At NPE2018, Maguire Products Inc. (Booth W5747) is introducing its compact all-in-one MMT-brand micro tower and the intermediate-range model in its VBD-brand line of vacuum resin dryers.
Suitable for small-volume processing, the micro tower combines loading, dosing, mixing and dispensing functions in one system.
A single controller simultaneously governs the functions of the loader and three material hoppers operating on a loss-in-weight basis.
The MMT micro tower can mix up to three materials in 10-pound batches for injection molding or extrusion with throughputs up to 100 pounds per hour. The mix can include virgin resin, regrind and/or masterbatch materials.
An installer mounts the tower at the throat of a processing machine. No floor space is required for a vacuum pump.
Frank Kavanagh, vice president of sales and marketing, said the micro tower can replace often oversized combinations of separate pieces of equipment.
A lightweight brushless motor drives the blower in the micro tower, and Maguire's patented dust-clearing blow-back system cleans the filters.
In the other introduction, the intermediate-range model in Maguire's VBD line of vacuum resin dryers expands the throughput capacity of these systems. Also, the line introduces an energy-monitoring capability that the firm will make available on all VBD models.
The VBD-600 dryer handles throughputs up to 600 pounds per hour making it suitable for manufacturing of sheet, large automotive parts and other extrusion and molding applications. Now, Maguire offers vacuum drying systems with throughput capabilities ranging from 30-1,000 pounds per hour.
A new controller display on the VBD-600 dryer monitors energy consumption and enables processors to track usage over time. This display is the latest addition to an intuitive control system that enables operators to manage drying parameters by means of a touch screen.
Kavanagh said that the new energy consumption display makes immediately measurable the radical energy efficiency of vacuum drying. Drying polymers can account for as much as 15 percent of the total process energy cost for a molding operation.
Maguire says the VBD model in comparison with desiccant dryers can consume up to 80 percent less energy, dry resin in one-sixth the time and reduce the heat history to which polymer is exposed.
At NPE2018, Maguire Products will also display its lines of gravimetric blenders, liquid color pumps, vacuum dryers, loading systems, auger feeders, granulators and related equipment and software for injection, blow and rotational molders, extrusion processors and compounders.
Maguire has its headquarters and operates six manufacturing facilities in Aston, Pa., just outside of Philadelphia.