Strictly-Extrusion

Frankfurt, 11 May 2009. The new Elaflon® PTFE universal hoses, developed by Elaflex-Gummi Ehlers GmbH (Hamburg, Germany) in partnership with ContiTech Schlauch GmbH (Korbach, Germany), are equipped with a seamlessly-extruded and smooth lining made of Teflon® PTFE 62. The fluoropolymer combines a high degree of flexural fatigue strength and stress crack resistance with high thermal stability and, in addition, is resistant to almost all media present in the food, pharmaceutical and chemical industries. It is categorized by the American FDA (Food and Drug Association) in the USP Class VI, and, because the PTFE lining is electrically dissipative across its whole surface, the new hoses may also be used in Ex-Zone 0 and 1.
Because there is no cross-contamination or discoloration of media caused by the lining made of Teflon®, the Elaflon® PTFE universal hoses are also suitable for high-purity products, e.g. for the production of pharmaceuticals. The inherent non-stick properties of PTFE prevent the settling of residues – particularly when carrying highly-viscous media – and also facilitate cleaning of the hoses. These factors, as well as their fast dischargeability for cleaning purposes or during a media change, can create cost benefits during production.
The cured-on, multilayered outer coating of the Elaflon® PTFE universal hoses consists of a special adhesive rubber on the lining made of Teflon®, a highly tear-resistant and temperature resistant fabric reinforcement layer and a cover made of an electrically-dissipative, abrasion-, flame-, weather- and ageing-resistant grade of rubber. According to requirements, the hoses are available with a galvanized spring steel helix for enhanced anti-kink and shape stability. The hose thus maintains its shape during suction and non-pressurized operation and retains its circular profile even at tight bending radii.
The complete system is designed for an operational pressure of up to 16 bar and temperatures between –30 °C and 150 °C. The universal hose is compatible with EN 14420 standardized hose couplings and SPANNLOC or SPANNFIX hose clamps from Elaflex. These are available in different materials according to application area, including a Teflon® PFA (‘Ruby Red’) coating if chemical resistance is particularly required. Due to the electrical dissipation capability of the lining and the top layer, no connection of metallic parts is necessary.

from Canadian Plastics, Canada

Consultants from Mississauga, Ont.-based Hatch Energy previewed the energy use and production data of Tempo Plastics’ Barrie, Ont. blown film extrusion facility before conducting an on-site walk-through assessment. The total time spent was less than …

from PR Newswire (press release)

The new cast extrusion line will provide a full spectrum of product offerings in the plastic film and sheeting segment. This line is capable of coating a broad range of substrates and can cast smooth or embossed film and sheeting ranging in thickness …

Coating producer Finishes Unlimited reports that several producers of composite, vinyl and fiber cement building materials are testing the company’s InFin UV curable coatings. This patent-applied-for coating, is available in a wide range of colors and offers superior resistance to damage from sun, moisture, heat build up and use.

Depending on the manufacturer’s preference it can be applied as part of an in line or offline process utilizing vacuum spray, roll and other common techniques. Once applied, it is subjected to intense UV light and cured almost immediately. Designed to be highly versatile, InFin can be formulated to be soft and flexible or hard and scratch resistant. It is available as a clear coat or in virtually any color or gloss level. It also has the advantage of being 100% solids so it contains no VOCs or HAPs and is not flammable.

Composites were first introduced in the 1990’s and marketed as eliminating or significantly reducing the need for maintenance. This proved not to be the case as composite boards were found to fade, scratch, stain and be subject to mold and mildew damage. They may also retain heat during hot weather. InFin appears to be the solution to these field performance problems.

As composite producers test new raw materials, there may be differences in the ability their acceptance of coatings. In these instances, there are a variety of processes to treat the surface so it will accept the UV-curable coatings such as flouroxidation, plasma, corona or flame.

Fiber cement siding has been a construction industry staple since the early 1900’s. Often, a primer is applied at the factory and then the siding is painted on-site by the builder to match the other colors of a building. Applying coatings at the building site requires dirt and debris from shipping or storage be removed first. Then the siding must be allowed to dry.

InFin for this siding market is available in a one-step, single application formula in any color. The board can be extruded, coated and cured in a single process with no “drying time” required between coating and shipping. Those manufacturers serving builders who still want primed-only boards can use a single application UV curable primer is also available.

Vinyl building components such as siding, fencing, decking and trim are extremely popular among developers, builders and home owners. InFin offers producers an opportunity to further enhance their building products by making them available in more colors without any pre-treatment. Producers who prefer to add color using pigments when the vinyl is mixed can still use a clear UV coating to provide added protection.

