C610 auto tensile tester was used to test Natural fiber/degradable epoxy composites, which have low carbon emissions, so to increase their moisture resistance. Labthink instruments have also been used in extensive research of biodegradable plastics and copolymers for medical uses as well. Labthink’s Tensile Tester has been used to test silicones in medical devices. A Labthink 3/062 Water Vapor Transmission Rate Test System was used in a study about adding materials to masks to make them a more effective barrier against transmitting diseases. A research article published in May, 2024 by the Sustainable Functional Biomaterials Laboratory, Bioproducts Institute, Department of Wood Science at the University of British Columbia describes cellulose film as an eco-friendly alternative for plastics. They used a Labthink C390H Water vapor transmission rate tester and a Labthink C130 Oxygen Transmission Rater Tester. In a study testing heat seal, mechanical, and gas barrier performance of biodegradable films for food packaging, published in Polymers 2022, a Labthink HST-H3 heat seal tester was used to prepare the seals. Labthink’s Laboratory has provided testing services to test permeability in materials used for medical instruments. Labthink has collaborated with the industry to develop national standards for packaging materials testing in China and North America. Labthink helped draft GB/T 8809-2015: Test Method of Pendulum Impact Resistance of Plastic Films and GB/T 8809-2015: Test Method of Pendulum Impact Resistance of Plastic Films in 2016.

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