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Product news

  BST system monitors label-wrap machines
BST Pro Mark has introduced the ProSleeve for measuring lay-flat sleeves used as label wraps around plastic bottles and food containers.

ProSleeve monitors and controls machines that produce the sleeves by using a high-resolution camera to measure the actual width of the sleeves as they are being made on a seamer machine. The system notifies the operator when the actual size falls out of specifications or begins to drift.

ProSleeve measures commonly used sleeve substrates, such as PVC, PET, oriented polystyrene and styrenic block copolymers. Elmhurst, Ill.-based BST makes web-inspection, guiding and control equipment.

Tel. 630-833-9000, fax 630-833-9909, e-mail sales@bstpromark.com.

  Magnets hold blades in Parkinson’s slitter
Parkinson Technologies Inc. designed its model DRS dual razor slitter for film and sheet extrusion applications.

The company in Woonsocket, R.I., is billing the DRS as a low-maintenance, cost-effective alternative to more complex dual-slitter designs.

For safety, the dual blades are completely guarded whether they are retracted or extended. Because the blades are held in place magnetically, either of the two blades can be installed or removed easily.

The DRS slitter mounts on a standard dovetail bar, so it can be retrofitted onto non-Parkinson-brand winders.

The DRS can make slits as narrow as 1½ inches, thanks to its design, which has a lower profile and is more compact than previous Parkinson slitters.

Tel. 401-762-2100.

  ACS control modules integrate functions
ACS Motion Control has expanded its product line to include enclosures for controllers with two to four axes. The MC4U units come in 9- and 11-inch sizes.

The enclosures integrate controllers, drives, power supplies and additional input/output and networking capabilities to control all machine functions — motion, logic, power and data.

The control modules are designed for panel or rack mounting.

The Plymouth, Minn., firm makes multi-axis motion controllers, machine control systems and integrated control modules.

Tel. 800-545-2980, e-mail evanr@acsmotioncontrol.com.

  Fiberglass reinforces Ferro’s new offerings
Ferro Corp. is offering new fiberglass-reinforced compounds and color concentrates.

Gapex HP is a chemically coupled, glass-reinforced polypropylene that can provide up to 30 percent higher tensile strength and rigidity compared with standard Gapex compounds, according to the Cleveland firm.

Ferro said Gapex HP allows lower glass loadings without sacrificing performance. Gapex HP has better molding properties and lower scrap rates than long-fiber-reinforced products and at lower cost per pound, Ferro claims.

Appliance, seating and automotive under-the-hood parts are among potential uses.

Ferro said it has developed a more cost-effective line of white color concentrates for high-volume needs such as packaging and appliances. They provide the same physical and mechanical properties and meet the same color standards as traditional white colorants, Ferro said.

For Gapex HP, tel. 812-435-2181; for colorants, tel. 419-682-3311 ext. 1166.

  German firm Zwick opens R&D center
Testing instruments maker Zwick GmbH & Co. KG is concentrating its activities in the plastics sector by launching a research and development center.

Helmut Fahrenholz heads the Ulm, Germany-based center.

Zwick has introduced several products, including the HIT230F drop tester for multiple-axis penetration tests and compression-after-impact tests.

Zwick is based in Ulm. Its U.S. unit, Zwick USA LP, is in Kennesaw, Ga.

Tel. 770-420-6555, fax 770-420-6333.

  Sabic IP introduces Lexan sheet grades
Sabic Innovative Plastics has introduced two new grades of its Lexan-brand polycarbonate sheet.

Lexan ULG1003 112OQ offers superior optical quality for a range of automotive and transportation applications, according to the company. In such uses, it provides clarity with light weight, and minimal ripple, distortion and optical defects.

The new resin is featured on the roof panels, canopies and rear triangular windows of the new Spyker C8 Laviolette car.

Sabic also has developed nine-wall Lexan Thermoclear sheet to cut down on energy costs in residences and commercial buildings.

Compared with multipane glass, Lexan Thermoclear provides superior insulation, light weight, and high impact resistance, stiffness and ultraviolet-light protection, according to the Pittsfield, Mass., company.

