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Click here to read the
April issue.
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| Equipment | Materials | Instruments | Hardware/Software | Services |
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| Next Generation Skiver |
The company's next generation tread cutter, often also known as skiver, is offered to the rubber industry. The proven design of both models, the TC600 for passenger car (PCR) treads and the TC1000 for truck/bus (TBR) treads has been undergoing a thorough re-engineering process based on numerous years of experience in everyday production conditions. These tread cutting machines are used wherever efficient tire manufacturing is a prime consideration. Apart from being integrated in the firm's extrusion lines, they may also be installed into any existing lines at customers' plants. Designed as a stand-alone unit with an independent programmable logic control (PLC) system, these cutters fit in wherever precise cut-to-length treads are demanded. Communication with any given supervisory and control system is seamlessly provided. The stop-and-go working principle stands for highest accuracy yet avoiding any unwanted stress on the profile during handling and cutting, according to the company. For further improvement, an optionally available compensation loop support is available. Tread in-feed is performed via high-dynamic drive, specially designed for this operation. The onward sliproll drive, mechanically adjustable to the tread weight, allows optimum transport to the follow-up stations. Pneumatically operated clamps hold the tread during cutting, which is carried out by a circular knife rotating at speeds of 3,000 rpm by direct-drive. Lubricated by a water mist or steam, the high rotation speed stands for an improved cutting quality. The servo-driven speed of the knife carriage pre- and return stroke is adjustable for each movement. One of the major benefits realized is an improved service- and maintenance-friendly design, according to the company. Features typically known from high precision machine tools have been adopted for these tread cutters. Capable of handling lengths up to 2,800 mm for PCR and up to 4,000 mm, the TC 600/1000 is prepared for the industry’s demands.
Troester
www.troester.de
Post date: 4/19/2013 |
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| Rubber Presses |
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This international manufacturer and supplier of standard and custom presses offers several presses for rubber applications, including compression molding presses, ASTM presses for rubber testing and transfer molding presses for rubber. The company's full line of presses also includes vacuum molding, composite molding, laboratory, and research and development presses, and all-electric compression presses. The firm offers custom and special application presses and water and air-cooled chillers.
Wabash MPI
www.wabashmpi.com
Post date: 4/19/2013 |
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| Laboratory Presses |
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Two-column and four-column benchtop, manual and automatic hydraulic laboratory presses with clamping capacities from 12 to 150 tons are available from the company. The presses are suited for various materials research such as pharmaceuticals, analytical chemistry, plastics, elastomers, laboratory testing, laminating and other applications, including specimen preparation.
Carver
www.carverpress.com
Post date: 4/19/2013 |
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| Dispensing Valve |
The Model 455 dispensing valve is a pneumatically operated, normally closed pinch valve with a disposable fluid path. It was designed to dispense a variety of low- to medium-viscosity materials with extreme precision. The valve’s micrometer control feature allows users to precisely adjust material flow for consistent and accurate dispensing of materials. The Model 455’s disposable fluid path carries materials from the material reservoir to the dispense tip. Fluids are sealed within the fluid path, preventing contact with the valve’s inner components and ensuring a contaminate-free dispensing process. The fluid path is easy to replace and requires minimal clean-up, allowing for rapid material changeover. Fluid paths of varying materials and sizes are available for optimum material compatibility. The dispensing valve can be integrated into an automated dispensing system or can be paired with the company's DVC-345 digital valve controller and a material reservoir to create a bench-top dispensing system.
