Photo courtesy of Chemineer
Photo courtesy of Chemineer
Photo courtesy of PDC
Photo courtesy of PDC
Photo courtesy of Hexagon Metrology
Photo courtesy of Hexagon Metrology
Photo courtesy of Munson Machinery
Photo courtesy of Munson Machinery
• Chemineer has been chosen by Cynar PLC as its engineering partner for impeller agitators at the UK’s first waste plastic-to-diesel plant at Avonmouth near Bristol. The End-of-Life Plastics-to-Diesel (ELPD) facility is the first of a multiplant project that will be established across sites in the UK.
Finding solutions to remediate waste problems worldwide is a major concern. End-of-life-plastic is one of the waste industry’s biggest issues. Cynar has developed an effective process that converts mixed waste plastics into synthetic fuels that are cleaner, lower in sulfur, and in the case of diesel, higher in cetane than generic diesel fuel.
Chemineer’s large helical ribbon impeller, with central screw chosen specifically for this laminar-flow, high-viscosity application, is able to effectively pull down soilds and liquids from the surface while the helical ribbon is pumping up. Chemineer agitators are a key part of Cynar’s environmentally-friendly technology that effectively transforms otherwise unwanted landfill-bound waste plastics into valuable liquid fuels.
Chemineer, part of NOV Mono, will supply agitators for other planned sites in the UK and Europe, with additional interest from the Americas for Cynar’s unique process. Cynar’s core aim is to be the first to market the commercialization of ELPD technology and become the leader in the waste industry.
• Maag Automatik (a Dover Corp. member) is proud to announce that M&G Finanziaria (Italy) has chosen the German manufacturer to supply the equipment needed for a complete PET pelletizing plant. Not only will Maag Automatik deliver a number of its production-proven Sphero® underwater pelletizing systems but also corresponding melt pumps, screen changers, and the company’s innovative direct crystallization CC-PET® process.
Located in Corpus Christi, Texas, USA, the new operation is designed for a capacity of 1 million tons per year, and as a consequence will be the largest PET production site ever built. Its commissioning is expected to commence by the end of 2015.
The M&G Group is among the world’s three largest producers of PET resin for packaging applications, and the second largest in the Americas. The company expects that the project will both consolidate and strengthen its dominant position.
Maag Automatik is particularly pleased that the M&G group has decided to further cement the existing, successful relationship between the two market leaders by selecting Automatik as partner for this challenging and pioneering project. This once-in-a-decade order underlines once more its leadership in the supply of PET pelletizing systems, the company says.
• Diamond America has expanded its already extensive extrusion die service by assuming the engineering responsibilities of its sister company, Akron Tool & Die. Recognizing the changing market demands and applications that its extrusion equipment customers were experiencing, Diamond America sought to enhance its extrusion die technology through expansion of its own capabilities. The assumption of Akron Tool & Die’s engineering services will meet current customer demand and provide new business opportunities in the catalyst, mastics, food, and plastics industries.
As part of the move, Diamond America will add to its engineering staff and upgrade its design software. The assumption of responsibilities also secures for Diamond America a strong presence in the co-extrusion markets.
“Our strength is in finding customized solutions for our customers’ extrusion challenges,” stated Terry Hendershot, president of Diamond America. “This move only improves our ability to do that while also opening up new opportunities in markets where we see growth potential.”
Akron Tool & Die has developed a range of die systems for film, sheet, and coating since 1941. Diamond America, established in 2001, offers comprehensive extrusion equipment design and manufacturing services, including custom extrusion dies.
• Vitro Minerals announces the commercialization of a synthetic lightweight mineral filler for plastics and sealants that is 10-17% lower in specific gravity than traditional fillers commonly used. At 40% filler loading in nylon or polypropylene parts, the new filler will reduce molded part weights by 4-7%, the company reports.
The filler, WhiteLite Alumino Silicate, reportedly is free of crystalline silica, has 100% recycled content, and offers improved scratch resistance to automotive plastics such as nylon and PP.
Standard automotive plastic and sealant fillers all contain some percentage of magnesium, calcium, alumina, and silica elements. WhiteLite combines these elements in specific proportions under high heat to create an amorphous state, which allows significant reductions in specific gravity, an increase in hardness, and highly polar surfaces to react with coupling agents as needed.
According to Joseph Keating, president of Vitro Minerals, WhiteLite will be price-competitive with existing mineral fillers while providing a platform to reduce part weights and add more recycled content to plastics and sealants.
• PDC International Corp., a world leader in high-volume, tamper evident banding and shrink labeling machinery, has introduced the 90C-ER Shrinksealer for the fast, continuous application of tamper-evident seals and shrink-sleeve neck labels.
