Vinyl windows manufacturer has purchased its Associated Materials Inc. of Dallas. Associated Materials Inc. paid US$7,5 million to acquire most of the assets and some of the liabilities of Alpine Industries Inc., including a vinyl windows fabrication plant in Bothell.
Brampton Engineering Inc., Canada has built the first ISO-therm streamlined coex die for high-barrier, six-layer blown film made of nylon, LLDPE and PVdC. It uses an ISO-therm module to insulate high-temperature resins from heat-sensitive polymers. This module uses a “space age” structural insulation, as well as cooling-oil channels and an air gap to isolate the ISO-therm module.
British Polymer Training Association, UK has developed an interactive training simulation designed for extrusion believed to be the first of its kind. PICAT software lets operators practice and learn from their mistakes on a “virtual” blown-film, pipe or profile extruder instead of a real one. A trial copy, good for 30 days or 10 simulations, is available for free via [email protected] .
A new vinyl thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) compound for extruded flexible outdoor cord jacketing and insert-molded electrical plugs provides far greater elasticity and low-temperature toughness than conventional flexible vinyl yet costs 20 to 40% less than competing TPEs, according to Teknor Apex. The Flexalloy product line is based on Teknor Apex technology for compounding ultra-high-molecular-weight (UHMW) PVC to yield high-performance vinyl TPEs with greater toughness, chemical resistance and heat resistance than many styrenic and olefinic TPEs. The PVC resin component contributes durability and low-temperature performance by virtue of a molecular weight as high as 150,000, compared with 30,000 to 75,000 for conventional PVC.
Impac Electronic GmbH, Germany has introduced its new contactless temperature measuring device suitable to carry out up to seven measurements per second. An integrated laser-pilot-light allows to determine the exact measuring point. This portable device can also be connected to a computer and used as a stationary measuring instrument.
Automatic quality-control systems manufacturer Romidot Ltd., Israel has developed a new device that automatically inspects hollow or solid profiles up to 3-in. diam. RomiShape Mini DX uses x-ray cameras and PC software to reconstruct and verify a profile cross-section with accuracy of ±0.0005 in. Romidot previously commercialized a similar profile-inspection system using CCD cameras.
Advanced Technologies Worldwide Inc., USA has introduced its Hopscotch Screw with a new Hopscotch Mixer section at the downstream end. The mixer adds helical bands of alternating flow interruptions to increase mixing
while holding pressure constant. Fifty Hopscotch Screws and three Hopscotch Mixers are now in use.
Georg Fischer AG, Germany and an investment group incl. West Private Equity / WestLB has purchased the extruder manufacturer Krupp Werner & Pfleiderer, Germany. For this purpose a new holding company was founded which will employ 2.000 people at 35 different locations.
The Maag Textron Group has taken over the german screen changer manufacturer WIL-MAN and will integrate the company including all its employees into Maag’s german subsidiary. A new service center for polymer filtration will be built at WIL-MAN’s site in order to serve customers all over the world.
An interactive simulation is under development at Pennsylvania College of Technology in Williamsport, USA.The Blown Film Extrusion Simulator is said to show realistic interaction among screw speed, nip speed, and cooling air on bubble dimensions, thickness and frostline. It should be commercial early next year. Blown film processors interested in beta testing it should contact [email protected] .