Tolerance ultrathin in MediFlow tooling
Guill Tool & Engineering Co. Inc. said its MediFlow tooling can turn out ultrathin-tolerance medical tubing that is finer than a single human hair — with tolerances of just 0.002 inch.
The tubing is used for minimally invasive surgical procedures.
MediFlow includes a new head and in-line dies.
Features include:
* Head deflectors that are compacted, with a short axial length, so they are optimized for minimum material residence time and pressures.
* A patented spiral design for thermally balancing the melt far upstream, so the velocities flow equally for the maximum possible length. That produces a very close-tolerance, multilayer tubing.
* The flow in the body can be either a split flow or Guill's new, patent-pending single-flow feed.
* A patented FeatherTouch design allows for easy adjustment of concentricity, without choking off the upstream flow.
In other news, Guill said its crosshead design has enabled extrusion companies to make hose, tube and pipe that complies with California's Proposition 65 environmental law covering safe drinking water and toxic chemical release.
In response to requests for help by a major U.S. garden hose manufacturer, Guill developed a crosshead die that coextrudes hose with two very thin layers of virgin polymer surrounding an inner layer of less-expensive regrind.
Tel. 401-828-7600, fax 401-823-5310, e-mail [email protected]
PSI launches service for repair, rebuilding
PSI-Polymer Systems Inc. has started a repair and rebuild service program for gear pumps, screen changers and static mixers for extrusion that includes the service and repair of non-PSI brands.
Turnaround times are often 24 hours or less, the company said.
The new repair center is located at PSI's headquarters in Hickory, N.C. It has all the equipment needed to perform repairs and rebuilding, including burnout ovens, lathes and milling machines, glass bead machines, hydraulic presses and welding equipment.
All parts are manufactured to ISO 9002 standards and guaranteed for one year. PSI designs and manufactures all products and components.
Tel. 828-345-6264, fax 828-345-6265.
Vecoplan's shredder digests large scrap
Recycling equipment maker Vecoplan LLC of High Point, N.C., said its RG 70-S industrial shredder can tackle plastic waste like large extruder purgings, big reject parts, trim scraps, and baled or loose film.
A large, 25-inch rotor diameter has 84-126 cutting inserts. The shredder is powered by a motor with 150-200 horsepower turning at 125 revolutions per minute. The bit machine is fed by a 10 HP, two-speed hydraulic-feed ram.
Tel. 336-861-6070, e-mail [email protected] vecoplallc.com.
Agr profiler manages
material distribution
Agr International Inc. said its PETWall Profiler monitors and manages material distribution during stretch blow molding of monolayer PET bottles.
The noncontact device measures the entire side wall of the bottle, not just a few critical locations, so it identifies very small changes in material distribution, according to Agr of Butler, Pa.
Agr has developed a solid-state technology that allows the miniaturization of sensing heads. That permits a greater number of heads to be mounted in a smaller area inside the blow molding machine. Depending on the size and shape of the container, heads can be configured with up to 32 measurement locations, spaced at half-inch intervals.
The design can accommodate container sizes as tall as 16 inches.
A digital signal sensing processing unit captures and interprets 52,000 samples per second for each measurement heat. That means the PETWall Profiler can monitor thickness distribution data, in real time, at speeds of more than 100,000 bottles an hour.
Tel. 724-482-2163, e-mail ddineff @agrintl.com.
Hot-fill tester checks bottles for problems
Connell Industries Inc. of Rahway, N.J., said its hot-fill testing equipment is a way to check blow molded PET bottles for potential problems — before hot filling at a customer's beverage operation.
Graham Packaging Co. LP installed one of the hot-fill bottle testing systems at its plant in Rockwell, Texas, Connell said.
Since it is impossible to test every PET bottle made by Graham Packaging, the Connell system inspects a random lot of 28 units, either every 30 minutes or every hour. Graham added the Connell hot-fill equipment to a testing operation that includes vision and leak-detection systems, according to Connell.