The 90C-ER seals up to 400 containers per minute, with true 24/7 reliability, the company says. Though engineered for speed and reliability, the system is variable-speed and runs as slowly as 50 cpm to synchronize with production requirements.
90C-ER Shrinksealers apply single- and multi-layer PVC, PETG, PLA, and OPS sleeves in gauges as thin as 40 microns. The compatible sleeve diameter range is 0.375 to 3.0 inches (10-75 mm), and the height range is 0.625 to 4 inches (16-102 mm).
PDC‘s Splice-on-the-Fly changeover feature allows a second film reel to be staged and spliced while operation continues at normal speed, thus eliminating the traditional downtime for roll splicing. When the current reel is spent, an end-of-reel sensor automatically clamps the material end and begins consuming from the accumulation festoon. Once the splice is complete, the festoon refills by returning to its original position, awaiting the next roll change.
Standard features of the 90C-ER include a stainless steel frame, NEMA 4 enclosures, Allen-Bradley touch-screen and PLC, and static eliminator; there are sensors for low material and film feed, and available sensors for imprint and bar-code verification.
Like all PDC systems, the 90C-ER has a robust blade assembly, rather than the fragile spinning knives of competitive machines. This advanced assembly allows blades to be re-sharpened at least three times, and to be reversed, so one set provides exceptionally long service life and cost savings: PDC blades last months, not days, the company says
Systems also feature tool-less changeovers, which minimizes downtime between format changes. Both vertical and horizontal perforators may be added. As with all PDC shrink-sealing systems, heat tunnels and complete conveying systems can be supplied as part of an integrated package. And the 90C-ER Shrinksealer pairs perfectly with the company’s Smooth Diversion Inspection/Ejection System, which confirms the location of bands and gently diverts any packages that are out of specification.
PDC 90C-ER Shrinksealers are available in UL- and CE-approved versions. The use of widely available “off-the-shelf” purchased components minimizes maintenance expense throughout the system’s long service life. Test processing can be arranged at the PDC Development Lab, which can run and evaluate a range of films for package development and prototyping.
• Hexagon Metrology has announced the next generation of the ROMER Absolute Arm. The portable coordinate measuring machine (CMM) provides non-contact laser scanning to take measurements for applications requiring mold-to-CAD inspection, on-machine measurement, or reverse engineering of rubber and plastic parts. The enhanced portable measuring arm features optimized ergonomics, a new wrist design, and greater stability to create a better user experience while further reducing operator fatigue. Hexagon’s Absolute Arm is available immediately worldwide. (Detailed product information and technical specifications can be found at www.HexMet.us/ROMER/plastic.)
The six-axis portable measuring arm introduces a new wrist designed around the complex contours of the human hand. The new wrist on the seven-axis Absolute Arm has a more natural feel with rotation centered around the system’s probe. Both systems feature a lockable, Zero-G counterbalance which improves arm movement, protects it from hard falls, and enables single-handed operation.
In addition to upgraded ergonomic features, the six-axis wrist includes a built-in work light and digital camera. Haptic feedback vibrates the wrist and warns the user of possible harmful conditions, making it ideal for noisy shop-floor environments, the company adds. The arm also features a redesigned tube inspection configuration for quick inspections and reverse engineering of bend paths.
The seven-axis arm is designed to accept an integrated or external, high-performance laser scanner at any time. It may also be purchased without the scanner and used as a hard probing system. Both arms do not require recalibration after a probe or scanner change.
“With this next iteration of the ROMER Absolute Arm, we have created a versatile and mobile measurement tool which easily moves throughout the shop as needed,” says Burt Mason, product manager for Hexagon Metrology, Inc. “The arm’s optimized ergonomics, thermally stable construction, reliable encoders, and plug-and-play probes deliver a new level of performance for the rubber and plastics industries.”
All ROMER measuring arms are available with PC-DMIS Touch Portable, a revolutionary measurement software that utilizes high-resolution Multi-Touch display technology on a tablet PC. The PC-DMIS Touch interface is particularly well suited to ROMER portable arm users and further complements their experience, adds the company.
• The recent first meeting of the Exhibitors’ Council indicates the beginning of preparations for the K 2016 International Trade Fair—the number-one expo for plastics and rubber worldwide—taking place October 19-26, 2016, in Düsseldorf, Germany.
The Exhibitors’ Council supports Messe Düsseldorf in the planning aspects for K 2016 and advises on fundamental conceptual and organizational issues. Consisting of representatives from exhibiting industrial segments and leading industry associations, the council covers the entire technology range of products and services presented at K—from machinery and equipment manufacturing to production of raw materials and auxiliaries, as well as manufacturing of semi-finished products and technical parts made of plastics and rubber.
