Material Sampling Services

Raw Material Sampling Services

Samples are taken from raw materials to validate the agreed-upon price and conform to the specifications in the contract. The sample is the foundation of accurate laboratory analysis and adds value to the test results. It needs to represent the whole stockpile, and proper and meticulous procedures need to be completed to yield the best results. The testing will only be as good as the quality of the sample taken, as precise sampling leads to accurate results and educated decisions.

Due to the importance of sampling, it is imperative to partner with experienced professionals who use systematic and industry-accepted practices in sample collection. At McCreath Laboratories, our field engineers have decades of experience sampling various foundry, steel, and coal materials. With every sample we take from our client’s stockpiles, our primary goal is to ensure the sample is representative of the bulk material and follows the exact standards of the material and industry. This care ensures our laboratory test results are meaningful for your business.

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McCreath Laboratories is one of the top mineral and processing laboratories in the country. We have the following qualifications to ensure an accurate material analysis:

  • Expertise: We have more than 143 years of experience with sampling and testing raw materials for clients in many industries, like coal, foundry, casting, mining, solid fuelspetroleum coke, steel, and minerals. Our laboratory is one of the most recognized in the country for excellence.
  • Knowledge: Our highly educated and knowledgeable professionals hold degrees in fields such as chemistry, and this expertise equips us to sample raw materials and serve our clients better. We also have the drive to provide the best possible experience for each client, which is what sets us apart from the competition. Our laboratories meet the strictest quality requirements and are ISO/IEC 17025:2017 accredited.
  • Tools: Our laboratory has top-of-the-line instrumentation to provide several vital services. These tools adhere to quality control standards, and we are continually adding improvements to benefit our clients.
  • Unbiased: No matter which McCreath Laboratories location you choose for your sampling needs, you will receive objective results. As a third party, we do not have a stake in the outcome of your material analysis, making our results reliable for all involved parties.
  • Locations: Our headquarters are located in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and we also have many other locations throughout the United States for your convenience. Our satellite offices and labs allow us to respond promptly and efficiently to all service requests, and these facilities will provide the raw sampling expertise you require at your job site.

Choose the metallurgical sampling service at McCreath Laboratories today. Fill out a sample submission form to get started or contact our team of experts to learn more about the sampling of bulk materials. Our staff will respond to your request promptly.

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Sampling of Raw Materials

Sampling takes place after an inspection — during which a McCreath field agent will use their knowledge, standard procedures and modern tools to examine your stockpile — and precedes laboratory analysis. Our professional industrial sampling of bulk materials follows a strict, industry-accepted process to get a sample that is homogeneous and acceptable for testing.

Preparing for Sample Collecting

Preparing for sample collecting is as important as the actual collection. Our preparation department is made up of experienced personnel trained for prepping many materials according to their standards. McCreath Laboratories uses modern and compliant equipment for preparation. For these reasons, we are fully capable of metallurgical sampling for laboratory analysis.

Before gathering the sample, our team creates a site-specific sampling plan to identify the best available sampling points and collect the sample in a way that sufficiently represents all variations in the material. We keep meticulous records of all sampling data for verification of the sample accuracy. Our personnel segregates the raw materials to prevent cross-contamination and has sample reserves on-site to assist in requirements particular to the site, resolve disputes and for validation.

McCreath Laboratories is one of the only labs in the U.S. to use fully modern mobile preparation vehicles that are an on-site platform for sampling. These vehicles have packaging materials, self-contained material reduction equipment, platform scales and manual material dividers.

Our Material Sampling Process

In a material stockpile, its composition and quality can greatly vary throughout due to production cycles, shape segregation and particle size. If the sample is biased, it will affect the test results. Therefore, getting an unbiased sample — one that wholly represents the material — is crucial, and it is obtained through a systematic collection.

Our collection process follows industry-accepted methods and uses the appropriate equipment. Our care for the details ensures the representative sample will be unbiased at every step of the process. To start gathering the sample, our field engineers take small amounts of material throughout the entire pile. We have dedicated sampling arms for this purpose that meet ISO and ASTM standards and are operated by experienced professionals. These many small samples will capture any potential differences that exist in the many sections of the stockpile.

We will then combine these smaller samples at the site to create a homogeneous representative sample of the material, maintain sample moisture, reduce preparation time at the laboratory and return excess material to the sampling site. These efforts reduce disposal costs and prevent excess material loss for the client. This final sample will allow us to get the most accurate analysis of the stockpile.

Competence With Standard Processing Methods

Our team is proficient with ASTM and ISO methods for sampling in mineral processing. These practices are accepted and standard in the industry, so you can trust in the procedure and accuracy of your results. McCreath Laboratories also uses a mix of classical analytical techniques and advanced instrumentation at our ISO/IEC 17025:2017 accredited laboratory to make sure the sample is accurate.