Online game teaches purging techniques
Novachem has made it entertaining to learn about purging compounds that clean internal working surfaces of plastics processing machinery.
Operators access an arcade-style purging game online. The game puts the player in the cockpit of a spaceship whose mission is to purge a machine of resin residuals on cylinder walls and screws after the barrel is run empty. Slow players are penalized with an inactive period of downtime. A stealthy ``boss'' button turns the game into a Novachem data sheet.
The InstaEliminator game can be found at www.leverage-marketing.com/InstaEliminator. Novachem of Bridgeport, Conn., makes products like InstaPurge commodity purging compounds and SuperNova high-performance purging compounds for injection molding, extrusion and blow molding.
Tel. 800-672-3984, e-mail [email protected]
New APA elastomers offer improved grip
Advanced Polymer Alloys has extended its elastomer lineup with the DuraGrip TPE 6200 series of versatile, melt-processable materials.
The Wilmington, Del., unit of Ferro Corp. claims the new elastomers have an unusually tactile and rubbery feel, and a unique matte finish well-suited to tool handles and consumer products where good grip is important. Advanced Polymer said the products are available in hardnesses of 20-80 Shore A and in versions compliant with Food and Drug Administration rules.
According to the company, the 6200 series has high tensile strength to make it durable, bonds well to polyolefins, is easy to process and has exceptional elasticity that provides good compression set resistance.
Tel. 888-663-6005 or 302-478-8989, fax 302-478-8166, e-mail [email protected]
Priamus touts latest monitoring system
Priamus System Technologies AG of Schaffhausen, Switzerland, introduced its Shop Floor Control, which gathers, analyzes and manages injection molding data based on cavity pressure and cavity temperature, on a central server through a personal computer, and managed in a central database.
It analyzes up to 128 analog measuring channels per molding machine, without using any local PC on the machine.
The system gives an overview of all the Priamus eDAQ process-monitoring systems, linked together into a network. Machine data and the status of all injection presses can be acquired and displayed.
Priamus Shop Floor Control is designed as a stand-alone server, so every user can access the database from a workstation, laptop or hand-held device.
Priamus' U.S. arm is in Brunswick, Ohio.
Tel. 877-774-2687, fax. 877-678-5062, e-mail [email protected]
Polyshot plate fusion enhances manifolds
Hot-runner manufacturer Polyshot Inc. is using a new plate fusion technology to join the multiple plates of its manifolds.
The West Henrietta, N.Y., firm developed the method in-house.
Benefits include smoother flow paths, excellent color-change capability and better performance in multimaterial molds, where flow paths often need to be different diameters, according to Polyshot. Smooth flow channels are important to make sure molten plastic is delivered to the mold with no hang-up areas, where small amounts of plastic get caught and degrade, causing black specks on finished parts.
``We have worked for the past three years perfecting this process, and now use it on all of our hot-runner manifold systems,'' said Polyshot President Doug Hepler.
Plate fusion also means no turn plugs are required - parts that are difficult to install without some mismatch between the plug and the flow path. Also, no secondary honing of the flow path is needed.
Tel. 585-292-5010, fax. 585-292-5015, e-mail [email protected]