US-headquartered TA Instruments, a subsidiary of Waters Corporation and a manufacturer of analytical instruments for thermal analysis, rheology, and microcalorimetry, has recently acquired Scarabaeus Mess- und Produktionstechnik GmbH based in Wetzlar, Germany. Scarabaeus is a privately-owned manufacturer of instrumentation and software for physical property measurements of rubber and rubber processing. Some of its key products developed include a Mooney Viscometer, Moving Die Rheometer (MDR), Rubber Process Analyser (RPA), and automated density and hardness testers.
Extensive automation and software that excels at tracking product performance over time makes these instruments particularly appropriate for manufacturing and process environments, says TA of the products. The fully-featured RPA also includes many test features and analysis functions that are being used in the latest research and development efforts for rubber and materials technology, making it an equally appropriate match for upstream research laboratories.