Haehne measures film nip roll forces
Want a portable device to calibrate nip roll forces for your film operation? Haehne Elektronische Messgeräte GmbH of Erkrath, Germany, has the answer.
The hand-held PFM (portable force measuring) instrument measures compressive force between two machine components. It consists of two pressure plates to which strain gauges are applied. The digital display and all measuring electronics are encased in a reinforced-composite housing.
A rechargeable battery powers the PFM.
An interface is available to link the data to a personal computer.
Tel. +49 (211) 925-910, fax +49 (211) 925-9120, e-mail [email protected]
New Novatec lines load powder, prep PET
Novatec Inc. has introduced equipment for loading powders and for preparing PET resin for molding.
The line of powder vacuum chambers and powder vacuum loaders use compressed-air blow-back, for dusty regrind and powders, such as PVC power.
The Baltimore firm claims the equipment is less expensive and more compact than competitive products. The filter elements outperform bag filters, Novatec said.
The company said its standard systems, even those without blow-back controls, can be retrofitted easily to become powder chambers or powder loaders.
For PET, Novatec has combined its NovaDrier with its CCR continuous crystallizer to convert amorphous PET resin into crystallized pellets, in one continuous operation.
The crystallizer consists of an insulated hopper with an internal agitator to prevent agglomeration. A heater/blower combination maintains the required temperature for crystallization. The pellets are released, via a gravity flow, directly to the dryer.
Tel. (410) 789-4811, fax (410) 789-4638, e-mail [email protected]
Accumulator head features new design
Davis-Standard Corp. said its second-generation DS series channel accumulator head for blow molding features an improved core tube and new plunger technology.
The polymer flow is directed into two spiral channels that wrap 720 degrees around the core tube as it tapers. That allows the plastic to flow down the head to layer the material, eliminating knit lines. The core tube is chrome-plated, for better abrasion resistance and flow, enabling faster changes of material and color, according to the company.
Three cylinders are used to push out parisons. The cylinders can be replaced without taking apart the head.
In reclaim extruder news, Davis-Standard has developed a new version of its Scrapper dual-diameter extruder, making it handle foam better.
The Pawcatuck, Conn.-based company created a new feed angle and added grooves within the feed section, so the Scrapper more efficiently processes foam products such as meat trays, cups, plates and insulation board.
Also, the angle of transition between the large- and small-diameter sections of the screw and barrel has been customized for foam. Because the barrel abruptly squeezes down after the feed section, the smaller-diameter section densifies the material.
The Scrapper also processes film, bags, fiber and other scrap with low bulk density.
Tel. (860) 599-1010, fax (860) 599-6258, e-mail [email protected]
PETWall monitors bottle wall thickness
Agr*TopWave LLC, which makes testing and quality-control devices for plastic containers in Butler, Pa., introduced its new PETWall in-line bottle wall-thickness monitoring system.
The noncontact system can monitor every container, up to 30,000 bottles per hour, for deviations in material distribution, a leading cause of quality problems.
PETWall uses infrared-light-absorption techniques to determine wall thickness. Its low-profile, multihead design can incorporate up to four measurement sensors on a single conveyor line, or two sensors on each line of a dual-output blow molder.
The firm also unveiled a table-top vacuum tester for plastic containers, the VacTest. The machine quickly gauges the maximum level of vacuum a container can withstand before it distorts or fails.
Agr*TopWave in Butler, Pa., is a unit of AGR International Inc.
Tel. (724) 482-2163, fax (724) 482-2767.
Calemard introduces nonstop turret winder
Calemard, a subsidiary of ETIC Group in France, introduced a nonstop turret winder for film.
The machine allows for continuous rewinding at full production speeds, and improves roll quality at the start and end of the bobbin.
The design minimizes the distance between the two shafts during cut-over, minimizing tail length on the finished roll.
Another feature is an independent tension control between the line and rewinding station.
Calemard is based in Roche la Moliere, France.
Tel. +33 (477) 900-034, fax +33 (477) 903-683, e-mail [email protected], or fax the French Technology Press Office in Chicago at (312) 222-1237.