About Finishes Unlimited…. Founded in 1970 and headquartered in Sugar Grove, IL, Finishes Unlimited www.finishesunlimited.com is a leading producer of industrial coatings including 100 % solids UV cured coatings as well as baked enamel and air dry water borne coatings.

Zumbach Electronics offers a complete line of modular, single axis ODAC ® laser gauges. They are available either mounted on a rail or as components, i.e. with separate sender and receiver units for flexible installation facilitating custom configurations. Depending on the application, multiple sender/receiver pairs can be arranged in any position, offering a multi-axis measurement for large configurable product clearance through the use of high precision, telecentric optics. The gauges are based on the latest laser scanning technology from Zumbach’s experience in this field.
With the unlimited installation and configuration possibilities, these gauges can be used in all manufacturing processes including:
- Extrusion of cables, hoses, profiles etc.
- Steel and metal industries: drawing, grinding, cold and hot rolling of rods, tubes etc.
- NDT lines for any product.
- The food industry for packaging, sausage skins and more.
- Large pipe and conduit extrusions.
Advantages:
• High scan rate; up to 2000/s.
• High accuracy and repeatability.
• Compact and rugged design.
• Various measurement modes, e.g. for diameter, gap width, depth penetration, multiple products etc.
• Special beam geometries available (depending on model):
- Contour measurements
- Profiles and similar
• Models with integrated processor (RS, Ethernet, Profibus DP) or connection to a wide range of remote processor for process control SPC and SQC data collection.

Worms, in April 2009 – For KIEFEL Extrusion it’s certain that technology from Germany is in greater demand than ever before for the economical production of high quality films. Although strong demand prevails, processors who are willing to invest cannot satisfy this demand as banks are not fulfilling their task of providing credit. For KIEFEL, therefore, the NPE 2009 International Plastics Showcase (June 22 – 26) is taking place at the right time. In the view of CEO Edgar Gandelheidt, a signal will go out from Chicago that will provide the plastics industry with a new pulse.

KIEFEL Extrusion is represented as part of a joint participation of the entire Brückner group with an increased stand area of 6,500 ft² in the South Hall / Booth 18039. Supported by colleagues from Worms, visitors will meet, among others, Jim Ciolino, President of KIEFEL Inc., as well as Steve DeSpain, Vice-President Sales and Marketing. The German specialist in blown film extrusion lines uses the NPE as a platform to present recently developed innovative line features. In contrast to other suppliers in the machinery industry, the company shows the flag again (after 20 years at NPE), also when times are difficult.

Among the novelties that will be presented in Chicago, there will be a focus on a blown film diehead that handles low volumes of sensitive materials particularly gently under conditions of low volume and pressure. PERFECT COOL® VARIO will also be presented. The KIEFEL technicians have developed this cooling system in order to consistently master large throughput combined with high bubble stability and optimum film strength.

The numerous tailor-made lines in use worldwide show that KIEFEL Extrusion always has an open ear for customer wishes. The machinery producer now offers increased service to its customers; under the management of KIEFEL’s technical director Dr. Jochen Hennes, customers have the possibility to allow production to be optimized while running under operating conditions. The recent move of KIEFEL Inc. into sister company KIEFEL TECHNOLOGIES facility in Hampton, NH, is also seen as a benefit with the improvement in customer service in the background. As the US subsidiary of KIEFEL Extrusion GmbH, by locating there it is now possible to serve the customer both faster and more purposefully than before – in access to service enquiries, replacement parts and much more.

KIEFEL Extrusion GmbH has done its homework and is well prepared to come out of the worldwide financial crisis stronger than before. The NPE in Chicago will be an important barometer of how extensive the poor mood will become and whether it will become permanently entrenched. Edgar Gandelheidt is however optimistic: “Each investment decision made today will already achieve an additional advantage over the stumbling competitors tomorrow and the period during the crisis always comes before the next upswing!”

Mattec Corporation, the world’s leading supplier of real-time production and process monitoring systems in the plastic’s industry, will be demonstrating ProHelp® EPM, Release 7.7 at the NPE Show in June, 2009. This release is now shipping.

This release contains a number of enhancements related to lean manufacturing, including the following:

• ProHelp EPM’s PCMIU software now contains a Visual Manufacturing Display in the PCMIU. The PCMIU is a software application that runs on a standard computer and allows the machine operators to easily enter scrap, select downtime reasons, and even to call for help. (See attached picture.)

• Takt Time Color-Coding. Takt time is the maximum time allowed to produce a product in order to meet the customer’s demand. In a lean manufacturing environment, it is the machine’s pace time. Users can now see a color-coded cycle time and a color-coded Takt Time for all machines in the facility. (See attached picture.)

