Auxiliary Equipment (February 01, 2007)

Control system for sprue pickers, single axis servo robots

The new SA7 microprocessor control system from Wittmann Inc. is designed for the entire line of W 702 sprue pickers, as well as Wittmann’s W 710 single axis servo driven pneumatic linear robots.

The SA7 has overall dimensions measuring 9.3 in. wide by 7.6 in. high by 1.4 in. thick, and a 5 in. LCD graphical display that shows a large amount of information.

The unit’s teach pendant emulates the key arrangement of Wittmann’s R6.2 high-end robot control system for operator familiarity, and it comes equipped with teach program sizes that control up to eight pneumatic axes and 32 vacuum and gripper circuits and 128 peripheral inputs.

Simple setup is achieved with four standard program sequences, while Wittmann’s Teach-in method can be used for individual programming sequences.

Additionally, up to 50 individual user programs can be developed and stored.

Nucon Wittmann Inc. (Markham, Ont.);

www.nucon-wittmann.com; 888-466-8266

Diverter prevents cross contamination

Lorenz & Son‘s new 2 & 3 Way Slide Flex Diverter is designed for applications requiring no cross contamination in pneumatic conveying or vacuum systems up to 15 pounds per square inch gauge (psig).

The diverters come complete with new state of the art controls that allow for precision cycle positioning that eliminate drift. The unit’s preset factory controls eliminate setup time.

Additionally, cylinder air controls allow fast actuator positioning at the touch of a button or integrated with a PLC. NEMA 4 rated enclosures protect computerized input and out- put controls.

Lorenz & Son (Cobourg, Ont.);

www.lorenz.ca; 800-263-1942

Blenders process pre-dried resins

Processors running engineering plastics such as ABS, nylon, polycarbonate and PET can now blend these resins after they are dried with Conair‘s new high temperature models of the TrueBlend blender.

High-heat models of the TrueBlend 100, 250, 500 and 900 Series blenders offer throughputs as high as 3,500 lbs/hr., with larger models, with throughputs as high as 10,000 lbs/hr., to be introduced in the near future.

The new TrueBlend models are accurate to within +/- 0.5 per cent of set point on colourant and additive weights. Access doors and sight glasses are stainless steel and Plexiglas, and the blenders can also be equipped to blanket the material compartments and mixing chamber with dry air to prevent moisture regain during blending.

Additionally, all TrueBlend units come with a control system that features a user interface with a 5.7 in. LCD touchscreen panel with full colour graphics. Up to 50 recipes can be entered and stored in the control for instant recall. Options include an integrated blender/loader control feature.

Conair (Pittsburgh, Pa.);

www.conairnet.com; 800-654-6661

Auxiplast Inc. (Ste-Julie, Que.);

www.auxiplast.com; 450-922-0282

Stephen Sales Group (Markham, Ont.);

www.stephensales.com; 905-940-5577

Rotator can invert pallets

A new addition to Southworth Products Corp.‘s line of PalletPal palletizing equipment, the Pallet Rotator is capable of inverting entire pallet loads, measuring up to 48 in. by 48 in., and 60 in. high, in order to eliminate restacking.

The unit’s adjustable clamping mechanism secures loads of up to 4,000 lbs, and rotates a full 180 degrees on an anti-friction turret bearing. Rotation may be stopped at any point.

Additionally, the Pallet Rotator can be used to switch loads to in-house sanitized or premium leased pallets or to transfer finished products to less expensive shipping skids or slip-sheets.

Southworth Products Corp. (Portland, Me.);

www.southworthproducts.com; 800-743-1000

Trans-Quip Inc. (Grimsby, Ont.);

www.trans-quip.com; 866-261-0251

Stripped-down, affordable process control system

The new eDart flx process control system from RJG Inc. has been stripped of some of the more advanced features of the company’s original eDart system so that it can be priced approximately 45 per cent less, making it one of the most affordable systems on the market today.

Featuring automatic sensor recognition and scaling, auto zeroing of cavity pressure sensors and automatic job selection, the eDart flx provides users with the ability to view in-cavity behaviour such as pressure and temperature in order to detect inconsistencies.

Additionally, the system detects processing issues such as short shots or flash before the mold opens, allowing the user to set up containment procedures for failsafe part segregation. And to ensure proper part diversion, the eDart flx software can be set to control the timing of conveyors, flippers or robots into three-way sorting to segregate good, bad and suspect parts.

RJG Inc. (Traverse City, Mich.);

www.rjginc.com; 231-947-3111

Delta Sales (Buffalo, N.Y.);

www.dsareps.com; 716-631-8103

KLA Enterprises (Kitchener, Ont.);

915-204-8316

Centrifugal screener with cantilevered shaft

The new Go model Centri-Sifter centrifugal screener from Kason Corporation is designed for applications involving frequent screen changes or inspections, or runs of multiple materials where cross contamination is a concern.

Featuring a cantilevered shaft with two externally-mounted bearings between the screening chamber and motor drive, the Go screener is available with compliance to USDA, BISSC, 3-A and other North American and European sanitary standards.

Configurations are offered for continuous operation in-line with dilute-phase pneumatic conveying systems, as well as gravity-fed applications.

In addition to sifting and scalping of dry bulk materials, the Go screener can break up soft agglomerates and/or dewater moist solids or slurries. Oversized particles and trash are ejected through the end of the screen cylinder into a discharge spout.

Kason Corporation (Millburn, N.J.);

www.kason.com; 973-467-8140

Separator Engineering (Saint Laurent, Que.);

www.separatorengineering.com; 877-694-4441