Tel. 800-845-0600 or 413-448-7110, e-mail productinquiries@sabic-ip.com.

  Dynamic Conveyor’s tumbler divides parts
Dynamic Conveyor Corp. has redesigned its DynaCon tumbler separator so that one machine can be used to separate a variety of different-sized parts.

The separator is designed to divide parts and runners. A rotating cage has an interchangeable sleeve, with custom-sized holds, to meet changing needs for separation.

The sleeves can be changed in less than a minute, the company said.

Cage lengths come in 2, 4 and 6 feet, with an adjustable part introduction height of 1½-4 inches.

There are no complicated gear mechanisms to jam or break, according to Muskegon, Mich.-based DynaCon.

Tel. 231-798-1483, fax 231-798-7739, e-mail marketing@dynamicconveyor.com.

  LyondellBasell offers several new resins
Resin supplier LyondellBasell Industries AF SCA of Rotterdam, Netherlands, has announced a series of new materials.

* LyondellBasell has launched a family of butene-1 based polymers for elastic applications. Koattro resins are aimed at film, fiber, tapes, closure lines and aesthetic injection molding. They are highly compatible with polypropylene and improve that polymer’s flexibility, transparency, impact resistance, tensile properties and stress-whitening tendencies.

The company combines softness at Shore A 70 hardness rating and a compression set of 45 percent that is nearly constant up to the melting temperature of 237°F.

Koattro plastomers are easier to regrind and recycle than conventional cross-linked plastomers, according to LyondellBasell. Automotive uses also are possible in areas such as dashboards, wire and cable and heat-resistant skins. Reduced stress whitening makes parts produced from the resins easier to install.

Tel. 39-053-246-8559, e-mail ste fano.pasquali@lyondellbasell.com.

* The company has introduced a high density polyethylene especially well-suited to blow molded bottles.

Hostalen ACP 5231D provides a combination of optimized density, tailor-made stiffness, high environmental stress crack resistance and easy processability.

The firm claims the resin’s ESCR is up to three times greater than a typical HDPE with the same density. LyondellBasell achieves high ESCR by a customized, multimodal molecular weigh distribution in its advanced cascade process.

Tel. 49-69-305-15854, fax 49-69-305-1929227, e-mail helmut.gersema@lyondellbasell.com.

* LyondellBasell has introduced a low-melt-flow rate propylene-based copolymer for extrusion blow molding.

Pristene RM2091 has a melt-flow rate of 3.5 grams per 10 minutes. It also has high transparency with only 2 percent haze in an injection molded plaque vs. 6-10 percent haze for previous resins. It also provides high clarity to stiffness balance, according to the firm’s global metocene business unit in Wilmington, Del.

RM2091’s high-melt stability makes it suited for applications requiring intricate design such as clear handles in extrusion-molded bottles. Its high clarity and stiffness make it a potential replacement for amorphous transparent polymers including polycarbonate, vinyl and glycol-modified PET. LyondellBasell said the new material does not require pre-drying or high processing temperatures.

Tel. 302-559-2948, e-mail amit.gupta@lyondellbasell.com.

  LRM Industries goes commercial with its sheetless thermoforming
LRM Industries LLC made its name in recent years with a process it calls Thermo-Plastic Flow molding, or TPF. The Rockledge-based joint venture of Nova Chemicals Corp. and Envirokare Tech Inc. has won several awards for long-fiber thermoplastic parts molded around metal cores, used to make structures for NASA and the U.S. Air Force.

LRM’s latest trademarked process, for Sheetless Thermoforming Technology (SFT), commercializes a line developed in 2007.

The line produces large thermoformed parts on three to five trolleys that move around a circular track, coating molten plastic directly into thermoforming molds. This eliminates the need for preformed sheet, Senior Vice President Jim Callough said in a Nov. 3 telephone interview.

“The trolleys have all the elements necessary for molding onboard — water and vacuums, et cetera,” he said. The line is custom fabricated, except for the extruder and mixer, which are sourced outside LRM, he said. “How we handle the sheet, that’s the magic — that’s where we hold the patent,” Callough said.