Dymax
www.dymax.com
Post date: 4/19/2013 |
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| Gear Pump System |
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In addition to the retread business, this firm has concentrated its engineering activities for the past 20 years on the development and production of extruder gear pump systems. More than 200 systems worldwide are in production at customers' plants for outputs ranging from 30 kg/hour to over 4,500 kg/hour (65–9,900 lbs./hr.). Typical applications are straining, perform production, tread extrusion, profile extrusion, cross head extrusion, strip winding, as well as compound final mixing. The company’s gear pump systems consist of a single screw extruder in conjunction with a gear pump. The extruder is used to achieve effective plasticization of the compound while ensuring sufficient feeding to the gear pump. The volumetric gear pump delivers a very precise, predictable and repeatable output. For example, this allows the firm’s gear pump systems to produce highly accurate rubber preforms utilizing a fully integrated cutter. Since a high degree of process flexibility is attained by driving the gear pump and extruder separately, the gear pump extruder systems can also be used as a strainer during preform production. Additionally, the company is said to have developed a superior final mixing process using its Shark single screw extruder mixing technology (MCTD) coupled with a gear pump. The total output control of the final mix process is provided by the volumetric operating gear pump, while the mixing is accomplished in its Shark Transfermix extruder. Due to the variable screw speed of the Transfermix extruder, mixing efficiency can be easily optimized for each compound. Chemical dosing is provided by gravimetric operating loss-in-weight feeders. Customers have confirmed that the Shark final mixing process significantly improves the compound quality (vulcanization characteristics), while also reducing production costs as compared with a typical batch mixing process. Using its exclusive Shark gear pump extruder platform, the company has developed several multifaceted systems that are capable of final mixing, straining, profile and preform production, all in one continuous non-stop operation. Optional vacuum has also been supplied where degassing of compounds is required.
VMI Group
www.vmi-group.com
Post date: 2/22/2013 |
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| Standard And Custom Extrusion Systems |
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This reliable extrusion partner and source of know-how for all major tire companies is also said to be a favorite choice for medium-sized and local tire producers. The firm offers a wide range of standard and custom-designed systems related to tire profile manufacturing. Their innovative extrusion lines for tread, sidewall, innerliner, apex and other profiles can also be offered as turn-key systems including downstream equipment and line control. Therefore, the company is said to offer the maximum benefit for their customer needs.
Troester
www.troester.de
Post date: 2/22/2013 |
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| Double Planetary Mixer |
An agitator blade design is offered for the company's line of double planetary mixers. A 100-gallon model is equipped with two identical rectangular stirrers with upward rake fingers. Designed to rotate on their own axes while orbiting the vessel on a common axis, these style blades are said to be ideal for batching dry powder blends, wet granulations and similar formulations in the double planetary mixer. Interchangeable helical blades are available as options and allow the mixer to be utilized for viscous pastes and putty-like materials. The NEMA 4X control panel on this particular mixer includes a 6” color touchscreen linked to a 30 HP variable frequency drive. Speed, power load and cycle time are all controlled and displayed from this screen. Two-hand raise/lower controls for the air/oil hydraulic lift are also located on the panel for opening and closing the mixer. With the blades in the fully raised position, they are completely accessible for easy cleaning while the portable mix can is removed from under the mixer and rolled into the discharging area. The vessel is supplied with lift trunnions so it can be raised and tilted for fast transfer of the finished product. Maintenance and risk of product contamination are very low in a double planetary mixer as there are no shaft seals, bearings, packing glands and stuffing boxes submerged in the product zone. Available in both industrial and sanitary configurations, the double planetary mixer is built from half-pint to 750-gallon capacities.
Charles Ross & Son
www.mixers.com
Post date: 2/22/2013 |
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| Platen Mold |
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Highly-integrated and automated production cells reduce investment outlay and operating costs. The systems typically need far less floor space, there is no need to store intermediate products and, in many applications, process stability and end product quality can be increased by merging what were previously separate steps. As an example, ABS and TPE are processed in a single step, using a servoelectric 16 + 16x index platen mold, on an E-motion 80H/80W/180 T WP combination in cleanroom design. The parts will be manipulated by an Easix multi-axis industrial robot that is fully integrated with the injection molding machine's control unit. Control integration helps processors to achieve additional efficiency potentials. The move instructions for the robot are built into the machine's control unit so that the machine operator no longer needs to familiarize himself with two separate control logic approaches. Many jobs for which the legacy approach meant calling in programmers can now be handled by the machine operators themselves, thus improving the availability of the production plant. Because the integrated robot can access the machine parameters, interaction between the robot system and the machine movements can be optimized. For example, the integrated robot can start to take off molded parts before the mold is fully open, thus reducing cycle time.
