Pad Print Machinery of Vermont solved a difficult challenge: printing on toothbrushes.
``Toothbrush manufacturers were coming to us with a dozen different styles of brushes and handles, and wanted us to invent a printing solution that would work for all of them'' said Pad Print President Julian Joffe.
The company, based in East Dorset, Vt., developed a pad-printing system that automatically loads, pre-tests, prints, post-cures and unloads a minimum of 1,500 pieces an hour.
One solution was a single-color XP-05 pad printer with a rotary table fitted with eight two-up fixtures. Another solution: a four-color XP-13 with automated loading and a built-in corona pre-treater, printing full-process color pictures on a 30-station over/under conveyor feeder, hot air, automated pick-and-place unloading and a post-print curing conveyor oven.
``Our customer was able to greatly increase their production, plus free up two operators from the toothbrush printing line for other jobs in the plant,'' Joffe said.
Tel. 800-272-7764 or 802-362-0844, fax 802-362-0858, e-mail [email protected]
Electrofusion joins
GF pipe, fittings
GF Piping Systems has introduced an Electro Plus electrofusion joining machine for thermoplastic pipe and fittings. The machine is used to join GF pipe, such as Fuseal polypropylene pipe, Fuseal Squared double-containment PP pipe, Fuseal 25/50 polyvinylidene fluoride pipe and PPro-Seal natural PP pipe.
Electrofusion fuses together two thermoplastic parts by electrical heat resistance. A hand-held user interface makes it easy to use. It can fuse multiple joints in a single fusion cycle. A one-button repeat fusion cycle can be used for same-sized joints.
GF Piping Systems, a division of Georg Fischer Corp., is based in Tustin, Calif.
Tel. 800-854-4090 or 714-731-8800, fax 714-731-6923, e-mail [email protected]
EnterpriseIQ targets
masterbatch mixing
IQMS Inc. has released software for makers of masterbatch-type products, such as compounding and processes that use heavy mixing and blending.
Highlights include a comprehensive bill-of-materials (BOM) function; alternative and substitute formulas, BOMs and routings; unlimited, user-defined unit of measures and conversion factors; advanced support for costing decisions; inventory management that tracks different grades, revisions and shelf lives; support for private-label manufacturing and repacking functionality.
IQMS, of Paso Robles, Calif., offers masterbatch software through its EnterpriseIQ.
Tel. 805-227-1122, fax 805-227-1120, e-mail [email protected]
Elysium increases
CAD data translation
Elysium Inc.'s CADdoctor EX3.0 translates computer-aided-design data throughout the entire development, from scanned geometry for modeling to mold-surface preparation for molding parts.
A reverse engineering option in the software can read polygonal data in a stereolithography file, and translate into a CAD model with precise geometry and accurate surfaces and boundaries. The data are then usable, without additional repair or remodeling, in CAD, computer-aided-engineering or even computer-aided-manufacturing processes.
Options include a quality check for injection mold manufacturing that checks models for draft angle, undercut, wall thickness and other issues of manufacturability.
Elysium is based in Southfield, Mich.
Tel. 248-799-9800, e-mail [email protected]
Meech pocket unit
finds static charges
Meech Static Eliminators USA Inc. debuted its new lightweight, pocket-sized unit, the 983v2.
The device gives an accurate measurement of static electrical charges over a wide range of voltages. A ``continuous'' mode measures fluctuation in charge levels. The highest charge can be detected by enabling the ``peak hold'' mode.
Meech is based in Norton, Ohio.
Tel. 330-564-2000, fax 330-564-2005, e-mail [email protected]
Toolbox for Matlab
accesses NAG library
Hey plastics engineers: Does that mathematical formula have you stumped? Find more than 1,300 math and statistical algorithms in the NAG Toolbox for Matlab, from Numerical Algorithms Group Ltd. of Oxford, England.
Matlab users previously had to buy multiple toolboxes to get this additional level of functionality, at a higher cost than the new, single NAG Toolbox, the company said.
The new toolbox gives access to the NAG library, which the group claims is the largest, most comprehensive collection of algorithms available today.
Pricing begins at $2,490 for an individual license. Discounts are available to existing NAG license holders.
The U.S. headquarters, Numerical Algorithms Group Inc., is in Lisle, Ill.
Tel. 630-971-2337, fax 630-971-2706, e-mail [email protected]
New process solves
cut & seal problems
Herrmann Ultrasonics Inc. has introduced a technology it claims solves problems for cut-and-seal applications used in medical, filtration, consumer or rolled-good industries.
Typically, the company said, those types of jobs are limited from anvil wear and inconsistent results, so producers of fabric and film products have to use a two-step process of heating and die-cutting.
In a plunge mode, a standard cutting die is mounted on a new cutting module from Herrmann Ultrasonics.
If a seal pattern is required in addition to the cutting, a fixed anvil can be mounted, the firm said.
The cutting module is a new standard component that can be retrofitted to most cut-and-seal applications, according to the machinery manufacturer in Bartlett, Ill.
Tel. 630-626-1626, fax 630-626-1627, e-mail [email protected] herrmannultra sonics.com.
Briefly …
Engel Machinery Inc. of York, Pa., has named several manufacturers' representative companies. Gem City Plastics Machinery based in Broadview Heights, Ohio, will cover Ohio, Indiana, western Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Stephen L. Lovell Plastics Sales Ltd., in Menominee, Mich., covers Wisconsin. Anton & Associates Inc. of Denton, Texas, handles Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana in the United States and Ciudad Juà rez in Mexico. Tel. 519-836-0220, fax 519-836-7116. ... Krauss Maffei AG, headquartered in Munich, Germany, has sold a KraussMaffei Berstorff automatic QuickSwitch line to Romanian plastic pipe producer Valrom of Bucharest. Valrom is a subsidiary of Italy-based Valsir SpA. Tel. 49-89-8899-2592, fax 49-89-8899-3092. … Kiefel Inc., the Wrentham, Mass.-based supplier of blown film machinery, appointed Auxiplast Inc. of Ste. Julie, Quebec, as its sales representative in Quebec and the Maritime Provinces of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland. Also, Kiefel has expanded the territory of Scherer Plastics Systems LLC of Haslett, Mich., to include Wisconsin and northern Illinois, in addition Scherer's current territory of Michigan, Ohio and Ontario. Tel. 508-384-1200, email [email protected] .com. … W. Amsler Equipment Inc. of Richmond Hill, Quebec, now offers a comprehensive, two-year parts warranty that is standard on all new blow molding machines. The warranty includes normal wear items. Tel. 877-738-2569 or 905-707-6704, fax 905-707-6707. ... Xaloy Inc., the screw and barrel manufacturer based in New Castle, Pa., has named Bernal Industrial Inc. as its sales representative agency for injection products, covering Texas and New Mexico; plus Chihuahua and Sonora, Mexico. Bernal is in El Paso, Texas. Xaloy also opened its own sales and service office in Moscow. In other news, the Ministry of Labor in Thailand has recognized Xaloy's factory in Chonburi, Thailand, for its outstanding labor relations and employee welfare and benefits. Tel. 724-971-2603. ... D-M-E Co. offers the Edge line of mold bases, with 70 sizes available for same-day shipping. Tel. 800-626-6653 or 248-398-6000, fax 888-808-4363. … Under an exclusive agreement, Montreal-based Enovik Inc. will sell and distribute the complete line of rotary filters from Patt Technologies Inc. of St.-Eustache, Quebec. Tel. 514-509-7364.