Coating thermoforming molds directly allows the production of deep-draw products with minimum thinning and a wide range of polymers can be used, he said. LRM’s primary product using the new technology is storm-water chambers.

SFT parts are limited to 18 feet in length, he said. With three trolleys, the line can form 400-450 parts per day; with five trolleys, that goes up to 650 parts per day, he said.

Tel. 321-635-9797, email jcallough@lrmind.com.

  Croda UV absorber aids transparency
Croda Polymer Additives has launched a new type of inorganic ultraviolet absorber.

The Goole, England, company says its Solasorb series delivers high UV protection and improved transparency compared to conventional nano-powders.

Solasorb is based on ultrafine metal oxides that allow greater dispersion and clarity. Unlike conventional organic UV absorbers, the new Croda materials have low migration and long-term UV protection. Croda makes Solasorb using patented technology.

Croda is aiming Solasorb at clear film and bottle applications. Such packaging can protect against the harmful effects of UV light, improving shelf appeal and protecting nutritional values. The product is available in a fully dispersed liquid form or in a polymer carrier suitable for polyethylene and polypropylene.

Tel. 44-1405-860551, fax 44-1405-861767, e-mail pa-europe@croda.com.

  Worthen’s UV curing replaces oven drying
Worthen Industries Inc. has debuted an all-solids ultraviolet-cured coating for use on thermoplastic polyolefins and other durable plastics.

SZ-0760 has very low gloss and adheres well to TPO, PVC, polyvinyl butyrate and most elastomers. The clear coating is suited to auto dashboards, composite resilient flooring, furniture and other end uses.

Worthen of Nashua, N.H., says UV cure takes place in minutes and eliminates an oven-drying process and its hazards of volatile organic compounds and fire.

Tel. 800-967-8436, ext. 292 or 603-888-5443, fax 603-888-7945, e-mail jfanara@worthenind.com.

  Concentrate boasts wood-grain effects
Americhem Inc. has debuted a concentrate that produces lasting, realistic wood-grain effects.

The Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, firm says nGrainT builds wood-grain effects directly into the formulation rather than just on the surface as in the cases of embossing and laminated film. The product will not delaminate, crack or be nicked, Americhem claims. Random grain effects help make the product look real. The formulation can be adjusted to give a range of wood-like effects such as bold grains to subtle feathering.

nGrainT can be used in monoextruded, coextruded and foamed products such as siding, cladding, fencing and injection molded accessories like fence-post caps. It is effective in several resin systems, including ABS, polyethylene, vinyl and polystyrene. It also is suited to wood composites with PE, polypropylene and vinyl.

Tel. 330-929-4213, ext. 1363, e-mail sblanchard@americhem.com.

  Sabic takes on chopstick waste
A partnership between Japan’s tableware manufacturer Sanshin Kako KK and Sabic Innovative Plastics LP is taking the first steps toward eliminating a kind of consumer waste unique to Asia — disposable chopsticks.

While there are alternatives to the flimsy wooden utensils handed out at restaurants across Asia, Sabic and Hiroshima-based Sanshin Kako are distributing a product that is reusable and made of recycled plastic. The utensils are made of Valox iQ, a polybutylene terephthalate resin made, in-part, from post-consumer PET.

“The use of Valox iQ resin for Sanshin Kako’s new line of chopsticks helped them achieve two environmental goals: the development of a product that is both reusable and made from upcycling post-consumer plastic bottles,” said Takashi Hata, president Sabic Innovative Plastics, Japan, in a statement.

The material, Valox iQ 420 HP resin, is made up of around 87 percent post-consumer PET bottles.

“Sabic Innovative Plastics developed the iQ resin platform as part of our sustainability program focused on environmentally responsible solutions,” Hata said.

The material can hold molded-in color and can be washed in automatic dishwashers. In addition, Pittsfield-based Sabic IP said the material, when compared with other engineering thermoplastics on the market, provides a carbon dioxide reduction of around 50 percent.

Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries has been pushing to find solutions to the country’s chopstick waste. More than 68.5 million chopsticks are used and discarded in Japan daily, making up 600,000 pounds of waste. During the course of a year, the average Japanese person discards 200 pairs of chopsticks.