As the trend towards more productivity and efficiency in the injection molding process increases, processing machine performance requirements become tougher. Over recent years, the firm has consistently geared its all-electric E-motion injection molding machines for high performance. The all-electric injection molding machines are capable of achieving cycle times well under three seconds, and injection speeds of more than 500 mm per second. To tailor the E-motion machines more closely to the processor's individual needs, the firm has extended its medium-sized machine range. Machines with 160 and 220 metric tons clamping force have been added to the range. IQ weight control,the company's online process control for injection molding machines with electrical injection units, is another innovation. The software, for which the company has applied for a patent, detects fluctuations in the ambient conditions and raw materials and compensates for them in the same shot. To allow this to happen, IQ weight control analyzes the pressure profile at screw positions in real time during the injection process and compares the measured values with a reference cycle online. Based on this, the system computes a new set of process parameters which allow changes in the melt volume and material viscosity, the two most important factors when it comes to the quality of molded parts, to be detected immediately. In case of deviations from the set values, the relevant process parameters are readjusted automatically, thus avoiding any impact on mold filling.
Engel Austria GmbH
www.engelglobal.com
Post date: 2/22/2013 |
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| Hybrid Injection Machine |
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The hybrid injection machine Janus 220 provides handling carried out by a side entry 811 Sytrama robot. This unit is said to stand out thanks to IML technology, which allows the production of items in which the decorative label is not glued but perfectly incorporated into the plastic material. Basically, the robot picks the label up and places it directly into the mold cavities, starting the overmolding process, giving as a result a container with a built-in label. The Janus 220 can produce a disposable polystyrene glass, typically used on airplanes, using a four-cavity mold. Excellent production performance, especially the extremely high injection speed required with thin wall items such as cups or glasses, is ensured by the accumulators. Movements overlapping, typical in hybrid machines, ensures a considerable cycle time reduction, while the inverter allows outstanding optimization of energy consumption.
Negri Bossi S.p.A.
www.negribossi.com
Post date: 2/22/2013 |
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| Dust Collector Filter |
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The HemiPleat eXtreme nano fiber filter is said to offer higher filtration efficiencies, greater durability and better resistance to pulse-cleaning than competitive products. These advantages can extend filter life and reduce operating and energy costs associated with industrial cartridge dust and fume collectors. The standard eXtreme media delivers MERV 15 efficiency, higher than the base media rating of MERV 10 and the MERV 13 rating of competitive nano fiber products. Also available is a high efficiency (HE) MERV 16 eXtreme media that delivers tested efficiency of 99.999 percent on 0.5 micron and larger particles by weight. A proprietary tri-layered technology is used to apply two layers of fine-pored nano fibers that act as a pre-filter to the base media, capturing most of the dust at the surface before it imbeds in the filter. This technology increases the filter's cleaning ability and allows the base material to have larger pore sizes than standard cellulose media, reducing pressure drop while allowing the eXtreme fibers to provide a superior efficiency layer. The HemiPleat eXtreme coating is so thick and durable that, unlike most nano fiber coatings, it is visible to the eye. It delivers long-term low pressure drop on difficult dust challenges such as laser and plasma cutting, welding and thermal spray; and it can bring longer service life and lower operational costs to many dry dust applications. The eXtreme filters come in a choice of media to meet special performance needs, with models available for both new and retrofit applications. Like all HemiPleat products, the eXtreme filter has a patented open-pleat design that is said to allow better utilization of the media pack, resulting in better airflow through the cartridge for enhanced performance. A new patent-pending double gasket around the perimeter of the filter prevents any dust from accumulating on top of the pan. All HemiPleat filters come with a written performance guarantee.
Camfil Farr Air Pollution Control
www.farrapc.com
Post date: 2/22/2013 |
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| Gear Extruders |
The use of a gear extruder lends itself to economical fine mesh straining of rubber compounds in a manner that is also gentle on the materials, as also to the precision extrusion of tire components, according to the company. Roll-Ex gear extruders are specially designed for such sensitive process steps. The process engineering advantage here is said to be the extraordinarily gentle handling of the material even at high pressures. The modularly structured Roll-Ex system makes fine mesh straining possible in many ways, especially in mixing lines. Thus, the TRF feeder with two-roll feeding assembly, for example, can be integrated easily in existing plants thanks to the short overall length. Depending on the application, other feeding systems such as conical double-screw extruders or screw extruders can be integrated modularly. This machine technology also stands out thanks to the ease of cleaning and comfortable operation. Throughputs of up to 15,000 kg/hour are possible. Precise extrusion is another core feature of the Roll-Ex gear extruders, which distinguish themselves by the sophisticated engineering and applicable working pressures of up to 800 bar. A two-roll plastisizing unit has been developed specifically to meet the demands of the tire industry. If needed, a strainer unit can be integrated.
