Ampacet LIAD (S22097) at NPE2024 will be demonstrating two new LIAD Smart products: SpectroMetric 6 and the BlendSave Compact.
SpectroMetric 6 is a closed-loop automated system that combines advanced AI in-line color measurement technology with color correction software to determine the right pigments needed to correct a color in-line and automatically meter pigments in real time, officials said. Doing so offsets the processing challenges of using post-consumer resin, they added.
SpectroMetric 6 is operated from a single touchscreen controller and incorporates five patented FluxQF monopigments formulated for quick flow color distribution during extrusion.
SpectroMetric 6 software determines which pigment combination will correct the color and simultaneously weighs each pigment individually while metering the mixture directly into the extruder with the base colorant and PCR resin blend.
The BlendSave Compact is a space-saving, automated resin management and blending system. Officials said it offers extreme flexibility, blending up to 40 raw materials while distributing individual recipes to any 10 machines for total accuracy of blends with zero contamination or human mistakes.
The BlendSave Compact has a footprint of only 6 by 6 feet (1.8 by 1.8 meters) of floor space and a height of 14 feet (4.3 meters). The unit uses patented weighing and blending technology to manage an increasing number of resin, post-consumer material and recipe change requirements. It has throughput of as much as 3,300 pounds or 1,500 kilograms per hour.
"With increased [post-consumer] sustainability requirements, extruding or molding plastic products while maintaining color specifications is not an easy task," LIAD Smart Commercial Director Doug Brownfield said. "LIAD Smart offers in-line color measurement and correction technologies that prevent color from deviating out of specification."
At the Ampacet LIAD booth, interactive demonstrations of the Spectro system will show how it can measure color in-line and during the film extrusion process. The system is designed for injection molding, blow molding and extrusion, and it allows manufacturers to maintain uniform color standards both in-house and with contract processors around the world.
Also featured will be Eigen Innovations' machine vision software integration with surface defect detection and color measurement combined in an interactive software program. Ampacet LIAD is working with Eigen Innovations to improve color quality in plastic part production.
Eigen's machine vision solutions use camera sensors, Edge processors, and machine and network connectivity to generate digital records with quality and process data on every part produced. Operators then can review records flagged by machine learning models trained and managed in the solution software.
Ampacet is one of North America's 30 largest compounders and concentrate makers. The firm employs more than 2,000 at 25 manufacturing sites worldwide and has annual sales of more than $1 billion.
Ampacet entered the machinery market in 2020 when it acquired LIAD Weighing and Control Systems Ltd., a maker of feeders and blenders based in Israel.