• Kanban Scheduling. ProHelp EPM now offers two types of Kanban Scheduling, one that facilitates the manual billboard scheduling that is common in many factories and another that performs all of this scheduling electronically.

• Japanese Language Support. ProHelp EPM is now available in English, Chinese, Czech, German, Japanese, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish, and Turkish. (See attached picture.)

“We’ve had a lot of success selling into Japanese Manufacturing environments in recent years” said Brian Thiel, Mattec’s Development Manager. “These enhancements are a direct result of input from those customers.” Mattec previously announced that 2006, 2007, and 2008 have been the best years in the history of the company.

For more information: Brian Thiel, 1-800-966-1301, b.thiel@mattec.com

Rigid connection vs flexible hose

Bangkok, Thailand, April 24 2009 - The co-extrusion of profiles and tubes provides the extruded product with individual-required features. From the tooling side, the co-extrusion process can be done either with a rigid steel connection or with a flexible heating hose.

Drawbacks of rigid connection

The rigid screwed-on connection is a common way to connect the co-extruder with the main extruder. But it has its drawbacks: Rigid connections have a multiplicity of connection elements, which normally need to be individually heated, insulated and controlled. And in most cases the co-extrusion of profiles has to be flexible, i.e. a wide range of different co-extruded profiles must be produced. The co-extrusion tooling determines the point of co-extrusion which can differ depending on the design and shape of the profile, and the tooling system itself. The rigid steel connection is basically fixed to one position and arrangement.

With a rigid connection there is always the danger to to damage the tooling while pushing and adjusting the co-extruder in order to find the right position. Many extrusion dies get damaged during this “push and pull adjustment”.

However, the rigid connection has an advantage when it comes to high temperature and pressure. Here the rigid steel construction shows almost no limits.

Flexible connection in robust design

The flexible connection considerably simplifies tool change and maintenance. The number of connection elements is reduced to a minimum. The co-extruder can be placed and connected in several different positions, either from the side, top or even bottom. And it is much easier for the operators to connect the co-extruder after cleaning or re-positioning. In addition: Very often the co-extruder are smaller in size with a lighter base frame with the tendency to vibration. The flexible heating hose can compensate possible vibrations of the co-extruder.

The inner pressure hose of such a flexible hose is made from PTFE with a maintenance-friendly outer jacket made from PA. The custom-made hoses can be operated at up to 250°C at a maximum pressure of 210 to 275 bar. They are available in various lengths with different kind of connection fittings.

More information:

info@strictly-extrusion.com | www.strictly-extrusion.com

tel 02-334 1507, 02-402 6212 | fax 02-334 2071 
T.Preakkasamai, A.Mueang, Samutprakarn 10280, Thailand   

In response to an increase in the worldwide demand for consumer-friendly drawtape-style trash bags, CMD will demonstrate the Model 1270GDS Global Drawtape Bagmaking system in Booth S12028 in the South Hall at Chicago’s McCormick Place during the International Plastics Showcase (NPE), June 22-26, 2009.  Nearly 2,000 companies will exhibit on 1 million square feet (93,000 square meters), more than a third of them coming from outside the United States. Approximately 75,000 plastics professionals from 120 countries are expected to attend. The event is produced by SPI: The Plastics Industry Trade Association.

The CMD Model 1270GDS produces drawstring-style trash bags at high production speeds of up to 183 meters per minute (600 feet per minute) with flexible take-off options for rolled or folded bag dispensing and now features optional print-to-seal registratation for the high-speed production of printed bags or film.  The system incorporates patented technology and delivers advanced converting methodology with cost, time and space-saving design.  The small footprint saves floor space, improves process reliability, and allows easier operation.  A reduced height makes film thread up easier.  The entire system is sized to fit in a conventional ocean freight container for economical, and more environmentally-friendly shipping.

Consistent, high product quality is assured with retainable menu settings and seal-to-perforation registration.  The Ethernet-based system allows for remote troubleshooting and programming.  A large, color touch screen and centralized line control simplify operation.  Easy-access hinged guards with windows and interlocked switches make the CMD Global Drawtape System easy and safe to operate. The flexible, modular design and sturdy tubular frame make it both durable and easy to move.

