R&D AND QUALITY CONTROLAT INTEGRAL we want our customers to be sure to always receive products, which match the stringent requirements of optimized performance and value. At our state of the art research and development facility qualified personnel are engaged in the development and quality control of a wide range of mono- and dual-component copier and printer toners. All INTEGRAL products must show excellent performance before being released to the market. At the INTEGRAL laboratory facility, vital characteristics and parameters of toners are measured for both research and development as well as quality control purposes. The parameter analysis includes the measurement of important properties like: tribo charge, flowability, melting point, softening point, particle size distribution and magnetic properties among other important characteristics of the toners. Activities at the research laboratory include new product development as well as scale-up, incoming raw material control and final product quality control. At the INTEGRAL research and development laboratory essential toner parameters are analyzed for the purpose of new product development, scale-up and quality control. Incoming raw materials as well as final products are subject to stringent quality control procedures. Quality control by R&D personnel 
Once a toner is under production each production lot is carefully analyzed in the laboratory and copy or print testing takes place in the applicable printer or copier models.
ANALYTICAL & LABORATORY EQUIPMENTVarious parameters of toner and toner raw materials are checked by the use of specific analytical equipment. Some of the equipment used is shown below: Particle Size Distribution
The size and distribution of toner particles is of critical importance regarding print yields and background levels. Specialised equipment like the Coulter Multisizer is used to measure the particle size distribution of toners.
Coulter Counter Multisizer III
The system works by laser diffraction and is connected to a central unit. The sample is either introduced in suspension in a cell or is dispersed in a water-based solution, which circulates in the laser system. The equipment measures the particle size distribution.
Shimadzu Particle Size Analyser
Tribo Charge
The q/m Meter is used to measure the toner charge, which is the charge to mass ratio (q/m-value) of two component developers (toner/carrier mixture).
It is used in the development of new toners as well as in quality control.
Epping q/m meter
Glass Transition Temperature and Melting Point
This equipment measures the thermal transition of a material. In toner it determines the glass transition temperature Tg and the melting point Tf or Tm.
Mettler DSC Melt Flow Indexer / Extrusion Plastometer
This equipment measures the melt flow index MFI of toner powder. It is an indirect measurement of the viscosity of a product at a determined temperature. The more viscous the material the lower the MFI.
Melt Flow Indexer / Extrusion Plastometer
IR Spectrometer Analysis
As an integrated part of R & D target toner compositions are analyzed by means of IR spectrometer analysis.
Mattson Instruments Galaxy series FT-IR Spectrometer
Magnetic Properties
Magnetic properties of mono-component toners and ferrite raw materials are measured.
Fluxmeter
Dialectric Constant and Dissipation Factor
The LCR meter measures the electrical properties of a toner. Through this measurement it is possible to determine the dialectric constant and the dissipation factor. Such measurements provide an indication of the degree of dispersion of the different constituents of a toner.
LCR Meter
Flowability
Sieve towers are used to measure the flowability of toners. A given toner is passed through a number of consecutive sieves in the tower. The flowability of a toner is determined by measuring the passing time and quantity.
Retsch Sieve Tower
COPY AND PRINT IMAGE QUALITY TESTINGBefore being released to the market all INTEGRAL toners are extensively tested in the intended copier or printer systems over extended periods. After having successfully passed the long run tests under various environmental and machine conditions in case of copier toners and with varying components in case of printer toners each product is subject to a prolonged field test on a broader base. Only after having successfully passed the field test, the product is finally launched. Copier and printer test laboratory
In addition to the parameters beeing measured on laboratory equipment, print and copy tests are run to determine a toner´s long-run stability and performance as well as the matching of components.
Copier test room
IMAGE QUALITY MEASUREMENTS Densitometer MeasurementsDensitometers are used to determine the image density of solid areas on print-outs and copies. Such measurements provide an unbiased recording of density related aspects of copy and print quality. Macbeth Densitometer Image AnalysisEnvironmental Chamber
Environmental conditions such as temperature and humidity influence the characteristics and print performance of electro photographic systems and toners.
An environmental chamber simulates varying combinations of environmental conditions while print and copy testing takes place.
Environmental Chamber 
Temperature cabinets is used to determine the long-term impact of temperature on toners at a set temperature level.
Temperature cabinet
PILOT PLANTFor product development and before entering full-scale production, new product manufacturing trials are run on pilot plant equipment. Only after meeting the necessary criteria, new product manufacturing is transferred to full-scale production.  High speed mixer for the blending
of raw materials and additives
Pilot Plant Size Jet Mill
Pilot Plant Classifying System
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