Uth GmbH
www.uth-gmbh.com
Post date: 1/8/2013 |
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| Silicone Vulcanization Process |
A UV vulcanization process has been introduced for silicone molding. The 110 ton E-Motion all-electric machine has an integrated Viper 6 robot equipped with UV vulcanization for LSR molding. The UV vulcanization process has been used to produce a two-component bottle stopper on an E-motion 310/110 LIM injection molding machine using a mold and dosing system from partner Elmet and UV curing silicone from Momentive Performance Material. The company is said to have opened the door to new opportunities in multi-component technology, introducing a new process for silicone vulcanization at low temperatures. The enhancements to silicone rubbers in the past two years have opened the door to new applications in multi-component technology for this material class. While conventional silicone rubbers require high temperatures for crosslinking, the new types vulcanize with exposure to light in the ultraviolet wavelength range at room temperature. This enables silicones to be combined with a wide range of thermoplastics using two-component and multi-component injection molding. Even temperature-sensitive materials such as polypropylene can now be processed with silicone in a single step. UV vulcanization requires mold cavity inserts that are permeable to light and UV lamps integrated in the mold for irradiation. In the process cited, polypropylenes are over-molded with liquid silicone from Momentive Performance Materials. The irradiation time for the vulcanization of the silicone components is around 20 seconds. In the conventional high-temperature process, silicone parts with a similar wall thickness need more than a minute for crosslinking. Using UV vulcanization not only facilitates new applications, but also reduces the cycle times and energy consumption associated with silicone processing.
Engel North America
www.engelglobal.com
Post date: 1/3/2013 |
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| Low Heat-Rise Granulator |
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The Vulcanator7 is a specially designed granulator with the unique ability to reduce whole bales of synthetic or natural rubber into small bits at one time without significant heat rise. This unit can drastically reduce dissolving or processing time resulting in significant savings, according to the manufacturer. The Vulcanator7 features a unique cutting mechanism that cuts material to a size fine enough to pass through a special perforated sizing screen. The unit's open design minimizes heat rise, reducing or eliminating the need for costly cooling devices. The Vulcanator7 is built for heavy‑duty operation. The entire unit is extremely heavily constructed for long life and heavy service. A high level of precision is incorporated into every component. Optional features include controls, infeed and discharge conveying system and partitioning agent feeder. The clam shell design provides easy access to the interior. Units are available in carbon steel, stainless steel and clad construction.
Franklin Miller
www.franklinmiller.com
Post date: 12/31/2012 |
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| Injection Molding Machines |
Poly-Nova Technologies has chosen this firm as the injection molding machine supplier for the transformation of its manufacturing facility in Guelph, Ontario, Canada. Poly-Nova Technologies has completed phase one of its facility transformation. The transformation supports its new corporate philosophy; to bring higher efficiencies and quality to customers through standardization and automation. To meet the corporate technical standards used globally, Poly-Nova chose this firm's injection molding machinery. The new injection molding machinery will be used for the molding of both homogenous rubber parts and insert over-molded parts. All molding technology used in conjunction with these machines will be wasteless/flashless – a specialty of Poly-Nova’s. Flashless molding is extremely valuable when working with high performance elastomers such as the fluorosilicones and fluorocarbons that are a large part of Poly-Nova’s business. All machines purchased have been equipped with dual material feed systems, eliminating downtime for material changes and increasing flexibility in production. One of the feeding systems chosen was the all-electric Roto Feeder, a rotary hopper for continuous feeding of high consistency rubber (HCR)/solid silicone, which allows these materials to be used much more cost-effectively. Creating a foundation for Poly-Nova‘s energy saving goals, all the new machines include the firm’s servo-hydraulic Eco-Drive, which provides energy consumption rates similar to those of fully electric injection molding machines; by up to 70 percent in comparison to conventional hydraulic injection molding machines. The firm's machines meet the high technical standards required by Poly-Nova thanks in part to the flexible and powerful CC 200 controller. Special controller options are easily incorporated and multiple interfaces for auxiliary equipment allow their third party equipment to be seamlessly interfaced and operated through the machine controller.
