e-Weekly News Briefs, September 3-8

Tag : Non-Woven Fabric

E-Weekly
Sep 8th, 2008 Print this article e-Weekly News Briefs, September 3-8
By Modern Plastics Editorial Staff


MPWs Product Watch


Shredders use serrated plates to secure scrap
A new line of single-shaft shredders, which is designed forprocessing plastic waste for reclamation and recycling, can handlelarge extruder purgings. The CXS1500, CXS2000, and CXS3000shredders feature rugged construction and numerous configurations.Three different rotor types are available, and each rotor isequipped with square cutters (60 mm) for efficient materialcutting. The manufacturer says the system has also reduced heatbuild-up to limit plastic degradation.
Serrated ram plates hold materials onto the rotor, makingprocessing bulky pieces easier, and a swing-style ram minimizesspace and allows product to fall into the rotor, which measures29.5 inches (750 mm) in diameter for positive ingestion. Outboardmounted bearings reduce contamination, and the manufacturer saysbolted-in cutter seats allow for easy removal and maintenance. Thelow-speed rotor, which runs at 54 rpm, transmits high-cuttingtorque for tough applications.
Cumberland Engineering, Attleboro, MA, U.S.A.; +1 608-848-9584; www.cumberland-plastics.com

New control lets processors opt for remote control on auxiliaries
The newest edition of the ControlWorks central system controlallows users to perform remotely almost any of the basicoperational functions that would normally take place on the plantfloor. From a central location within a manufacturing plant, oranywhere in the world using a virtual private network (VPN), userscan monitor the operation of their blenders, loaders, dryers, andheat-transfer equipment, and make changes to primary process setpoints.
ControlWorks is a real-time production and process monitoringcontrol that combines customizable software with data-collectionhardware in a package that integrates with most all equipment fromthis supplier. Easy-to-read screens allow users to navigate fromone type of equipment to another, reviewing or changing equipmentsettings, responding to alarms or accessing production archiveddata. Typical equipment access is through workstations connected toa plant-wide local area network. Similar access is also availablethrough a secure VPN web-based interface, and ControlWorks canautomatically e-mail system priority alarms to key personnel on aneed-to-know basis.
It can be set up to allow two different pathways to monitorauxiliary equipment. The first would be to view all devices of agiven type: all loaders, for instance, or all dryers, all blendersand so on. The system is modular, so processors can implement someor all of its capabilities. Some users will want to useControlWorks to manage just one or two kinds ofequipment—blenders and dryers, for instance—while othersmay choose to integrate all their auxiliaries. There are currentlynine modules in all. Conair Group Inc., Cranberry Township, PA,U.S.A.; +1 800-654-6661; info@conairgroup.com ; www.conairnet.com

Welders add parameter storage database
As a complement to its DIALOG system, a maker of ultrasonic weldingmachines now offers an add-on, Windows-based software packagecalled DATARecorder. The program, which is loaded onto a standalonecomputer and serves as a central location to network up to 16separate DIALOG systems, is designed for data management andcommunication. Up to 40 different weld parameters are collected andrecorded for each weld cycle, and DATARecorder then calculates meanvalues, standard deviation, process centeredness (Cp), and processcapability index (Cpk). Users can also choose to import this welddata into their own spreadsheets or statistical process control(SPC) software. Herrmann Ultrasonics Inc., Bartlett IL, U.S.A.; +1630 626-1626; www.herrmannultrasonics.com

CMM fills the size gap
This manufacturer of measurement and testing equipment now offersits new TomoScope HV Compact coordinate measuring machine, fillinga gap between its large TomoScope HV 500 and the small TomoScope200. The TomoScope HV Compact is suitable for measuringhigh-density components made of glass-fiber reinforced plastics,aluminum, steel, titanium, composite materials, and ceramics. TheTomoScope machines have a specification for contact and lengthmeasurement deviations, as is typical for CMMs. Atypical is thatthis supplier claims to be the only one able to guarantee thetraceability of measurement results to the length standard ofGermanys National Measurement Institute as applied on the actualworkpiece. Raster tomography ensures small features can be measuredat high resolution, even on large parts. Measurement of workpiecesconstructed or assembled from multiple materials is facilitated.Werth Messtechnik, Giessen, Germany ( www.werthmestechnik.de ) and Werth Inc. Old, Saybrook, CT, U.S.A. ( www.werthinc.com )

Bulk material equipment on display at Pack Expo
A comprehensive range of standard and custom-made conveying andbulk-bag handling equipment, as well as two new products, will beon display from Spiroflow Systems Inc. (Charlotte, NC) at Pack ExpoInternational (Nov. 9-13, 2008; Booth #S-3018; McCormick Place,Chicago). Among the new products is what the company describes asan economic range called Spirostore flexible silos that provideflexible storing of bulk solids and ingredients.
Made of a durable, flexible, polyester fabric thats supported on asteel frame, Spiroflow says the Spirostore is an alternative tosteel or aluminum silos. The silos can store 7000 cu ft of dry bulkmaterial and support weights up to 90,000 lb. Each Spirostore canbe customized to suit specific customer requirements in terms ofspace available, product specifications, and how the product shouldbe discharged. In addition, the silos can be mobile or stationary.
Also new is the Aero-Mechanical Conveyor (AMC) AutoTensioner. TheAMC AutoTensioner reportedly opens up a variety of additionalapplications, with added benefits of reduced downtime andmaintenance, as well as increased service life. Spiroflow Systems,Charlotte, NC, U.S.A.; +1 704-291-9595, www.spiroflowsystems.com .

Secondary processing: Vertical dual-head trimmer / deflasher
New is the Model 242 vertical dual-head trimmer / deflasherdesigned for use with elastomeric, thermoplastic, or bonded metalinsert parts. The new unit is said to offer the speed and accuracyneeded to reduce problems with breakage or compromise on criticalpart dimensions for cryogenic deflashing. The trimmer/deflasher isequipped with two digitally-controlled oscillating knife bladeunits on top of a multi-task head plate. The blade angles are setby micrometer level in .1° increments at