Strictly-Extrusion

A new tool-specific heater platen developed by GN Thermoforming Equipment provides higher output, better product clarity, and quicker tool changeovers for large-volume applications. It is the first of its kind for contact-heat, cut-in-place thermoforming machines, according to the company.

Depending on product design, the dedicated heater platen can reduce cycle time by 20% to 30%. In addition, greater product clarity is achieved and material distribution is more consistent due to the quicker forming times. The new platen system is designed to match a specific tool by pre-engineering heater and air channel locations within the platen to optimize the process.

Instead of heating the whole plate, now only dedicated areas are heated; and the same goes for the forming air. Each dedicated heater platen has a specific cut plate that matches the design of the tool cutting die layout. An air channel is located in the platen within 1 mm of where the cutting die touches the cutting plate, allowing a high volume of forming air to reach each cavity.  The channel provides significantly more air volume than the 0.4-mm holes located within the die perimeter on a standard GN Thermoforming cut plate. A retrofittable locating feature on the mold carrier beam keeps the heater platen accurately lined up with the tool. An aluminum insert within the die perimeter is micro drilled for venting and anodized for durability. It provides more consistent heating and a clearer product.
With its new dedicated heater platen, GN Thermoforming has test run 16-mil- thick APET sheet at 26 cycles/min. for production of 40-mm-high product. This is significantly faster than the 20 cycles/min rate on a traditional GN thermoformer.

While the tool-specific heater platen adds $12,000-$18,000 per tool set, the investment can be easily recouped due to the high production efficiencies, according to the company. The new product is being used in for food packaging applications.

www.gnthermoforming.com

BinMaster^® Level Controls of Lincoln, Nebraska, USA announces the PROCAP capacitance probe with a flexible, extendable cable designed for high, mid or low level detection when the capacitance probe must be mounted on the top of the bin. BinMaster’s flexible probe is very suitable for applications where a probe is used as a high level alarm or needs to be extended more than four feet (120cm). This flexible probe is ideal for use with any lump material that might bend, damage or break a rigid probe.

It is configured so the first 10 inches (254mm) of the probe are rigid and the rest of the probe is flexible. The flexible ¼-inch diameter cable can be any desired length up to a 35-foot (1066cm) maximum extension, which is sensitive to the end of cable when uncovered. For convenience and ease of installation, the cable can be cut to the desired length in the field. BinMaster offers a stainless steel flexible cable option for food and other sanitary applications.

Like all BinMaster capacitance probes, the flexible probe operates below the RF range and won’t interfere or be affected by other electronic equipment. A visual LED on the top of the unit indicates sensor status of covered, uncovered or a failed condition. Hazardous location approval is standard, so it is appropriate for a wide range of applications. “Quick-Set” calibration makes these probes easy to set up. When used with BinMaster’s point level alarm panel, up to 24 probes can be monitored from a single location.

www.binmaster.com

PITTSBURGH, Pa., October 13, 2009 – Reduction Engineering Scheer Inc., Kent, Ohio, a leading supplier of pelletizers and pulverizers, has joined with Air Products, Allentown, Pa., to introduce its first cryogenic impact mill for ultra-fine size reduction of a range of materials. The new Black Ice Series Cryonizer delivers higher productivity, tighter particle distribution, greater versatility, and lower cost versus competitive cryogenic fine milling systems. The new product was launched at Rubber Expo ’09 in Pittsburgh, Pa., (Booth 519) Oct. 13-15.

The new cryogenic impact mill – available in 200-mm to 1000-mm rotor diameters – offers an efficient and economical solution for a range of size-reduction applications including thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs), cured and uncured rubbers, pharmaceutical/nutraceutical products, pigments, powder coatings, waxes/sterates, adhesives, and spice and herb products.

The Black Ice Series represents an important advancement in cryogenic fine milling – a size reduction method which uses liquid nitrogen. The cryonizer incorporates three milling actions: impact milling, attrition milling, and particle-to-particle impact milling, according to James Mauri, Reduction Engineering Scheer product manager. The result is an ultra-fine powder as low as 50 microns in some cases.

The new cryonizer boasts a variable speed adjustment which helps to fine tune the grinding, and a reverse rotation option that provides bi-directional operation for more efficient and economical milling. Another innovative feature is precision gapping, a novel system that quickly changes milling gaps for optimum speed. The cryonizer’s tear-drop shape allows for easy configuration of downstream equipment while the drive system consists of oil-free, high-speed sealed bearings which help to reduce maintenance and downtime.

