D. Weisman designs new infrared heater
In an ever-faster world, David Weisman LLC offers relatively slow response infrared heaters for thermoforming.
The heaters have superior temperature uniformity across the heater faces, according to the Stamford, Conn., company. They can be outfitted with a composite, neo-ceramic face of a special glass or a metal face.
Heaters may be used as stand-alones or as part of a sheet-fed or indexing system.
Tel. 203-322-9978, fax 909-498-9406, e-mail [email protected] .com.
Bunting's ValueMag adds more options
Bunting Magnetics Co.'s ValueMag line of magnetic separation products has added several options.
The line will include magnetic cartridges, plate magnets, grate magnets, liquid line traps, two-drawer grate-in-housing magnets and sight-glass magnets. These products join the existing magnetic holding assemblies under the ValueMag line.
Tel. 800-835-2526 or 316-284-2020, e-mail [email protected] netics.com.
Polyfil's Ecocell reduces resin use
Additive concentrates maker Polyfil Corp. has launched Ecocell, a technology that company officials said can reduce resin use by as much as 50 percent.
Ecocell also can lessen a material's carbon footprint by as much as 45 percent, according to officials with Rockaway, N.J.-based Polyfil. The Ecocell process infuses small particles of gas-generating additives into the polymer melt during processing.
After a chemical reaction, the particles release a small volume of gas that produces a cellular structure at a size that can't be achieved with current chemical foaming agent technology, officials said. This process will expand a polymer by as much as twice its volume, with little or no penalty to energy consumption.
The Ecocell process can be used in a number of resins including polyethylene, polypropylene and polystyrene; and with applications like thermoforming, sheet and structural foam molding. To date, top uses for Ecocell have been in PS and thermoforming, a company spokesperson said.
Polyfil operates out of a 60,000-square-foot plant in Rockaway.
Tel. 866-765-9345, fax 973-627-7344, [email protected]
Profile extruder adds R&D, prototype line
Profile extruder Keller Products Inc. has set up a special extrusion line for prototyping and customer research and development at its plant in Bow, N.H.
The line has two extruders: a Davis-Standard with a 11/2-inch screw diameter and 11/4-inch Thermoplast unit. It can be run in coextrusion or regular single extrusion. The line also has drying equipment and haul-off units.
Manchester, N.H.-based Keller Products moved existing extruders to create the R&D line.
Keller is gaining a reputation for quick-turnaround prototyping, said James Decknick, vice president of sales and marketing. The firm has helped customers — and some resin suppliers — to run trials of extruded profiles from polylactic acid and other bioresins, conductive plastics and wood-plastic composites.
“It's almost like we're inventing the product with them,” he said.
Customers also can do small production runs, then switch to one of Keller's 21/2-inch and 31/2-inch extruders for larger runs.
President John Hudson said the R&D line helps Keller get closer to customers. “Our customers like the convenience of being able to come in to either run different materials or change the designs all in one day,” he said.
Tel. 877-209-9359, e-mail [email protected] kellerproducts.com.
Bioadditive based on ethanol residuals
Cana BioProducts LLC has developed a plastics additive based on residual materials from ethanol production.
DDS Bio Composite can act as a chemical foaming agent and as a compatibilizer for blending different polymers, according to the Payson, Ariz., firm.
Cana BioProducts claims that when used in injection molding the new additive lowers part cost, cuts cycle time, provides lightweighting and adds an environmentally friendly aspect to a product. The biocomposite is a blend of a biopolymer, microfiber filler and fatty acids in a polar polymer carrier.
The additive generates carbon dioxide in the molding process to create a microcellular composite structure through an environmentally friendly foaming process. Resultant bubbles are only 1-50 microns in size and they surround individual particles. The nucleating action can reduce cycle time between 10 percent and 50 percent, Cana BioProducts claims.
An added benefit is the product's ability to eliminate the pack and hold phase of the molding cycle.
Tel. 888-461-3529, fax 941-637-8183, e-mail [email protected] .com.
Gammaflux gears controllers to SVG
Gammaflux LP designed its SVGC line for sequential valve-gate hot-runner applications.
SVGC systems provide speed, accuracy and repeatability to control the process better.
Gammaflux offers the product with both hot-runner temperature control and sequential valve-gate control in one enclosure, with one interface and one menu for the hot runner and sequence.
The integrated systems can open or close eight, 16 or 32 valve gates. Stand-alone systems are available for just sequential valve-gate control.
Gammaflux is based in Sterling, Va.
Tel. 800-284-4477 or 703-471-5050, fax 703-689-2131, e-mail [email protected]
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