K 2010 ROUND-UP: AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT

Modular shredder for maximum flexibilty

The modular construction of the new Spider HRS series of shredders from Weima offers optimum flexibility for users that need to handle a wide variety of materials. The single shaft shredders are fitted with a modular pressing system that can be quickly and easily changed. Three feed types can be selected: horizontal feed, the multipurpose fitting for all types of hard plastics; round feed for shredding foils and filaments; or sloping feed for hollow articles.

The eight heavy-duty legs raise the machine up and make it easy to run and maintain.  Screens are easily changeable thanks to the hydraulic closing mechanism. Plus, screens come in sections and can be replaced one section at a time.  The ram guides can be removed from the outside and are simple to unbolt and replace.

Bed knives are reversible, considerably reducing the time before they need to be changed, and noticeably saving costs.

The modular design of the Spider makes it easy to manufacture and to offer at an economical price. It offers a throughput comparable to standard Weima machines, at a price that’s 30% less.

Weima America Inc. (Fort Mill, SC); www.weimaamerica.com;  888-440-7170

Accurate, easy-to-use benchtop spectrophotometer

The Color i7 benchtop spectrophotometer from X-Rite is designed to be a full-featured reference instrument for reliable digital workflow and error-free color measurement of plastic parts.

An on-board system that monitors instrument performance and can optimize and certify, remotely via the internet, without the need for additional service, enabling the exchange of spectral color data with confidence while cutting operating costs. The Color i7 will also automatically track the age of a profile and notify the user when profiling is needed

Tri-beam technology allows simultaneous measurements of SCI (specular component included) and SCE (specular component excluded), enabling correlated gloss measurement and gloss assessment for gloss corrected color formulation. This simplifies measuring pure color or simulating how the human eye responds to surface effects. Automated UV control provides speed and convenience for automatic UV D65 calibration and adjustment and UV included / excluded measurements. This provides for accurate measurement of optically brightened or fluorescent samples, ensuring consistent, precise performance.

X-Rite Inc. (Grand Rapids, Mich.); www.xrite.com; 1-800-248-9748

  Manutrol Inc. (Mongtreal);514-489-4144

Granulators handle large, bulky parts

The new CT500 series size reduction units from Cumberland Engineering are mid-sized granulators designed to deliver high throughputs for reclaiming large, bulky parts that would normally require a more costly, higher horsepower central granulator.

Available in three sizes – 20 inches by 28 inches, and 20 inches by 36 inches, and 20 by 48 inches – the CT500 series also offers a 20-inch (500-mm) cutting circle that’s standard for enhanced part ingestion.

Available in three- and five-knife rotors, with high shear or steep angle rotors, the T500 series encompasses the design elements for the widest variety of application needs.

The side-mounted motor allows full access to the cutting chamber without the dangers inherent in working over a drive system, and is designed for configuration on either side depending on the customer preference.

The CT500 comes in its standard “hand feed” design, with a feed height of 59 inches, providing a comfortable height for the operator to feed.

Cumberland Engineering (South Attleboro, Mass.); www.cumberland-plastics.com; 508-399-6400

  Auxiplast Inc. (Ste-Julie, Que.); 450-922-0282

  New Tech Machinery Inc. (Brampton, Ont.); 905-456-2968

  Precision Mold Supplies Ltd. (Delta, B.C.); 604-943-7702

Gravimetric feeder doubles throughput

An advanced model of Maguire’s MGF gravimetric feeder is designed to provide more than double the throughput of the original system, but has the same compact size and offers the same substantial price advantage over competing gravimetric units.

The new MGF system is driven by a motor that is smaller than the one in the earlier feeder but delivers material at rates of up to 36 kg (80 lb.) per hour, compared with the previous top throughput of 13.6 kg (30 lb.).

The accuracy of the MGF feeder stems from the use of load cells to monitor the loss in weight of colorant in a hopper (mounted on the load cell) as the material is fed into the processing machine by an auger. Software in the feeder control scans data on color consumption every half-second and automatically adjusts dispensing when a predetermined amount of accumulated error is detected.

Maguire Canada/Novatec Inc. (Vaughan, Ont.); www.maguirecanada.com; 1-866-441-8409

Rotary valve won’t damage resin

With a ‘W’-shaped valve entrance, a new rotary valve from Shini Plastics Technologies is designed for precision feeding of powder materials without risk of chopping the pellet.

The valve comes standard with upper and lower flanges that conform to the standard specification: specifications can be selected from ANSI, 150Lb, DIN PN10, GB PN10, and JIS 10K.

Also, the valve has a double-lip seal ring to keep a higher sealing performance without the need for daily inspection.

Optional accessories include an SFN-type (T-type) feed nozzle, applicable for the pneumatic conveying line with multi-stations; or an SFN-type (J-type) feed nozzle, applicable for dense phase pneumatic conveying where no powder remnant is allowable.  

Shini Plastics Technologies Canada Inc. (Mississauga, Ont.); www.shini.ca; 905-565-1602 

New temperature controller with touch screen control

The Tempro plus D temperature controller from Wittmann is designed to build on the company’s Tempro plus C series, including adding a color touch screen control providing a superior user interface.

The D series employs a pressure free fluid tank for the 90 °C model, while the pressurized heating and cooling chamber units are available for temperature ranges of 140 °C, 160 °C up to even 180 °C.

Several versions of the new Tempro plus D model are offered in either single zone as well as dual zone configurations to meet the varying demands of the users.

The six-inch color TFT display coupled with a resolution of 640 × 480 pixels, creates a clear and sharp image with an increase of 60% viewing area over previous models. Operating on a Windows CE platform, the control system also provides vertically arranged menu buttons on the display, and horizontal direct function buttons that fade out automatically after a selectable waiting time, thereby maximizing the size of the main processing data fields to be displayed.

The heat exchanger (cylinder tube, cooling coil and heater) of the pressurized temperature controllers only contains a volume of three liters. The small fluid volume guarantees optimized heat-up and cool-down phases, leading to the quickest reaction times and shortest cycle times. No float is needed to monitor fluid level as the pump and system pressure sensors provide con
tinuous feedback for closed loop fluid level control. Information from the pressure sensors is used, to maintain the internal system pressure at least one bar above the steam pressure curve, thus avoiding cavitation of the pump.

Wittmann Canada Inc. (Richmond Hill, Ont.); www.wittmann-canada.com; 1-866-466-8266