Precision at the Blade: A TechMEM Flat Sheet Membrane Casting Machine for The University of Texas Permian Basin

Every flat sheet membrane starts as a thin film of polymer solution spread across a plate. Whether that film ends up as a high-performing membrane or an uneven, defective sheet depends heavily on one step: how evenly and how repeatably the casting blade travels. Hand casting brings in operator-to-operator variation that no later step can remove.

Tech Inc. has supplied a TechMEM Lab-Scale Flat Sheet Membrane Casting Machine to the Department of Civil and Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering & Sciences, The University of Texas Permian Basin (UTPB), in Odessa, Texas. It is one of our standard machines for membrane research laboratories.

The TechMEM Approach: Motorised, Measured, Repeatable

The TechMEM casting machine replaces hand-drawn casting with a motor-driven precision blade. The thickness is set mechanically and read on dial gauges.

The casting process is simple for students and researchers to learn:

1. Pour the polymer dope solution onto the glass plate, in the area covered by the precision blade.

2. Set the membrane thickness with micrometer adjustment on either side of the blade.

3. Draw the blade forward with the motorised drive, at a speed set on a manual knob, to lay down a uniform film.

4. Lift out the cast plate and immerse it in a coagulation bath, where the membrane forms.

Key Specifications

Casting

• Membrane size: up to 200 × 250 mm

• Thickness: adjustable from about 100 to 500 µm

• Head control accuracy: 10 µm

• Blade speed: about 50 to 100 mm/s

• Casting bed: a toughened glass plate on a chemically resistant casting platform

Thickness Adjusting Mechanism

• SS304 construction, with two thickness-adjustment rollers

• Two dial gauges (Yamayo or equivalent), on a dedicated gauge-holding mechanism

• A high-precision casting blade

• Vibration-resistant springs and adaptors, so vibration does not show up in the film

Machine and Drive

• SS304 machine body and casting plate; the casting plate is at least 20 mm thick

• A belt-driven movement mechanism with timer pulley and PU belt

• A motor with gear reduction, giving smooth, low-speed blade travel

• Simple switches and knobs for motor on/off and speed

This configuration is the version without a heating facility.

Built in India, Delivered Through North America

The machine was manufactured at Tech Inc.'s facility in India and supplied to the university through Tech Inc. International Corporation in Canada, our North American arm.

Before despatch, the completed machine was tested at our factory and demonstrated on video. The university's research team watched the recording and then approved the machine for shipment.

The machine shipped in late September 2026 and had cleared US customs by mid-October 2026.

It comes with a detailed operation manual and a 12-month warranty.

Why It Matters for a Growing Research Program

For a university building up its membrane research capability, a motorised casting machine gives:

• Repeatability: membranes cast by different students on different days can be compared fairly.

• Thickness control: structure-performance studies can treat film thickness as a real variable.

• Throughput: consistent sheets for testing are faster to prepare.

• Teaching value: students learn membrane fabrication on equipment that reflects professional practice.

What We Delivered

• TechMEM lab-scale flat sheet membrane casting machine, without heating facility

• 200 × 250 mm casting area, 100 to 500 µm thickness range, 10 µm accuracy

• Motorised, belt-driven blade with speed control

• SS304 construction with toughened glass casting bed

• Factory-tested and video-demonstrated before despatch

• Operation manual and 12-month warranty

Equip Your Membrane Laboratory

Tech Inc. manufactures flat sheet and hollow fiber membrane casting machines, test cells, test skids and characterisation equipment for universities and industry around the world, with support from India and North America.

Visit techincresearch.com or write to mail@techincresearch.com to discuss your laboratory set-up.