Unlike manually disassembled mills, the Black Ice Series uses air cylinders to open the mill for maintenance, cleaning, and changeovers. The cryonizer can be used as a standalone mill or as part of a cryogenic mill system that incorporates a cooling conveyor, PLC controls, cyclone, and air evacuation.

The Black Ice Series is manufactured in the U.S. and available globally with favorable lead times.

Steinfurt, 5^th October 2009: Material savings, reduced use of energy and higher quality are the central requirements in pipe extrusion. According to the most recent experience of Skoplast in Odolanow Kaczory (Poland) the 3LRK-extrusion head, made to the Lichter principle, opens up new dimensions especially in the area of multilayer pipe extrusion: obvious material savings, increase of the availability by process security and reduction of energy use, proportional to the savings on raw material. Altogether this means: substantially more pipes can be produced against equal costs.

The efficiency increase in the multilayer pipe extrusion is achieved by the perfect match of modern high capacity extruders, the 3LRK-pipe head and downstream equipment that meets the needs. The main scope at Skoplast is the exchange of their present feed block technology that has been used since 2000, with the Lichter head. Krzysztof Szkopek, one of the owners of Skoplast, now replaces the pipe head in a co-extrusion system to improve the quality and the profit. For the future this investment means being prepared for the planned change to Pb-free stabilisators.

Investment in profit

The Lichter head (3LRK-pipe head) is available in three sizes:

1. 3LRK-1 (50-100 mm)

2. 3LRK-2 (100-200 mm)

3. 3LRK-3 (200-400 mm)

For diameters above 400 mm the 3LRK-3 can be used with an extension module. The 3LRK in general is suitable for the production spectrum of smooth multilayer pipes in PVC, PVC-U, PE and PP. Thereby the core layer can be of recyclates, foamed recyclates, new material and foamed new material. The well considered principle of construction enables the operation without extra effort with two co-extruders, without extra effort, if separate colours and/or raw material-types are used. “According to our experience, the use of this Lichter head pays out for all new and replacement investments worthwhile according to our experience. Old extrusion lines become more efficient and with new production lines the end result will be improved”, says Krzysztof Szkopek. At the same time the total investment for a line with 3LRK-pipe head against a conventional pipe extrusion line with feed blocks is very competitive. Krzysztof Szkopek has been motivated for this investment of the till then far higher use of raw material and the clear improvement of quality: “we find a return on investment of widely within 6 months realistic.” Szkopek chooses the process technical support: support with commissioning and quality insurance is an integral part of the spectrum that Lichter extrusion technique offer Skoplast. The multilayer pipe head 3LRK therefore secures competitiveness of the Polish pipe producer.

Optimal melting diffusion

To guarantee an optimal melting diffusion the 3LRK-pipe head according to the Lichter principle has been based on a spike die. For PVC and PVC-U this is the almost ideal principle of construction, because the melt flow is delivered by the extruder into a circular shaped flow channel by the extruder. For the core layer, it is transformed by the mandrel directly into a coaxial spine flow. The melt of the outer layer passes through especially geometric formed channels into a relief zone that reduces material deformation and flows eventually to the exit nozzle. Additionally, the 3 LRK features a large inner diameter for the material stream. This construction results in a clearly more constant flow of the melt, thin and constant outer layer and dispersing of rheologic and viscosity differences in the layers.

Reduction in density in the total density with the 3LRK

For a model calculation of a SN4-multiple layer pipe (160 mm diameter) Lichter gives an output capacity of 450 kg/h as basic fact. With a total density of 1, 16 g/cm3 an output quantity of 4.476 m/day is achieved with conventional pipe heads (feed blocks). The 3LRK-pipehead allows for a total density of 0, 83 g/cm3 due to its construction and

special process measurements – the pipe is based on the physical weight now lighter than water. The output capacity with the same material input increases to 6.234 m/day, which gives an economical increase of 39%. This result becomes possible by two facts:

• More consistent outer layers because of improved melting diffusion
• Less density of the inner layer because of the optimal form of the flow channels, the recipe and the process technology applied.

The result is convincing because of material saving and a real quality improvement.

