CenterLine marketing flash-trimming system
CenterLine Automation Inc. of Fitchburg, Mass., designed a machine that automatically trims flash inside a car dashboard. Now the company is marketing the technology to other large-part markets, such as the appliance market.
Victor Cavaco, general manager, said the equipment will diversify the product mix at the company, which focuses on robots and automation. Cavaco declined to identify the two automotive customers, but he said they had problems with a lot of flash after ultrasonically welding together the dashboard assembly.
First, the part is loaded into a fixture, either manually or by a robot. Nozzles extend inside the part and blow hot air, as hot as 1,400§ F, directly onto the flash, which shrinks back and creates a smooth surface, Cavaco said.
CenterLine will custom make each machine for the specific part.
Tel. (978) 345-6025, fax (978) 345-6101.
Segan introduces vertical trim press
Edward D. Segen & Co. introduced its VTP-15 vertical trim press, for roll-fed thermoforming.
The portable press occupies a minimum of floor space. The company in Milford, Conn., said the VTP-15 is suited for secondary operations between the thermoformer and the final press.
The trimming area is 12 inches by 30 inches, and the machine accepts a web as wide as 36 inches. The press cycles up to 120 strokes per minute. It delivers 15 tons of cutting force on a 4-inch stroke.
Tel. (203) 878-6503, fax (203) 877-8203, e-mail [email protected].
Lucent licensing its welding process
Lucent Technologies is licensing a patented welding process, called kinetic weld, which was developed at Bell Labs.
A plastic shaft is rammed into a plastic cavity slightly smaller in diameter than the shaft. That creates heat, welding the two permanently together.
In use since 1994, the kinetic weld process has welded more than 15 million telephone handsets — saving five to eight centers per unit by eliminating screws.
Lucent, of Murray Hill, N.J., said the welding technique could be used for large-volume assembly of plastic toys, electronic equipment, automotive parts and disposable medical products.
Bell Labs is Lucent's research and development arm.
Tel. (305) 817-8143, fax (305) 817-8180.
Granulator features hydraulic feed chute
The 2441 granulator from Hosokawa Polymer Systems granulates large, thick-walled pipe and profiles thanks to its hydraulic elevating feed chute.
For loading, a hydraulically operated trough comes to a horizontal position for loading pipe. Then it lifts up to become the feed chute. A safety cover keeps scrap from flying out.
The 2441 features a 24-inch, side-feed opening, a cutting chamber measuring 24 inches by 41 inches and a 1-ton flywheel. A 150-horsepower motor powers the cutter.
Hosokawa Polymer Systems is based in Berlin, Conn.
Tel. (860) 828-0541, fax (860) 829-1313.
ProTrack identifies assembly components
Loveland, Ohio-based Mattec Corp., which makes production monitoring products, has developed the ProTrack system to assign every component of an assembly its own unique identity and bar-code label.
As many as 10 labels can be generated for each component, so containers, pallets, storage bins and shipping cartons also can be labeled.
Using the optional Genealogy and Validation Module, production workers can scan bar codes to create a new bar-coded part at each assembly stage. The system warns workers if they use the wrong materials or components, or begin to assembly them incorrectly.
Tel. (513) 683-1802, fax (513) 683-1619, e-mail m.thiel@mattec .com.
Ventax develops auto finishing system
Ventax Robot Inc. of Ayr, Ontario, has developed an automated system to finish automotive rocker panels made of plastic.
After molding, a Ventax robot moves the part to a production system that degates the rocker panels and flame treats the edges before painting. Finished parts are moved to a pickup point for packaging.
Ventax said General Motors Corp. is using the machinery to make rocker panels for its 2000-model Grand Am.
Tel. (800) 440-2771 or (519) 632-7834, fax (519) 632-7834.
XB extrusion blender touts consistency
Conair Group's XB extrusion batch blender controls blend consistency and weight per length of extruded products such as film, sheet, pipe, tubing, profiles and wire and cable, said the Emsworth, Pa.-based company.
The unit combines gravimetric batch blending with continuous mixing. Conair said its accuracy is 0.1 percent.
Conair also can supply yield control functions that control the extruder or the speed of take-off equipment. If extruder throughput changes, for example because of a clogged screen, the controller automatically compensates by adjusting the screw speed.
Tel. (412) 312-6000, fax (412) 312-6320.