Engel
www.engelglobal.com/na
Post date: 12/31/2012 |
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| Floor Level Cabinet Oven |
The No. 981 is a 350 degrees F, electrically-heated floor-level cabinet oven, currently used for curing flat urethane sheets at the customer’s facility. Workspace dimensions of this oven measure 48” wide x 48” deep x 60” high. Eighteen kw are installed in Nichrome wire elements to heat the oven chamber, while 2,000 cfm, 2 hp recirculating blowers provide horizontal airflow to the workload. This oven has 4” insulated walls, a 2” insulated floor, a top-mounted heating chamber, a Type 304, 2B stainless steel interior, a stainless steel exterior with #4 brushed finish, double doors front and rear, plus a special sealing flange to allow the oven to seal into a wall between a cleanroom and the fabrication area in the customer’s facility. Controls on the No. 981 include a digital indicating temperature controller, manual reset excess temperature controller with separate contactors, recirculating blower airflow safety switch and a 30-hour shutdown timer.
Grieve
www.grievecorp.com
Post date: 12/31/2012 |
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| Magnetic Clamp Systems For High Temperature Molds |
M-Tecs magnetic mold clamping systems are designed specifically for the high temperatures of rubber injection molding machines. The long pole technology uses double magnets to provide up to 20 percent more clamping force. The magnetic systems allow changing molds while hot, simply by pressing a button, reducing changing time by hours. The system provides various safety features, offers low maintenance and can be incorporated into new or existing machines.
Hilma Division of Carr Lane Roemheld Mfg.
www.clrh.com
Post date: 10/5/2012 |
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| Rubber Injection Molding |
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This manufacturer of injection molding machines sets new standards for space requirements, ergonomics and efficiency with their latest Edition series of horizontal injection molding machines. The advantages of the vertical Edition have now been transferred to the horizontal machine series for automatically serial production. In comparison to its predecessor, the outstanding features of the Edition Horizontal are the reduction of its floor space by 30 percent and, moreover, the clear improvements of performance data, service-friendliness and the price-performance ratio. There has been a noticeable progress in the field of rubber injection molding in the last few years. This includes not only a new plasticizing technology, but also a power saving drive technology and a new structural design. New plasticizing and injection units apply more energy to the rubber mixture. This makes the vulcanization process more independent from the tool's heat supply and results in a considerable reduction of cycle time. Nowadays, energy saving servo drives are available for the drive systems, just as for thermoplastic injection molding machines. An outstanding feature of the Edition machines is their compact conception. This applies not only to the vertical, but especially to the horizontal series. Whereas the vertical Edition has a 20 percent smaller footprint than its preceding series, the horizontal Edition requires 30 percent less production space than previous models. This was achieved not only by a face-lift of the previous model series, but required a complete redesign that is oriented towards the optimal use of space in every aspect. A key feature of the new design concept is the more compact configuration of the machine’s components that has been achieved by an arrangement in several levels on top of each other. This means that the tempering devices have been placed underneath the plasticizing/injection unit, whereas the hydraulic drive and control unit has space underneath the clamping unit. The oil tank is situated above the clamping unit’s front face. In the standard version, all electronic components have been accommodated in a central switch cabinet at the machine’s rear. The Edition series is available in two drive versions. The basic version is equipped with a speed constant asynchronous motor drive, a variable pump and a proportional pressure/quantity control, whereas the Edition S-Series with Cool Drive II is powered by a highly dynamic, variable speed servo-synchronous motor drive combined with an internal gear pump. Cool Drive II offers advantages in cycle time through greater speed and can save up to 65 percent more energy than a standard drive. Both series are equipped with the well known FIFO rubber injection units, which are characterised by a short, permanently cooled nozzle for highest injection pressure at the mold inlet. For some machine sizes there is the option of a dual injection unit, where the nozzle and the injection unit can be lifted out of the mold together and thus allow the free accessibility of the nozzle even in the case of a built-in mold. The vertical Edition machines are available in four clamping force levels between 100 and 400 tons; the horizontal Edition machines are available in seven levels between 100 and 800 tons. It is worth mentioning that the Edition Horizontal 300 can be delivered in two sizes, i.e., also in an XL version with an extended clamp stroke and a lower minimum mold mounting height, which is beneficial in combination with automation systems. In any case, the plates are designed for the best support of the molds. The main hydraulic closing piston’s large area guarantees an optimal central mold support. The tie-bar clearance, which is greater than that of previous generations and competitors, makes the installation of molds with a higher number of cavities than so far possible, as well as a better accessibility for parts removal by means of manual intervention or automation systems. The PC5000touch is used as the machine control. The multi-tasking processor technology allows high precision for all regulation processes and positioning. The intuitive operation on a 15.4” touch screen facilitates the work on the machine. The extensive standard version can be adapted to the respective applications by a wide range of equipment options. This includes all kinds of ejector systems, as well as additional heating zones, tempering devices, three-zone control for the heating plates, magnetic clamping plates, stock feeder for silicone processing and automated devices such as brush units, center plate shuttles or demolding systems. Third-party peripherals can be integrated in the control system via a Euromap 67 interface.