Energy saving and maintainability friendliness become more important

An equally important advantage of the 3LRK, in times of increasing energy costs, are large potential savings on the energy used for production and its compact dimensions. Conventional feed blocks are obviously larger and use up to 3 times more energy during heating up. The main saving would lie in the energetically better use of the applied energy in the extruder: it can deliver more pipes with the same energy use. According to Krzysztof Szkopek the pipe heads are more than anything friendly in maintenance and service: “the 3LRK has been built in sections, i.e. discs. This form of construction does not only enable a constant flow diffusion – it is more than anything maintenance friendly. Anyway we calculate with approx. 2 – 3 stops per year for cleaning the flow channels, because of particle contamination in the melt and other effects. With the 3LRK the restarting of production goes much faster than with a feed block. Moderate use of chalk as preventive measurement and increase of the E-module for the outer layer reduces these cleansing intervals. On the other hand in the foam layer we should take in account the higher density of the chalk. With production interruptions during the weekend or with change of dimensions the installation is easy to “freeze” and restart. This too reduces production costs and increases the use of the production installation.

Efficient and effective measurement of the wall thickness

The steady optimizing of the use of material is a distinguishing factor for a strong economic use in the production of multilayer pipes. In practice it is still common use to measure the average wall thickness. If one leaves out the eccentricity here, then this leads to an impressive more use of material, with drastic effects on the economics. An economic production of extrudates without the well suited measurement and control technique is practically unthought-of. For an exact determination of the layer thickness a measurement and control system is used in order to capture the layer thickness in many steps as well as to measure the layer volume. This method simplifies an optimal production process. In order to measure the pipes in an objective way Lichter has a special measurement system available, with which the layer thickness and surface volume of the separate layers over the total circumference of the pipe will be measured. These measurements can be weighed in a complex calculation and the results of single actions can be predicted by way of calculation. Based on the calculated value the recipe and extrusion line can be set in an optimal way. This also adds to an optimal cost saving combined with constant quality criteria.

(Pawcatuck, Conn.)–The home improvement products’ business for Jifram Extrusions, Inc. has been so good that the company purchased a Davis-Standard Super Blue® extruder with DS-eTPC controls directly off the show floor at NPE. The new 3 1/2-inch (90mm) extruder, installed immediately after the show, is being used to manufacture a range of products including closet organizers, storage solutions and fence covers. Jifram appreciates the quick installation of the Super Blue as well as the efficiency of the DS-eTPC, which includes a 12.1-inch (300mm) color touch-screen with built-in PLC processor and multi-loop temperature control. The DS-eTPC is Davis-Standard’s most recent discrete controller replacement.

“The training time for the TPC controller was minimal and the extruder was up and running in no time at all,” said Steven Fischer, President of Jifram Custom Extrusions. “The PLC decreased set up time and increased accuracy in setting the machine parameters on the TPC. We have not accessed all of the features on the TPC, but as we become more familiar with this machine, we are certain it will offer us even more conveniences.”

Jifram, based in Sheboygan Falls, Wisconsin, has been a Davis-Standard customer since the company opened its doors in 1981. After an initial Davis-Standard purchase, Jifram added extruders from other manufacturers, but realized the importance of purchasing from one primary manufacturer and went back to Davis-Standard. The company now owns eight Davis-Standard extruders and coextruders ranging in size from 2 to 3 ½ inches (50 to 90mm).

“We appreciate that Davis-Standard supplies high quality, durable, American-made extruders,” said Fischer. “They have an excellent reputation and very responsive customer service. We are a custom operation so we need machines that run a variety of resins at rates ranging from 1 ½ feet (.45 meters) per minute all the way up to 150 feet (45 meters) per minute. Davis-Standard has also helped us with our coextrusion and triextrusion capabilities.”

While the company’s home improvement business is growing, Jifram’s primary specialty is the point of purchase market. Jifram products are used in displays at major retail outlets throughout the United States. They also supply to OEM customers, two of which were Jifram’s first and second accounts when the business first opened. Jifram does most of its business in the Midwestern part of the U.S., but has also shipped to Canada, Mexico and Taiwan.

According to Fischer, Jifram’s greatest advantage is its people. Jifram is a family owned and operated business. The company’s founder James R. Fischer (Steven’s father) is still active in the business. Employee turnover is minimal. The company’s first hired employee is still there, working as Jifram’s Quality Control Manager. Steven and his brother Greg learned the business early, both helping their father as teenagers and coming back to the business full-time after college.

