Cleveland — Orenda Automation Technologies Inc., which introduced its Airforce air-cooled pulverizer in 2014, is getting ready to roll out a stage two model — aimed at running difficult-to-pulverize materials.
Nicholas Tsouras, special projects engineer, gave some basic information about the new machine in a presentation at the Society of Plastics Engineers' Rotational Molders Conference.
Traditionally, pulverizers have used water to cool the mill. Orenda officials said the Airforce is the first time air cooling has been used — giving much higher output of up to twice as much, while keeping the blades cool.
“We effectively remove heat from the blades during the process, so the blades remain relatively cool,” Tsouras said.
He said the stage two Airforce is undergoing testing in Europe. Customers have brought materials to Orenda for testing and samples. Some of these are hard to pulverize — what Tsouras called “the demons.”
The new Airforce can pulverize materials that, up until now, have to be pulverized in small qualities, by costly cryogenic grinding, Tsouras said.
The stage two Airforce is not commercial yet, Tsouras said. But the rotomolding industry should be aware the technology exists to pulverize exotic materials, he said.