Maplan GmbH
www.maplan.at
Post date: 10/5/2012 |
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| High Precision Slitter Modules |
Acu-Slit slitter modules, available in both on-line and cut-to-length configurations, are said to be multi-purpose and accurate. Built to last, they can easily replace existing outdated slitter stations or serve as an add-on to any web processing line, according to the company. The rotary system features a solid, hardened anvil, and blade materials are through hardened D-2 steel. Each unit is equipped with precision bearings designed to handle high load forces, as well as precision machined steel side frame plates. The unit can be mounted on any production line and performs a variety of tasks from simple slitting to motorized slitter functions that cut dense materials. Shear cut slitters provide clean, precise cuts on flexible materials and provide the longest blade life. Crush cut slitters effectively cut thicker, low density materials such as filter media and nonwovens. These are said to be convenient units for frequent changeovers.
Azco
www.azcocorp.com
Post date: 10/5/2012 |
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| High Precision Slitter Modules |
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Acu-Slit slitter modules, available in both on-line and cut-to-length configurations, are said to be multi-purpose and accurate. Built to last, they can easily replace existing outdated slitter stations or serve as an add-on to any web processing line, according to the company. The rotary system features a solid, hardened anvil, and blade materials are through hardened D-2 steel. Each unit is equipped with precision bearings designed to handle high load forces, as well as precision machined steel side frame plates. The unit can be mounted on any production line and performs a variety of tasks from simple slitting to motorized slitter functions that cut dense materials. Shear cut slitters provide clean, precise cuts on flexible materials and provide the longest blade life. Crush cut slitters effectively cut thicker, low density materials such as filter media and nonwovens. These are said to be convenient units for frequent changeovers.
Azco
www.azcocorp.com
Post date: 10/4/2012 |
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| Rubber And Liquid Silicone Molding |
New opportunities in multi-component technology are available with this process for silicone vulcanization at low temperatures, feasible due to enhancements made to silicone rubbers in the past two years. While conventional silicone rubbers require high temperatures for crosslinking, the new types vulcanize with exposure to light in the ultraviolet wavelength range at room temperature. This enables silicones to be combined with a wide range of thermoplastics using two-component and multi-component injection molding. Even temperature-sensitive materials such as polypropylene can now be processed with silicone in a single step. UV vulcanization requires mold cavity inserts that are permeable to light and UV lamps integrated in the mold for irradiation. This new process not only facilitates new molding applications, but also reduces cycle times and energy consumption. In a recent exhibit with partner Elmet, the irradiation time required for the vulcanization of the silicone component was around 20 seconds. In the conventional high-temperature process, silicone parts with a similar wall thickness would need more than a minute for crosslinking. With the development of the Roto Feeder, a rotary conveyor for continuous feeding of solid silicone or BMC materials to the plasticizing unit, avoiding inclusions and maintaining constant pressure during processing of these materials could become significantly easier and more economical, according to the company. The development of the new all-electric Roto Feeder opens the use of solid silicone and BMC materials to applications where these materials were previously not cost-effective due to high material and processing costs. The lack of automatic process engineering capabilities, particularly for small batch sizes (up to 50,000 parts), often made the use of solid silicone or BMC materials unfeasible. The continuous, air-free material feeding through the Roto Feeder dispenses with the cost-intensive, problematic engineering process of rolling the silicone, and therefore allows for an economical molding process. Processing is kept consistent via the units’ closed loop pressure control which regulates the speed of the feed-screw, and the all-electric design provides energy efficiency and a cleaner process than found with the typical hydraulic stuffer unit. The Roto Feeder also eliminates material leakage, again supporting a cleaner more cost efficient process. The company's Ecodrive, now available on the Elast series of machines, is said to be an innovative drive system based on a servomotor that varies the drive speed dependent on the speed requirement for the particular movement of the machine. In other words, the drive is only active during machine movements, with energy consumption dropping to virtually zero when the machine is idle. In contrast to standard hydraulics with asynchronous drives, Ecodrive does not consume flushing or idle energy when the machine is not in motion. Legacy hydraulic drives continuously pump the hydraulic oil through the system. Besides the increased energy consumption due to constant motor/pump activity, the cooling water requirements of standard systems are also higher because the hydraulic oil is heated by the constant movement. Heating of hydraulic oil in particular is a key indicator of energy inefficiency. The use of Ecodrive with Elast machines can save up to 70 percent of energy consumption compared with standard hydraulics, according to the company.