“Being a family owned business definitely impacts how we operate. We are focused on customer service, ingenuity, competitive pricing and lead-time. We realize that we can no longer just extrude profiles, we must be a full service company,” explained Fischer. “Davis-Standard has played an important role in supplying the equipment needed to support our evolving business model.”

For more information about Jifram, visit www.jifram.com. For more information about Davis-Standard’s Super Blue extruder and DS-eTPC controllers, contact Wendell Whipple at wwhipple@davis-standard.com.

GN Thermoforming Equipment has introduced the GN DX series of thermoformers – a new line of servo-driven machines that provide significantly greater cutting capacity of APET sheet for food packaging applications. The GN 3021 DX (30 x 21 in. forming area) and GN 3625 DX (36 x 25 in forming area) models boast a more robust design with increased production capability.

The GN DX series helps processors meet the growing worldwide demand for APET packaging while also converting most other thermoformable grade sheet products, according to Jerome Romkey, GN marketing manager. “These new products will become the choice of customers who require a larger forming area and increased cutting capacity to provide maximum part production,” said Romkey.

The DX machines feature reinforced cast beams which provide increased rigidity for cutting APET materials. These thermoformers cut 50% more linear knife than standard GN machines. The GN 3021 DX handles sheet widths up to 815 mm and operates at 25 to 30 dry cycles/min. The servo-driven machine offers exceptional energy savings with power consumption of 7.5 kW/hr. At 12-ft long and 6-ft wide, the machine’s footprint is small for its platen size, according to Romkey.

The GN 3625 DX handles sheet widths up to 965 mm and offers higher throughput, running up to 30 cycles/min. It too offers energy savings with power consumption of only 12 kW/hr. Both machines can run sheet thicknesses ranging from 0.15 mm to 1 mm.

The DX line also boasts a state-of-the-art transport system which when combined with common-edged cutting dies helps reduce overall scrap to 12% to 14% (well below the industry standard), resulting in more parts per kilogram of material. Each machine comes with a built-in powered unwinder, an adjustable part stripping point for increased speed, easy vacuum hook-up, and an integrated diagnostic system which also allows technicians to monitor and troubleshoot from a remote location.

GN Thermoforming has already sold two GN 3021 DX models to companies in the Netherlands and Turkey for production of APET trays for fruit and chocolate products. For more information:  www.gnthermoforming.com

Seevetal, Germany, 15th September 2009: Novosystems (www.novosystems.de) has radically improved its WB4000 pump, creating a system for color dosing that can handle masterbatch granulate media. This breakthrough means that plastic manufacturers can now dose liquid color and feed granulate to be colored, using just one dosing system. The basis of this multifunctional system is the WB4000 pump combined with a dedicated granulate feed accessory, the ZHD 2000 Easy Feed.

The proven WB4000 pump serves as the drive unit in masterbatch mode. The WB4000 now also works with the granulate feed accessory ZHD 2000 Easy Feed for feeding and dosing of microbatch, masterbatch, granulate and regranulate. A tailor-made flange interface ensures quick and simple changes between feeding granulate and dosing liquid colors. The WB4000 enables precise dosing with minimum variance while ensuring optimal consumption and high color quality with liquid colors and with granulates.

Premiere: Choice of masterbatch or granulate deployment

The WB4000 device makes the choice of deploying hard or liquid color media possible for the first time. The user can, in general, choose one variant – however, depending on the customer wishes, can switch between both media. This is of particular interest for subcontracted production work where manufacturers have to comply with customers’ specifications regarding color media. As a result, microbatch, conventional masterbatch and granulate additives can all be fed using the system. Concerning feed volume, the ZHD 2000 Easy Feed compares well with other feed equipment on the market and can be flexibly tailored to handle small volumes right up to large throughputs, depending on production requirements.

Complete process control

The performance range of the WB4000 dosing system covers injection and extrusion modes with regranulate modulation, monitoring of dosing volumes and remaining quantities. Mixing and dosing datas are recorded by the WB4000 dosing machine in protocols and saved in databases. In addition, the unit can be connected to existing data infrastructure using a LAN cable, Blue Tooth and WLAN. As a result, recipe changes can be inputed via a mobile handheld Palm computer via WLAN. Alternatively these changes can be carried out using a central PC or laptop via RF Master. Novosystems provides special software for these system management options which can handle up to 100 dosing machines.