The Valox iQ material has been approved by the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare and also meets requirements in Europe to be used in food contact applications.

Sabic expects approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in the next few months.

  Teknor debuts TPE color concentrates
Teknor Color Co. has introduced concentratres for copolyester thermoplastic elastomers.

The new series is compliant with Europe’s Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive. Products are for engineering grade end-uses and come in a range of colors, said the Pawtucket, R.I., company.

The TPEs contain no heavy metals but provide the same intensity and coloring efficiency as conventional colors in engineering TPEs. The concentrates were specially developed for materials like DuPont’s Hytrel. Potential applications include wire and cable insulation, injection and blow molded parts, film, sheet and profiles.

Tel. 800-554-9885 or 401-725-8000, fax 401-724-8520, e-mail info@teknorcolor.com.

  PolyOne materials are phthalate-free
PolyOne Corp. has developed PVC masterbatches that don’t contain phthalates.

The Avon Lake, Ohio, company said the new products are a good choice for toys, packaging, medical devices and consumer goods that must meet stringent international standards. They can be injection molded, extruded and extrusion blow molded.

PolyOne said it will customize the color for the new materials, assisted by a color and additives center in Assesse, Belgium.

Tel. 440-930-3323, e-mail david.stonecipher@polyone.com.

  Bayer medical line offers array of colors
Bayer MaterialScience LLC has developed a new range of colors for medical applications.

The Rx Medical line, which is based on Leda-compounding color technology, is compliant with the biocompatibility standard of ISO 10993-1. The line allows new color choices beyond the beige and white chosen for most medical applications.

The new family includes four Makrolon polycarbonate resins that can be used for drug-delivery devices and components of surgical instruments, said the Pittsburgh firm.

The main Rx Medical colors are Electro, medium blue tempered with gray; First Aid, a light brown dabbling in gray; Stat, a red/purple/gray hybrid, and X-Ray, white tinted with a hint of gray.

Tel. 800-662-2927, e-mail pcinfo@bayer.com.

  Stabilizer targets foam sheet, profiles
Rohm and Haas Co. has developed a foam cell stabilizer for cellular PVC foam sheet and extruded profiles.

Acrylic-based Paraloid SureCel provides lower-density cellular PVC with performance equal to higher-density cellular products, according to the Philadelphia-based company. It provides even expansion and superior cell uniformity across wide-sheet dies with less shrinkage, and leads to a lower-gloss surface that is easy to coat and print.

Paraloid SureCel processes at lower temperatures than conventional stabilizers, reducing energy consumption and the risk of yellowing, and is easily substituted in existing formulations.

Tel. 215-592-6999. e-mail crobertmartin@rohmhaas.com.

  Masterbatch mimics brushed aluminum
A new masterbatch from Ampacet Corp. provides a brushed-aluminum effect.

Brushed Brilliance replicates the luster and textural nuances of metal at a fraction of the cost, and without the design restrictions of metal, according to Tarrytown, N.Y.-based Ampacet. The product does not require color mixing or cleanup and disposal of ink and chemicals, Ampacet said.

Brushed Brilliance relies on Ampacet’s Formula X PET technology, which doesn’t require pre-drying and allows direct feeding into extruder’s throat.

Tel. 513-247-5412, e-mail douglas.brownfield@ampacet.com.

  Relialine 170 heater offers adaptability
St. Louis-based Watlow Electric Manufacturing Co. said its Relialine 170 is the first modular line heater that can be delivered quickly and easily installed.

Watlow can configure a heater for specific applications. Any individual heater segment can be removed to speed servicing, decreasing downtime.

Relialine 170 fits inside the outside diameter of standard tubing, to give close contact with maximum surface coverage.

Tel. 314-878-4600, fax 314-878-6814, e-mail info@watlow.com.

  Pneumatic lines OK with Bulk-X-Change
Coperion Waeschle GmbHh & Co. KG said its Bulk-X-Change heat exchanger for bulk materials can be integrated directly into pneumatic conveying lines. It had been limited to gravimetric lines.