Tel. 877-926-6635, e-mail connell @connell-ind.com.
Pad Print's conveyor dries printed parts
Pad Print Machinery of Vermont Inc. has created an infrared conveyor dryer that conveys pad-printed parts through a drying chamber for post-treatment.
President Julian Joffe said the dryer is designed for customers that do high-speed, in-line printing and secondary manufacturing in a single process. The dryer's conveyor belt is 18 inches wide, with a 6-inch clearance inside the chamber. The chamber is 30 inches long. The overall conveyor is 60 inches long. The company is based in East Dorset, Vt.
Tel. 800-272-7764 or 802-362-0844, fax 802-362-0858.
ToolTex's Spin Welder helps seal cylinders
The bench-top Servo Spin Welder from ToolTex Inc. of Grove City, Ohio, provides 80 inch/pounds of peak torque and 200 pounds of clamping force for making permanent seals of cylindrical and spherical pieces.
The footprint measures only 20 inches by 32 inches. The welder can be integrated into an assembly line or set to run independently.
The Servo Spin Welder can weld parts up to 2 inches in diameter, with orientation accuracy within one degree.
Tel. 614-539-3222.
Vac-U-Max system replenishes hoppers
Vac-U-Max bills its Tube Hopper as a nonmechanical way to reload refill hoppers on gravimetric and volumetric feeders running additive flake or powdered polymer.
Tube Hopper is a straight-walled vacuum receiver, with a full opening discharge valve that prevents the material from bridging and rat holing in the hopper, ensuring quick refilling of the hopper below.
The vacuum conveying system uses almost no floor space and is simple to install and maintain because it has few moving parts.
Vac-U-Max is in Belleville, N.J.
Tel. 800-822-8629, e-mail [email protected] vac-u-max.com.
Dymax fluorescence turning plastic red
Dymax Corp. said its Ultra-Red fluorescing technology can be used for making sure medical parts are bonded accurately.
Many plastics naturally fluoresce blue under ultraviolet light, minimizing inspection advantages of using blue-fluorescing adhesives in medical parts, according to the Torrington, Conn., firm.
The Ultra-Red adhesives remain naturally clear until they are exposed to UV light, and then they shine bright red, giving a vivid contrast that makes accurate inspection of the bond line.
Tel. 860-482-1010, fax 860-496-0608, e-mail [email protected]
Ineos marketing line for medical casings
Ineos Polyolefins of Lyndhurst, England, has launched a new polyolefins line geared toward the demands of medical and pharmaceutical packaging.
The Eltex Med series of low density polyethylene is designed for blow-fill-seal technology in pharmaceutical liquid packaging and can replace traditional materials in that use. Typical applications include intravenous bottles and single-dose ampuls for respiratory and ophthalmic treatment solutions where steam treatment of up to 230° F can be required.
The new materials also suit injection molding packaging that can be sterilized with ethylene oxide or radiation treatment of up to 35-kilogrey intensity.
Ineos claims the materials, made at its Bamble, Norway, plant, are consistent and free of contamination. They comply with European Pharmacopeia USP Class VI.
Tel. 32-2-264-3808, fax 32-2-264-3818, e-mail [email protected] .com.
SAS collision sensor keeps robots safe
It's what we all need on our cars: collision sensors that detect an obstacle in advance of a crash. In the case of end-of-arm robotic tooling maker SAS Automation LLC, of course, the sensors stop a robot.
SAS introduced collision sensors that can prevent damage to end effectors, EOAT, parts and machinery.
SAS offers the sensors in four different configurations: a pneumatic high-angle sensor for high-speed robots; a pneumatic sensor that can be easily adjusted for resistance, for stopping the robot; a pneumatic stainless-steel sensor for harsh production environments; and a spring-loaded sensor that provides crash protection when compressed air isn't available.
Tel. 937-372-5255, fax 937-372-5555, e-mail [email protected] mation.com.