Ulrich Reifenhäuser, chairman of the management board of the Reifenhäuser Group and chairman of the VDMA plastics and rubber machinery association, will retain his position as chairman of the Exhibitors’ Council. Rainer Büschl, Innovation & Knowledge Management Performance Materials, BASF SE, was appointed deputy chairman; he is also leading the concept committee. Thorsten Kühmann, director of the VDMA plastics and rubber machinery association, will continue to be head of the organization committee.
K presents a unique cross-section of the raw material, processing, and application technology industries. Every three years, companies from all over the world present their latest technological developments and current and future solutions. When last held in October, 2013, a total of 3,219 exhibitors and 218,000 visitors took part in the event.
As in previous years, the most important international suppliers and service providers of the plastics and rubber industry will exhibit at K 2016. Over the next few months, Messe Düsseldorf will define the main topics and develop new concepts. Exhibitor applications will be available beginning of 2015.
For information on visiting or exhibiting at K 2016, contact Messe Düsseldorf North America, 150 North Michigan Avenue, Suite 2920, Chicago, IL 60601 (telephone: (312) 781-5180; fax: (312) 781-5188; Email: info@mdna.com; website: www.mdna.com). Subscribe to MDNA’s blog at blog.mdna.com, and follow MDNA on Twitter at twitter.com/FoodBev__MDNA. For hotel and travel information, contact TTI Travel, Inc. at (866) 674-3476; info@ttitravel.net; www.traveltradeint.com.
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• Munson Machinery’s new HIM-306-SS High-Intensity Continuous Blender imparts low-to-high shear required for blending, homogenizing, de-dusting, and/or de-agglomerating dry ingredients, slurries, pastes, and difficult-to-blend materials, at high rates.
Fitted with coated and hardened stainless steel paddles for abrasion resistance, the agitator is supported by pillow block bearings mounted externally at opposite ends of its 30 x 72-in. (76 x 183-cm) diameter cylindrical mixing chamber, and is equipped with stuffing box-style air purge seals.
Homogeneous blends can be achieved in as little as 20 seconds residence time, depending on material characteristics, yielding up to 1500 ft3 (42 m3) of throughput per hour, with other models in the series offering higher or lower capacities.
The insulated, high-pressure jacketed mixing vessel constructed to ASME code can be heated or cooled, and is equipped with four injection ports for adding liquids in small to large amounts. For wash-down, water or cleaning solution is introduced through the ports before running the machine to dislodge any solids adhering to interior surfaces. For difficult-to-clean materials, an available gate at the outlet of the discharge chute allows the unit to be partially filled with water or cleaning solution prior to running the machine. In either case, the vessel can be drained through a flanged outlet on side of discharge chute.
The agitator is driven by a 50-hp (37-kW) motor with a totally enclosed high-torque gear reducer and synchronous belt drive, and rotates at variable speeds ranging from 120 to 600 RPM. The agitator is comprised of a large-diameter, solid shaft with 180° adjustable paddles for varying degrees of blending intensity.
All material contact surfaces are constructed of 316 stainless steel for blending of corrosive materials. Contact surfaces and/or the entire support structure are also offered in 304 stainless steel, carbon steel, and exotic materials.
• Technifab Inc. (Avon, Ohio, USA), a leading solutions provider to the aerospace industry, has developed a new high-performance polymeric foam ducting system that features structural components made of AvaSpire® poly-aryletherketone (PAEK) resin from Solvay Specialty Polymers. The new ducting system is a key element of a newly developed aerospace Environmental Control System (ECS) for a major aircraft manufacturer.
AvaSpire PAEK provides greater toughness and reduced costs compared to standard polyether-etherketone (PEEK) for interior aerospace applications such as the structural end caps and anchors used in this design. The ultra-high-performance polymer also offers greater strength, better creep resistance, and improved hydrolytic stability compared to nylon and other competitive engineering thermoplastics that were also considered, according to Jack DeRuyter, vice president of business development for Technifab. The unfilled AvaSpire PAEK grade also meets Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) flammability, smoke density, and toxic gas emission (FST) requirements.
The injection-molded end caps made of AvaSpire PAEK serve as part of a rigid connector system for the ducting. The 0.25-cm-thick end caps, which range in diameter from 5.1 to 15.2 cm, are attached to the ducting with an epoxy-based adhesive. AvaSpire PAEK is also used to injection mold the anchors that serve as mounting brackets for the ducting. They have the same dimensions as the end caps and are also attached to the ducting with an adhesive.
Technifab’s new ducting system is being installed on current airframes produced by major aircraft manufacturers. AvaSpire PAEK is a family of customizable high-performance polyketones tailored to fill cost and performance gaps between PEEK and other high-performance polymers. These materials are part of Solvay’s Spire® Ultra Polymers portfolio, which includes KetaSpire® PEEK.