Auxiliary equipment maker Sterling Inc. introduced a new temperature control unit, an expanded central granulator line and a newly designed gravimetric blender at a June 18 press conference at NPE 2006 in Chicago.
Mike Zvolanek, Sterling national sales manager, said the business is experiencing annual growth of more than 15 percent. He discussed product introductions:
* A high-temperature control unit for process cooling uses water instead of oil. A dual sealless magnetic coupled-drive pumping system allows water with temperatures up to 320° F to process supply water with a gauge pressure of 24 pounds per square inch. A 1.5-square-foot shell and tube heat exchanger minimizes scale buildup in the molds. The unit measures 23 inches by 10 inches by 26 inches.
* A new midsize line of tangential granulators, the CGMB TF Series, minimizes part bouncing and eases material processing for large, bulky parts. Two models have high throughputs normally requiring a more-powerful central unit and a 40-degree angled in-feed that absorbs sound.
* Sterling added a smaller member to its SGBD Series of gravimetric blenders. The SGBD150 can process material at a rate of 10-150 pounds per hour and has three modes of recipe entry to meet a variety of blending needs. A Mitsubishi PLC-based controller is standard.
* Sterling demonstrated a state-of-the-art graphic granulator controller with an Allen-Bradley touch-screen interface. Reminder alarms for routine maintenance are preset, and other signals are explained with an intuitive help screen.
Now in its 90th year of business, Sterling of New Berlin, Wis., is an operation of ACS Group, which as of July 28 is based in Schaumburg, Ill.