The Global Drawtape System can be configured with the Model 0330HSW Global High Speed Winder and will produce drawtape style bags on a roll, banded for retail merchandising.  Making its debut at NPE 2009, the Global High-Speed Winder has a patented, unique design offering unparalleled process efficiency.  Easy operating and maintenance features include interior courtesy lighting and heavy-duty casters for easy machine positioning.  Wound bags may be connected to each other by perforations, or each bag separated and overlapped onto the previous bag.  This servo-driven machine produces coreless rolls at up to 30 cycles per minute and is especially designed for the high-cycle production of small-count rolls without limiting line speed.  Low-roll counts provide new package and product-count choices for additional sales distribution opportunities. The system can include optional roll banding – a sustainable packaging alternative that eliminates the need for outer packaging. The robust system enhances scrap control, improves uptime and also features a reduced-static process for easier-to-open bags.

CMD designs and manufactures high-performance equipment for the plastic converting industry, including PDI^® pouchmaking systems and patented, high-speed rotary bag and film converting lines. Custom engineering, process validation and machine optimization services are offered from the 43,000 sq. ft. dedicated Technology Center. CMD serves a global marketplace through a network of sales and service associates worldwide.  Equipment is manufactured to exacting standards at Appleton, Wisconsin, USA, facilities.  More information is available at www.cmd-corp.com.

Thanks to intensive research and development work Gneuss Kunststofftechnik in Bad Oeynhausen, Germany have been successfully able to optimise their SFXmagnus and RSFgenius range of pressure and process-constant Melt Filtration Systems for foam insulation board, as used in the building industry. Thanks to a special surface treatment and the completely encapsulated design, corrosion resistance has been increased greatly.

„Manufacturers of products such as foam sheet for food trays and cups as well as foam boards for various insulating uses were convinced of the decisive advantages of our Filtration Systems from the very beginning” explained Daniel Gneuss. For over 20 years, Gneuss Rotary Filtration Systems have gained widespread acceptance in this industry as in addition to the reliable filtration of foreign particles, the pressure constant operation also ensures an absolutely constant foam structure in the final product. This consistent foam structure is of major advantage in downstream processes and is therefore a “must”. The manufacture of extruded foam insulation boards (XPS) for the building industry is also an interesting application for these high quality systems. However in contrast to other foam processes, there is in this case the issue of corrosion caused by the flame retardants, which places specific requirements on the design of the screen changers.

Matching the design to the specifics of the application…..

Thanks to their better mechanical and insulating properties, XPS insulation boards are used increasingly in the building industry as a replacement for EPS boards. The XPS boards are usually manufactured on an extrusion line with two extruders in cascade orientation. The first or primary extruder principally plasticises the material and disperses additives and the blowing agent whilst the secondary extruder cools the material efficiently. In this configuration, the location of the Melt Filtration System in the transfer section between the primary and secondary extruders has been found to be best suited for this application.

…and at the same time fulfilling the requirements

Because of the specifics of the foam extrusion process, the screen changer must fulfil several requirements at the same time:

• In spite of the low viscosity of the polymer / blowing agent mix and melt pressures of up to 300 bar at the exit of the primary extruder, the Filtration System must operate leak free.

• Fully automatic operation and the avoidance of operating errors is as important as the uninterrupted, consistent melt pressure, even during filter element changes in order to ensure that no changes in the foam structure take place.

• Short residence times are essential, in order to prevent activation of the flame retardants, which are added to the polymer melt in order to comply with building industry standards.

Both the well–known SFXmagnus and RSFgenius Melt Filtration Systems from Bad Oeynhausen, with their pressure and process constant operation ensure the removal of foreign particles from the melt, without negatively influencing the sensitive foam extrusion process. Additionally, the RSFgenius ensures a time span between screen changes of several months, (even on highly contaminated material) thanks to its integrated self–cleaning system.

Now Gneuss can offer these systems with long term corrosion protection thanks to a special anti corrosion treatment of the steel used for the manufacture of the screen changers. In this way, all the advantages of the Rotary Filtration Systems are available for the building industry suppliers, even where highly corrosive materials are processed.

In Russia for example, a market with a strong demand for foam insulation board 14 Filtration Systems have been installed alone in this market sector in recent years.

The success of the Gneuss Melt Filtration Systems is largely due to their process- and pressure-constant operation, which ensures the processor a constant, uniform product quality coupled with a high level of automation. These advantages are particularly important, when recycled material is used, which is due to the growing cost pressure increasingly the case.

In many cases, highly flammable gases are used as blowing agents: the Gneuss Filtration Systems offer a further advantage compared with conventional systems. With the Gneuss systems, there is no sudden, large scale and uncontrolled foaming of the material and correspondingly no sudden, large scale and uncontrolled gas release during screen changes. This provides a major improvement in operating safety.

For further information, please contact: Andrea Kossmann, gneuss@gneuss.com