Milacron ships out first Maxima 3900
Milacron Inc. shipped a 4,400-ton, two-platen Maxima 3900 injection molding machine to an unidentified molder of large truck components.
The press, which boasts a 607-ounce injection unit, is the largest of the Maximas built by the Cincinnati-based company.
Milacron said the big press delivers short cycle times, thanks to a clamp speed of 762 millimeters per second, and a tonnage build of 0.98 second.
Ron Hertzer, chief engineer, said the new design readily accommodates two injection units, for multimaterial molding or coinjection.
The large daylight of up to 165.3 inches, or 195.1 inches without the ejector system, accepts spin-stack molds, he said.
Milacron also said the 4,400-ton press has a 134-inch clamp stroke.
Tel. (513) 536-2352, fax (513) 536-2624, e-mail [email protected]
TPE weather sealing sells Engel presses
The automotive body-sealing industry's conversion from rubber to thermoplastic elastomers helped Engel Machinery Inc. sell 30 vertical injection presses.
Engel reports it sold more than 30 of its TPE 200/50 VT TL machines to two of the largest suppliers of body-sealing systems. The vertical machines have no tie bars.
John Timmerman, Engel's technology manager, said the main use for the presses is to produce extrusion corner moldings. That means the processor takes extruded strips of weather sealing or body-sealing components, puts the end into the injection press, then molds on the corner, making one single part.
The Engel machines can run both TPEs and rubber, giving the customers flexibility, said Timmerman. He said that capability is why Engel made the sale, because competing rubber presses could not run TPEs.
Guelph, Ontario-based Engel declined to identify the two sealing customers.
In other news, Engel said it has sold more than 20 injection presses to Tier 1 automotive suppliers in the southeastern United States. The presses have ranged in clamping forces from 220-3,000 tons.
Tel. (519) 836-0220, fax (519) 836-3714.
Boy offers option of 12mm injection unit
Boy Machines Inc. is offering a 12-millimeter injection unit on its 12 series of injection presses, with a clamping force of 14.2 tons.
The small injection unit gives a dramatic reduction in material residence time during micromolding. The press can run extremely small injection volumes of 0.096 gram.
Boy of Exton, Pa., also offers 14mm and 18mm versions of the injection unit.
New sensor technology and an optimized screw design protect the screw from torsion.
Tel. (610) 363-9121, fax (610) 363-0163, e-mail [email protected]
Demag Plastics Group touts CPB 9V screws
Demag Plastics Group's aftermarket sales group has expanded its product line by adding CPB 9V screws.
Customers requested the addition, said Michael Wagner, director of aftermarket sales. He said the CPM 9V complements the Strongsville, Ohio, company's existing 135-N Nitralloy and tungsten-carbide screws.
Nitralloy screws are intended for standard molding, where no additional protection is needed. The more durable CPM 9V and tunsten-carbide screws are designed for applications that need abrasion and corrosion resistance.
Tel. (440) 876-6325, fax (440) 876-6423, e-mail [email protected]
Colortronic unveils its Dry-Flex M dryers
Colortronic Inc. introduced its Dry-Flex M dehumidified-air dryers, which replace the CTT 300 and CTT 500 models from the company in Runnemede, N.J.
The dryers consume less energy and have higher drying capacity and moisture absorption than the older models.
The regeneration cycle consumes 30-40 percent less energy. Stainless-steel drying cells shorten the time needed to cool down after regeneration. Side-channel compressors boost drying capacity up to 25 percent with no changes to the idle-run air capacity, according to Colortronic.
Tel. (856) 312-9600, fax (856) 312-9696, e-mail [email protected]
AccuRate uses LDPE for Mechatron hopper
AccuRate now offers a hopper made of plastic - low density polyethylene, to be exact - on its line of Mechatron feeders.
AccuRate, a unit of Schenck AccuRate Inc. of Whitewater, Wis., said the plastic hopper has several advantages over steel. The plastic is translucent, so the level of material inside is visible. The plastic hopper also is much lighter than a steel one.
Users can choose a plastic hopper with a stainless-steel lid, or a plastic lid with a stainless-steel hopper. A domed cover sheds materials and water, so it is easy to wash, the firm said. The new hopper is 71/2 cubic feet.
Tel. (800) 558-0184, fax (262) 473-2489.