Engel
www.engelglobal.com
Post date: 10/4/2012 |
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| Electric Cabinet Oven |
The No. 912 is an electrically-heated, 500 degrees F cabinet oven, currently used for curing rubber parts. Workspace dimensions measure 20” wide x 20” deep x 26” high on this oven, which features a stainless steel exterior with a #4 brushed finish and a Type 430 stainless steel interior with continuously backwelded seams and 4” thick insulated walls. 10 kW installed in Incoloy-sheathed tubular heating elements and a 600 CFM, 1/2 HP recirculating blower provide heated horizontal airflow across the workload. This oven includes a 325 CFM powered forced exhauster, as well as a motorized damper on the exhaust for accelerated cooling. The oven exhaust discharges into a Type 304 stainless steel scrubber unit with brass piping. The scrubber uses recirculated water sprayed by a 1-1/2 HP pump into the exhaust to remove particulates. The No. 912 has a digital indicating temperature controller, 10” diameter circular chart recorder, fused disconnect switch and eight permanently-mounted survey thermocouples connected to a jack strip on the oven’s control panel.
Grieve
www.grievecorp.com
Post date: 10/4/2012 |
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| Six-Layer Tool Design |
Extrusion tubing manufacturers/OEMs that serve automotive applications are said to be welcoming a unique six-layer head/die. This technology offers a host of benefits that include a lower cost for a single six-layer system as compared to purchasing two three-layer systems or three two-layer systems that perform precisely the same function. Other benefits of the six-layer Series 800 include the ability to extrude fluropolymer materials, which have superior qualities and resistance to fuel blends, UV, heat and chemicals. The six-layer can also handle non-fluropolymers and adhesives that work well when combined in thin layers (.02 mm or less) with new head/die tubing end products. With the design of the six-layer, all inner layers are totally encapsulated to avoid any possible contamination of the tubing itself. When engineering the six-layer design, computer simulations of the flow channels using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) programs allow the properties of the exact material to be used with the exact geometry of the die. The simulations are aimed at generating a uniform flow with even wall thickness and no weld lines. The 800 Series, which achieves both outstanding consistency and accuracy, meets the growing demands of the automotive industry, such as for low-emission vehicles, as well as for other advanced industries, including medical, pharmaceutical, cosmetics, food and more. These manufacturers often require a layered construction of tube, hose or pipe. Major technical benefits that come with the Series 800 include: Patented spiral engineering for upstream thermal balancing creates an equal flow, resulting in extremely close tolerances for the thinnest walls and multi-layered, multifaceted products; split patent-pending single flow within the body of the die; patented FeatherTouch design enables smooth concentricity adjustment for low-effort concentricity without choking off the upstream and not compromising the clamping forces necessary to create a proper seal, which can happen with most other tooling systems; deflectors yield minimum chamber residence time for the extrusion material; gumspace adjustment provides optimal temperature control. A recessed die-nut enables the heater to warm the entire die area for total temperature control; all the deflectors and the FeatherTouch concentrically eliminate the tolerance stack-up,
which reduces set-up time; the tip replacement installs in about one minute or less, saving money; style tubing products available include smooth bore or corrugated; and cartridge or band heaters are available for the main extrusion die as an added option. The firm also manufactures tips, dies and breaker plates using state-of-the-art computerized CNC machining and EDM equipment. Engineering services using the latest CAD systems are available for custom-designing extrusion-tooling products, including crossheads, tips, clamps, flanges, air wipes, forming rolls, spiderless inline dies, dies, swing gates, breaker plates, special equipment and sizing dies.
Guill Tool & Engineering
www.guill.com
Post date: 10/4/2012 |
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