Orlando, Fla. — Conair showcased upgraded machines and presenting more energy efficient products during NPE2024 in Orlando.
Conair's new EH drying hopper is an improvement with its mass flow and heat distribution compared to past models.
"These are replacing most sizes of our CH Hoppers, and these have extra thick insulation stainless steel interior aluminum skin. They are very easy to clean and energy efficient," said Sam Rajkovich, vice president of sales and marketing for Conair.
The hoppers can come in sizes ranging from 1 cubic foot up to 52 cubic feet and are capable of delivering flow rates from 5 to 525 pounds per hour for most resins. The stainless steel surface and 60-degree angle will help increase the mass flow of pellets. There is also less resistance with materials or dust with the stainless steel.
Another updated product Conair released is the SmartFLX Mini Control, that can support vacuum conveying systems up to three vacuum pumps and maximum 12 receivers.
Conair also refreshed its MicroTemp Thermolator to be more accessible for smaller machines. It is now available in two control packages, touch and basic. The machine is also compact enough to be tucked under a small injection molding machine.
TrueBlend TB-T Blender was newly developed to deliver precise material blends with up to four ingredients, using low throughputs. The machine can do one to 100 pounds an hour and has a blend accuracy of less than one percent.
The design is compact at less than 24 inches tall. It is equipped with a seven-inch LCD touchscreen control that uses Conair's common control interface. Using Conair's controls allows for companies to have quick and easy set ups with their machines.
"Our feed forward dosing algorithm for high precision accuracy, one of the greatest features about this is you can remove all the hoppers without removing the loading system," Rajkovich said.
The latest version of Conair's Smart Granulator control, SG2 is specifically for predictive maintenance capabilities for larger Viper granulators. It shares the Conair common control interface like other machines and a new PLC platform that can connect to the shredders, conveyors and evacuation system.
The SG2 fixes a problem Conair heard from manufacturers and customers and has more tracking ability on maintenance. The machine collects data through sensors and notifies on equipment performances, like knife changes.
"The problem we're trying to solve is normally with a granulator by the time you have a problem, it's too late," Rajkovich said. "We have logic and sensors built into the equipment, we can capture things like blade dullness."