Hosokawa designs for granulators big
It's one big granulator!
Employees at Hosokawa Polymer Systems in Berlin, Conn., assembled a giant granulator - Hosokawa claims it is the world's largest - for a major European producer of biaxially oriented film. The customer, which Hosokawa would not identify, is grinding 33-foot-wide film rolls on the big Rotoplex-brand machine.
Weighing 27 tons, the machine features a chamber that measures 36 by 114 inches, a 36-inch cutting circle, and a 600 horsepower drive. It uses seven rows of stator knives and 10 rotor knives.
The behemoth can handle 15,400 pounds of film an hour, at about 1,640 feet per minute.
``We believe this to be the biggest granulator ever commissioned in the world for a plastics recycling application,'' said Jack Bowne, vice president of sales and marketing.
Tel. (860) 828-0541, fax (508) 655-9337.
Kistler-Morse meter eases level sensing
Kistler-Morse Corp., the maker of level-sensing products for powders, liquids and slurries, claims its ultra-wave, an ultrasonic continuous leveling meter, requires little or no ongoing tuning.
The company in Bothell, Wash., said ultra-wave, when used with the new ultra-cell transducers, can replaced guided-dependent level sensing products.
The device monitors bulk-material-storage vessels of different shapes and heights.
Tel. (425) 486-6600, fax (425) 402-1500.
Vario-Mold process aids micromolded part
A technology called Vario-Mold can make better micromolded parts, according to Battenfeld GmbH of Meinerzhagen, Germany.
Battenfeld offers Vario-Mold on its all-electric injection presses. The technology allows complete filling and prevents thermal degradation of the resin.
Here is how it works: Shortly before injection, the mold gets heated to near-melt temperature. That insures the plastic will continue to fill out the tiny part until the entire mold is filled. The mold is cooled down again before demolding.
Vario-Mold uses up to 26 heating circuits to heat the mold. Because mold-cooling circuits can be emptied by vacuum before the heating begins, the process uses water instead of oil.
Vario-Mold does require longer cycle times - which presents the danger of thermal degradation, since resin stays in the screw longer. To avoid that, the process purges the material without interrupted the production cycle. Another option: using a special screw geometry, which reduces the residence time.
Battenfeld's U.S. unit is Battenfeld of America Inc. in West Warwick, R.I.
Tel. (401) 823-0700, fax (401) 823-5641, e-mail battenfeldusa @aol.com.
Piovan simplifies feeders, conveyors
Italian auxiliary equipment maker Piovan SpA had an ``easy'' K 2001 - by introducing its easy-to-upgrade feeding and conveying equipment called Easy2System.
Piovan said the system can be customized and expanded to match production increases. A single keypad links the material storage and distribution areas with the feeding area, and controls all components.
Three-phase hopper loaders use stand-alone, side-channel blowers that Piovan said are maintenance free. Standard filters on the vacuum unit lengthen blower life.
A compact, automated material selection station distributes up to 120 different materials.
Piovan also showed the new series of low-speed granulators, the RN15. The granulator boasts flexibility, thanks to a new feeding hopper and a reversible feeding mouth.
The company's RPA series of mold dryers blows dry air into mold cavities for injection, blow molding and PET preforms.
Piovan is based in Santa Maria di Sala, Italy. Its North American unit, Piovan Canada Ltd., is based in Mississauga, Ontario.
Tel. (905) 671-9700.
ACS Group debuts sprue picker robots
ACS Group's Automation Engineering unit in Milwaukee has introduced two sprue picker robots - the XS and YS series
XS sprue pickers come in a full line ranging from 550-950 millimeter vertical strokes, designed for large-tonnage injection molding machines. Ninety-degree wrist rotation is standard on all XS robots.
YS robots come in 550-850mm vertical stroke. A single-stage vertical arm gives simple, lower-cost parts picking.
Both models offer a 6-pound payload capacity. They have a programmable controller that contains 10 standard pre-programmed sequences, with room for 10 more designed by the user. Another standard feature: a patented sprue gripper that uses a pneumatic pressure switch for sprue verification, which ACS said eliminates the need to constantly readjust the sprue verification switch.
Tel. (630) 595-1060, fax (630) 475-7515.
Schneider controls offer I/O flexibility
Conair Group replaced centralized programmable-logic control on its resin loaders with a flexible distributed input/output system from Schneider Electric, according to Schneider of North Andover, Mass.
The move reduced wiring and installation costs to produce the machinery at Conair's factory in Franklin, Pa.
Before making the switch, Conair located the central plc in an area to minimize wiring between the plc and the customer's loaders. Even so, the system needed a lot of wiring, since loaders usually require five or six inputs and four or five outputs.
Schneider's Momentum controllers consists of three modules - an I/O base, a processor adapter and a communications adapter.
Tel. (978) 794-0800, fax (978) 975-9400.
Hunziker advances deflashing system
Hunziker AG of Kirchleerau, Switzerland, has developed a new way to automatically deflash thermoset parts using a rotary indexing table.
The SA 14000 rotary table machine boasts a modular design, so it can be equipped with six, eight, 10 or 12 stations. The process can be integrating into existing production cells.
``This machine is designed for applications in which a variety of components are produced in one or more machines and then require automatic deflashing immediately after molding,'' said Alex Petrusha, vice president of engineering and products at Apex Plastic Technologies Inc of South Elgin, Ill., Apex represents Hunziker in North America.
Tel. (847) 931-9838, fax (847) 931-9772, e-mail [email protected]
CRG Logics presents blenders, conveyors
CRG Logics Inc., a year-old manufacturer of resin conveying systems and gravimetric blending equipment, grew out of a sister company's experience with refurbishing machines.
CRG Logics was spun off from its sister company, the 6-year-old CRG Systems Inc. ``We saw the need for auxiliaries to be improved,'' said President Carl Gillig.
Gillig said CRG Systems no longer rebuilds machines. The company focuses on its business as a manufacturers' representative for Davis-Standard, Erema, Thermal Care, Kundig, Rieter and Polymer Systems equipment, as well as CRG Logics.
CRG Logics employs seven at its factory in Greenville, Wis. Company headquarters is in Des Plaines, Ill.
Gillig said CRG Logics did about $600,000 in sales in its first full year of operations.
Gillig's background includes 15 years of experience in machinery and controls for extrusion. He was the Chicago regional representative for Davis-Standard Corp., Eurotherm Controls Inc. and Process Control Corp.
CRG Logistics recently introduced two products:
* The Simplicity line of continuous gravimetric blending systems can run two to eight components at a rate of up to 4,000 pounds per hour, using vibratory feeding technology. Because Simplicity has no augers, gearboxes, slide gates and mechanical mixers, the unit requires minimal maintenance, according to the company.
* The VR/PD line of resin conveyors. The VR line of vacuum receivers comes in 0.25 to three cubic feet. Standard features include an integral sequence valve. Instead of magnetic switches, the unit uses proximity sensors, eliminating the need for continuous adjustment.
PD vacuum power units come in five to 40 horsepower.
Features include positive displacement blowers, an integral starter/disconnect, vacuum relief valve and gauge.
Another product, the AHS series angel hair trap takes stringers out of material conveying lines. The price is $895.
Tel. (920) 757-9596, fax (920) 757-9594, e-mail [email protected]