Firm builds mold for in-mold lamination
Georg Kaufmann Formenbau AG has built a melt-flow injection/compression mold for making an instrument panel on a horizontal injection press while decorating it with a soft-touch, foam-backed material, all in a single cycle.
The process is replacing a more expensive, longer laminating method for an instrument panel on the DaimlerChrysler Crossfire, Kaufmann said.
The mold maker in Busslingen, Switzerland, took just 18 months to complete the development project, working with automotive molder Peguform GmbH of Bötzingen, Germany. Kaufmann said it built an all-steel prototype mold, with simplified cooling and sliding function for testing and production starts, on a vertical Decopress injection molding machine.
The instrument panel integrates a reverse-side ribbed texture for the front passenger's air bag, to control deployment.
Tel. +41 (56) 485-6500, fax +41 (56) 496-5400, e-mail [email protected]
Gusmer redesigns GAP Pro spray gun
Gusmer Corp. said its two-component spray gun, the 2004 Gusmer GAP Pro, has been redesigned to be lighter, more durable and easier to clean and maintain.
One feature, the Chamber Purge Tube, makes it easy to lubricate the gun, which also has single-tool access for faster assembly.
Gusmer is headquartered in Lakewood, N.J.
Tel. (732) 370-9000, e-mail [email protected]
Bermer announces mold-lift tong line
Bermer Precision Products of Southbridge, Mass., has redesigned its line of mold-lift tongs, used to open molds during fabrication, maintenance or repair.
The tongs eliminate the damage that can happen to the mold by using metal pry bars or screwdrivers, the company said.
The device also prevents rubbing and galling of guide pins, side actions and cores and cavities, according to Bermer.
One person can open the mold with the lift tongs and an overhead crane.
The device uses the clamping slots of a standard mold base for its gripping action. The lift arms exert tension that is proportional to the weight of the mold base, resulting in a positive lifting action.
Tel. (508) 764-2521, fax (508) 765-1173, e-mail [email protected]
Stihl Inc. chooses BarcoCIM software
Stihl Inc., which makes chainsaws and other outdoor power equipment, has installed BarcoCIM, the data collection and reporting system from BarcoVision LLC, at Stihl's plant in Virginia Beach, Va.
Stihl picked BarcoCIM for its blow molding, extrusion, and metalworking departments. BarcoCIM data collection terminals were placed on 42 machines in the plant. BarcoCIM interfaces with Stihl's enterprise reporting program.
Order information is downloaded automatically to the shop-floor planning module, which sends data from the machines back to the ERP system, providing real-time status on orders and material usage.
BarcoVision is based in Charlotte, N.C.
Tel. (704) 392-9371, fax (704) 399-5588.
Software solely for plastics processors
OJAS Multitech, based in Chennai, India, said its iBO Plas enterprise management system is designed exclusively to run plastics molding factories.
Multitech said iBO Plas is a software package for injection and blow molders, rotational molders and other plastics processors.
The software takes care of order processing, issuing job cards, scheduling orders, mold and machine details, inventory, maintenance and payment.
It can run over the Internet.
Tel. +91 (44) 5211-5375, fax +91 (44) 5205-4745, e-mail [email protected]
Avalon Vision selling its products in Asia
Atlanta-based Avalon Vision Solutions LLC said Singapore-based EZ-Vision Technology Pte. Ltd. will sell Avalon's line of machine vision products to the plastics industry in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines and Hong Kong.
The equipment handles mold protection and quality assurance inspection for defects such as flash and short shots.
The companies kicked off the partnership in March at the T-Plas 2004 show in Bangkok, Thailand.
Avalon said it initially was going to expand into Europe, but decided to move into Asia because manufacturing is growing so fast in that region.
Tel. (770) 944-8445, fax (770) 941-7299, e-mail [email protected]
Ultra Light-Weld seals clamshell packaging
Dymax Corp. of Torrington, Conn., said its Ultra Light-Weld 3081 and 3082 adhesives form a crystal-clear seal on thermoformed clamshell and tube packaging, by using ultraviolet-light curing.
UV curing works with PVC, and virgin and recycled PET. The seal cures within seconds. The technology eliminates the marking or discoloration that can happen with heat sealing or sonic welding, the firm said.
Tel. (860) 482-1010, fax (860) 496-0608, e-mail [email protected]