Universal deployment

Novosystems took into account the many different requirements of plastic manufacturing including the issue of throughput volumes – from the use of liquid colors for laboratory extruders and micro-injection right up to pipe extrusion applications when designing the new universal WB4000 dosing system. Manufacturers can deploy liquid colors or masterbatch for injection molding, extrusion and PU production while maintaining complete flexibility with just one dosing system. With the advanced multi-purpose WB4000 new possibilities and potential exist together with significantly more flexibility in deploying colors in the manufacture of plastic products.

The Gruber & Co. Group has gained a new profile. The Group is now presenting itself as the “Gruber Extrusion” brand. The new communicative market presentation of the complete plastic profile extrusion provider from Upper Austria also includes a new corporate design. “We are creating a winning margin through innovation in tools and machines for profiles in PVC, plastics and compounds”, Peter Gattinger said summarizing the concept.

The new Gruber Extrusion brand is having a signal effect in the industry. It makes the key competence of the globally active Corporate Group instantly visible. The “technology by innovation” creed underlines this new positoning. “We can now present our service range and our image swiftly and clearly everywhere including all our future markets”, CEO Richard Füsslberger said. The new market presentation is having a sustained strengthening effect on the corporate network.

One world, one vision, one system

The Corporate Group skillfully the powerful synergies available in the individual partner companies for projects in plastic profile extrusion – one world, one vision, one system. The company has clearly staked its claim of being miles ahead in the industry and one of the world’s best complete providers, a leadership that is now the driving force in its every activity. Gruber Extrusion ensures high customer satisfaction with innovation, flexibility and reliability. The Corporate Group generates powerful added benefits for its clients with know-how and consulting competence. “We are shaping the future of plastic profile extrusion”, is how CEO Peter Gattinger explains the group claims.

Turnkey extrusion plant

Gruber Extrusion produces individually aligned profile extrusion lines for the plastics area. The company strength is in working out individually tailored complete solutions such as the production of turnkey extrusion plant, meeting concrete customer requirements. The company also invests energetically and targeted in new and further developments to all its services.

Further information from: www.gruberextrusion.com

Davis-Standard, LLC will host its popular workshop on “The Basics of Plastics Extrusion” on October 14 – 15, 2009 at its headquarters in Pawcatuck, Connecticut. The two-day class will cover the fundamentals of plastics extrusion, as well as the composition and properties of various polymers and the mechanics of essential downstream processes. Topics include extruder components, temperature control, maintenance and screw design.

In addition to instruction, course participants will tour Davis-Standard’s laboratory and manufacturing facilities and will have access to polymer process engineers and technical specialists. The fee is $750 per person with a 10 percent discount given for groups of three or more. Course books and materials are included, and class size is limited to promote student/teacher interaction.

For enrollment or more information about Davis-Standard’s seminars and on-site extrusion training, contact Wendy Smith at (860) 599-6119 or at wsmith@davis-standard.com. To register online, visit www.davis-standard.com.

Based around years of TSM experience in the plastics industry, the TSM multi-blend™ allows the end user to centrally locate the blending of all materials and recipes in a high throughput gravimetric blender, the TSM3000. This gravimetric blender can handle up to 12 individual material components at any given time with total automatic cleaning between recipes.

The TSM multi-blend™ can be centrally located, supplying any number of machines. Its design offering has many advantages. Firstly, the use of centralized off-line blending to feed multiple machines has many cost advantages such as the elimination of gravimetric blenders for each machine. Thereafter individual material recipes are simply entered into the TSM central blender control panel. When a machine requests a material fill, the TSM blender prepares the required job recipe, mixes the material, before conveying it off to its respective machine. Finally, the blender’s automatic self-cleaning feature is initiated in anticipation of the next fill request or masterbatch change.

All material consumption is logged for traceability/ accountability purposes, which contributes to the overall increased production efficiency by using TSM control solutions.

There are considerable advantages associated with such a system;

- one blender can service any number of machines

- no cross contamination of materials

- avoids the requirement of multiple blenders and multiple loaders

- reduces installation costs

- reduced pipe runs for each machine

- faster order changes

- cleaning of central blender only, if required

- each blender can handle up to 12 components

- minimal pre-blended material at end of order

- emptying out less hoppers for order changes

- ease of use due to centralization of blending

- lack of contamination issues on material feed pipes to multiply blenders

For further information: www.tsm-controls.com