
Smithers Rapra
Smithers Rapra, a world leader in rubber, plastics and composites testing expertise, has announced the launch of the Testing Cost Comparison Calculator, a digital tool designed to compare the cost of testing internally to the cost of contracting testing to an independent, third party laboratory.
Jeff Andrasik, Product Testing Manager at Smithers Rapra, explained: "For many manufacturers, delays in product testing can disrupt the launch schedule of a new product and affect the company’s bottom line.
"Testing schedules fill up and protocols can be long and cumbersome. External testing labs can serve as a key resource for companies that struggle with the bottleneck of internal testing. It can get a product to market faster and help a company go from red to green in a matter of weeks – not months."
The Smithers Rapra Testing Cost Calculator enables users to assess the financial impact of outsourced testing by calculating the projected incremental revenues of a new product and factoring in the number of months delayed by backlogs in the internal lab. The calculator provides a visual representation of potential lost revenue, which can be used for internal projections to validate the use of external testing resources.
"We believe this tool can help decisionmakers choose the best testing options for their new products not only when timetables tighten, but also throughout the product’s development lifecycle," said Jesse Roeck, Vice-President and General Manager of Smithers Rapra. "Our aim is to ultimately create new partnerships with innovative manufacturers and help them bring better products to market faster. It raises the bar for manufacturing operations across the board, and creates a more robust marketplace with high-quality products. Everyone wins."
The Testing Cost Comparison Calculator is available for free download and use. Project managers can contact Smithers Rapra to develop an appropriate testing program and estimate its cost, which would provide the final variable in the calculation. Smithers Rapra’s expertise in rubber and polymer products includes analytical and physical testing of materials and whole product testing through pressure, vibration and temperature techniques.