Software simulates liquid resin molding
ESI North America introduced LCMFLOT, which it claims is the first simulation software for liquid composite molding, where a dry preform is held in a closed mold and injected with a resin.
The software simulates resin transfer molding, vacuum assisted RTM and resin film infusion.
LCMFLOT can give preliminary design, refine calculations for molds, and give final design verification. The software optimizes molding parameters such as injection pressure, flow rate and molding temperature, and computes closure forces.
ESI North America is in Shelby Township, Mich., near Utica.
Tel. (810) 323-4610, fax (810) 323-4611.
Spanish press maker shows equipment
Spanish injection press maker Industrias Deu SA has introduced the DG machine.
Features include pressure transducers to control the real injection pressures; four linear transducers to monitor clamping, ejection, injection and injection unit movement; a variable hydraulic pump, a continous oil filter and memory for 200 molds.
The Barcelona-based company said the improvements boost the technical level of the DG, while maintaining a low price.
Industrias Deu also showed a hot-runner temperature controller that handles 32 zones.
Tel. +34 (3) 902-1811-01, fax +34 (3) 937-7155-641.
Plastimac introduces blow mold machinery
Milan, Italy-based Plastimac SpA recently introduced machinery for blown film and extrusion blow molding
The PB30/S blow molder produces containers as large as 8 gallons, using 30 tons of clamping force. The mold holding plates slide on horizontal, overlapped linear guides, using roller plates. Plastimac said roller plates give highly precise movements and reduce friction and wear. Proportional valves control the movement of both the mold plates and the nozzle.
A brushless electric motor/ball screw combination powers mold movement. Hydraulic power drives the clamping movement.
On the blown film side, Plastimac showed two single-layer blown film lines. New features include a cooling ring that optimizes air flow, with adjustable inserts designed for polyethylene film.
Tel. +39 (2) 4801-2102, fax +39 (2) 4815-530, e-mail [email protected] plastimac.com.
System regulates fitting weight, size
Tooler Oy introduced a quality control and post-processing system for injection molded plastic pipe fittings.
The Efimatic PP 125 controls the weight and dimensions of molded fittings. It also detects short shots, flow marks and other molding defects, using an integrated machine vision system.
Also new from Tooler: a technology for molding an integrated pipe-fitting gasket while the fitting remains in the original fitting body. This is done by applying a special collapsible core in the mold cavity.
Tooler is based in Nastola, Finland.
Tel. +358 (03) 887-6202, fax +358 (03) 887-6200, e-mail ossi.he [email protected]
Lasermeter measures solids and liquids
K-Tek Corp. in Prairieville, La., said its laser level-gauge, Lasermeter, measures bulk solids and opaque liquids for several industries, including plastic resin held in silos and hoppers.
The laser wavelength is only 1 micrometer, compared with the wavelength of radar of more than 10,000 micrometers, it has virtually no beam divergence, and it can measure to surfaces at an angle, K-Tek said. Lasermeter also does not give false echoes from tank walls and other objects between the device and the material being measured.
3M Co.'s plant in Brookings, S.D., uses Lasermeter to measure resin pellets in a dryer hopper. Allen Schumaker, senior resident engineer at the plant, said ultrasonic leveling gave too many false readings.
Tel. (225) 673-6100, fax (225) 673-2525, e-mail [email protected] .com.
Self-cleaning loader fits on top of hopper
IMS Co. of Chagrin Falls, Ohio, said its self-cleaning Mini-Color loader fits on top of the hopper.
Set up on the batch principle, the loader passes color through whenever the material level in the receiving hopper drops below the loader's dump level.
IMS also stocks a 5-inch gate cutter called the Mini-Nipper, for degating small plastic parts.
New self-adjusting spanner wrenches do not slip off when removing and installing ball-check-type screw tips.
IMS is now stocking ethylene glycol, in 5-gallon pails or 55-gallon drums, for use as a heat-transfer fluid in mold temperature controllers. The formulation includes corrosion inhibitors.
IMS also is offering a reconditioning service for Simonds-brand air-powered gate cutters. IMS handles either blade resharpening and complete reconditioning.
Tel. (440) 543-1615, fax (440) 543-1069, [email protected]
EES is manufacturing ultrasonic mold cleaner
Environmental Equipment Supply of Anaheim, Calif., is making an ultrasonic cleaner specially designed for molds for plastic injection molding and stamping.
MoldMaster removes contamination, rust and deposits from out-gassing in minutes, using a 53-gallon stainless-steel tank and immersible transducers.
The tank comes on casters, so it can be moved to the mold.
Tel. (714) 237-1400, fax (714) 237-1407, e-mail [email protected]
