CHICAGO — At NPE 1997, held June 16-20 in Chicago, Conair Group introduced several new machines to boost its downstream extrusion lineup.
Its new sizing tank includes an air/water separator for better vacuum stability and improved dimensional control. The DPC 105C-15-4 includes a rugged gear-head actuator for precise, three-plane positioning.
A puller lets extruders choose between belt drive for high-speed operation or vertical shaft drive when high torque is needed. This feature of the 4-26 Cat-a-Puller avoids gearbox wear.
Conair's new vacuum sizing tank and puller/cutter for medical applications provides noncontact sizing of flexible PVC, polyurethane and other soft materials. The HT 104C-9-5-4 is available in 2- and 4-inch models.
The company's all-servo CPC 212/10S puller/cutter has its own take-away conveyor for product handling after cutting. The servo drive means a processor can control the puller independent of the cutter.
Conair said its four new post-extrusion cutters for profiles and tubing give it the most complete line of saws and cutters in the industry. They are servo-actuated and include a new, patented vacuum clutch brake.
Its new Layer Ratio Control can control weight-per-length for as many as five extruders, each with a single weigh hopper. The Pittsburgh-based company said the system can pay for itself in a matter of months by eliminating waste from over-spec weight or gauge in coextruded film, sheet, pipe and profiles.
Conair officials showcased downstream equipment from recently acquired Metaplast Ltd. of Lachine, Quebec.
Robert Bessemer, product development lab manager, said Conair is an alternative supplier of downstream equipment for large profiles and tubing. European suppliers have dominated the U.S. market, but Conair said it can offer comparable equipment for as much as 20 percent less.
New downstream offerings include a 22-foot calibration table for vacuum sizing, a cleated profile haul-off with an upper traction assembly mounted like a pendulum, and a versatile cutoff saw with reversible clamps and accessible clamp and guide assemblies.