A Simple Perspective on Viscosity in Industrial Fluid Dispensing Systems

I was contracted to do marketing work with what I refer to as a “continuous improvement solution provider” to manufacturing facilities that dispense liquid in their processes. 

But my background is not in fluid dynamics. 

Although I understood the real world implications of changing viscosity in paints or coatings, I didn’t have the language for it. As the engineers began explaining it to me, I assumed I would just know when I saw it. 

I then realized, that’s a reactionary view that leads to issues. 

As I got into learning more about what viscosity is in industrial fluid dispensing systems, its importance, and the many different ways it’s measured and controlled, something was still lost on me: the science. 

Each of our brains are wired differently. For my brain, mastery of rheology was not in the cards. I can accept I wasn't meant to be an engineer. So how can I make this make sense?

While visiting different manufacturing facilities (e.g., automotive, plastics, cabinetry, etc.), I realized that many of the folks working in these different coating, sealing dispensing processes weren’t big into rheology speak either. What a relief! 

I don’t have to be a scientist or engineer to talk to people about this.

So I took it in a different direction (one I’m much more familiar with) dumbing it down. Keep it simple. Instead of formulas, I saw a hot summer day where my wife charged me with keeping the ice cream in proper condition for one of our kid’s birthday parties at the community pool. 

It’s going to be cloudless and sunny, with highs in the 90s (and with humidity it’ll feel like triple digits – Floridians know). I know once that ice cream leaves the temperature-controlled environment of my freezer, the clock is ticking. 

Many unfavorable conditions if left uncontrolled, will make this ice cream look like soup. But not today! 

My mission is clear: make sure the ice cream looks and feels like ice cream when it’s time to serve it at the party. At Saint Clair Systems, we call that most critical moment the point-of-application.

We’re in the real world now. If you’re a husband, you know that your kid’s party is not the time to drop the ball. 

The clock is ticking; and the situation just got more intense because the pizza place just delayed our pies for an hour. Science expertise is irrelevant here. All that matters is that we serve what looks and acts like ice cream when the time comes.

Without a science background, I know that the ice cream is in good shape with the temperature of the freezer. So I pack the cooler with ice to control the ice cream temperature until it's time to serve. That makes sense. 

There may be other issues at the party, but the ice cream won’t be one of them.

That’s a no-brainer example. We do things like that everyday. So as I ventured into the real world, day-to-day of manufacturing, my eyes opened to how often these multi-million dollar operations are letting the ice cream melt on the way to the party. 

Many facilities spend millions in coating materials and then let uncontrolled viscosity (caused by changing temperature variables) impact the materials’ ability to perform optimally. That creates waste and other unnecessary issues. 

Thankfully, because of brilliant engineers who do understand the science of fluid dynamics, the issues above are totally avoidable. And that’s what piqued my interest in getting more involved in this area of manufacturing – especially given how wide the array of applications of fluid dispensing systems in manufacturing is. 

And just as I know that each of our brains are different, so, too, are the fluids being dispensed, the processes used to dispense them, and the internal structures of the company doing the work. 

No two solutions will appear exactly alike. 

The important thing is to keep it simple. Recognize that if you’re operating a fluid dispensing process, you have to find a controlled solution to keep whatever fluid you're dispensing in the right form when it matters most. 

Our job is to make that part clear and accessible for you.

At Saint Clair Systems, we’re experts in customizing viscosity and temperature control solutions. 

And at home, I’m still the ice cream guy.