The powder to be pneumatically conveyed enters the vertically arranged heat exchanger from below. Bulk-X-Change is suitable for free-flowing powders and granules and fine-particle powders, according to the Weingarten, Germany-based company.

Tel. 49-751-408-322, fax 49-751-4089-9578, e-mail andrea.trautman@coperion.com.

  DataRecorder adds onto Dialog system
Welding equipment supplier Herrmann Ultrasonics Inc., of Bartlett, Ill., said its DataRecorder is a Windows-based, add-on software package for the firm’s Dialog system.

It serves as a central location to network up to 16 separate Dialog systems. Up to 40 different weld parameters are collected and recorded for each weld cycle.

Tel. 630-626-1626, fax 630-626-1627, e-mail info@herrmannultrasonics.com.

  Makroblend aims at ultrathin electronics
Bayer MaterialScience LLC says it is aiming at ultrathin consumer electronics applications with its new polycarbonate/polyester resin blend.

Makroblend UT5205 is especially well-suited to metal insert molding. Plastic/metal hybrids provide stiffness, durability and desired aesthetic effects, according to the Pittsburgh-based company.

The new blend is formulated to accommodate stresses built in during molding and during heating and cooling cycles when the product is in use. It also resists chemicals like suntan lotion and hydrolysis.

According to Bayer, the new material also could be used in other applications where resistance to stress and chemicals is important.

Tel. 800-662-2927, e-mail pcinfo@bayer.com.

  In-line unit converts PET flake to strapping
Erema North America Inc. of Ipswich, Mass., offers an in-line system to produce PET strapping from reclaimed bottle flake, at a rate of up to 1,452 pounds per hour of strapping bands.

It combines Erema’s Vacurema basic 1308 TE-VSV and a Tight Strap 300 stretching machine from Techno Plastic srl of Modena, Italy. Erema’s parent company, Erema Recycling Maschinen und Anlagen GmbH, demonstrated the line at an October open house in Ansfelden, Austria.

Tel. 978-356-3771, e-mail thanrahan@erema.net.

  Lubricants extend life of gearboxes
Belesta, a division of Belzona Polymerics Ltd. of Harrogate, England, offers lubricants to reduce friction on extruder gearboxes, extending their life.

A poorly lubricated gearbox can consume up to 10 percent extra power, Belesta said.

The lubricant concentrates are added, at 5 percent, to the host lubricant. The lubricant is electronically bound to the metal surface in a mono-molecular layer.

Tel. 44-1423-567-641, fax 44-1423-505-967.

  QuadCam uses 3D to guard machines
A new machine guarding system from Castell Interlocks Inc. uses three-dimensional imaging to eliminate the potential for human error and tampering, according to the Erlanger, Ky., firm.

QuadCam’s detection technology identifies objects and people moving in and around industrial machinery. It can distinguish between one or two people, with real-time tracking of all people within its field of view.

Machinery cannot be restarted until the entire detection zone is clear. The detection system ignores background objects, to avoid nuisance alarms.

Users can define warning and shutdown zones. When the warning zone is breached, QuadCam quickly gives visual and audible warnings, and can provide a signal to slow machinery. Entering the shutdown zone stops the equipment within milliseconds.

A single imager can monitor an 8- by 10-foot zone. Up to 10 imagers can be managed by a single controller.

Tel. 859-341-3075, fax 859-957-1577, e-mail salesmktg@castell.com.

  LPKF stand-alone unit laser-welds housings
LPKF Laser & Electronics North America, of Tualatin, Ore., has introduced the LQ-Power, an off-the-shelf laser plastic welding system for electronic enclosures and sensor housings used mainly in the automotive industry.

The laser system meets a laser safety rating of Class 1, and features real-time quality control and data logging of the welding process, for each part.

LQ-Power comes with a rotary table for manual or automatic material feeding. It can be loaded and unloaded during a welding cycle. Maximum part size is limited to 9 inches by 9 inches.

Tel. 503-454-4212, fax 503-682-7151, e-mail mcasebeer@lpkfusa.com.


  
 
 

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