CONAIR

CONAIR
Booth S-3449

What's Hot! New products will be shown in each of Conair's product lines: material handling equipment, robots, pelletizers, downstream equipment, temperature control equipment and granulators.

* Temperature Control: Conair has revamped its line of fluid temperature-control equipment and systems.

Updated Thermolator press-side temperature control units now include more standard features, including auto-tuning PID controls on all models, at lower prices. Two-piece castings eliminate up to 40 leak-prone fittings. Units are available in single- or multiple-zone configurations for direct injection, closed circuit or isolated circuit process heating and cooling. Pump sizes range from 3/4 to 7.5 hp and heaters from 9 to 48 kw. Process temperatures range to 250 F.

Redesigned portable chillers are available in water-cooled models (1.5 to 15 tons) and air-cooled models (1.5 to 13 tons). Priced aggressively, these new units feature non-ferrous plumbing, scroll compressors, new PLC controls with plain-English displays, compact condensers and a small footprint. A 30-ton water-cooled unit will be in operation at the show.

A new central cooling control system is designed to provide complete monitoring and control of a central chiller from any PC, even from a remote location. The system will allow managers to control all system temperatures and pressures, monitor the status of individual pump and chiller units, and track Btu consumption at individual processing machines.

One-piece, seamless rotomolded PE cooling towers will not rust, corrode, chip, crack or require protective coating or painting, says Conair. Representing the range of sizes from 10 to 500 tons, a Model E2-100 will be operating in the booth.

* Materials Handling: Conair will introduce three new products.

The SPP-1 is a low-cost vacuum pump for small-volume conveying. It is said to provide the benefits of central vacuum conveying systems in a low-maintenance package designed for up to 600 lb/hr of material transfer. The compact unit can be mounted anywhere vacuum power is needed for one or more receivers.

A new compact receiver for PVC and other powders has a special pleated filter cartridge that is said to provide 48 sq. ft of filter area. All components disassemble quickly with no tools. A blowback system keeps the filter clean and prevents separation of components.

The new SLC-48 touchscreen loader control is the user interface on a vacuum loading system that can incorporate up to 48 loaders and up to eight simultaneously operating vacuum systems. Conair says the system, which incorporates a high-speed industrial PC, can even handle situations where two pumps are seeking material from the same source at the same time. Color-coding gives operators an instant understanding of the status of each loader, while additional screens provide detailed information in plain-English notations. Touch-screen panels are available in several sizes up to 10.4 in.

The CDS (Central Distribution System) has been improved since its introduction at NPE '97. This four-hopper central drying and conveying system now has improved 'pocket' conveying valves, a Power Miser II by-pass valve for airflow stability and booster heaters on each hopper. The system will also demonstrate the DM-1 Drying Monitor, which has a temperature probe to provide an accurate check on whether material is dried sufficiently before molding.

* Automation: The robot display will include a range of sizes and configurations. New robots include:

The PIP 3020HP will be demonstrating 0.5-sec take-out times and a 3.5-sec overall cycle. It is for small to mid-sized machines.

The Falcon 2 three-axis servo beam robot is for molding machines up to 500 tons and has a graphic touch-screen controller for easy operator interface. The robot on display will have a 1000-mm telescoping vertical stroke, and will deliver a 0.7-sec take-out time with a 5.0 overall cycle.

For simple part removal, Conair will present five different sprue pickers, including a new beam-mounted picker.

* Downstream extrusion equipment: Conair will display a variety of downstream equipment including calibration tables, sizing and cooling tanks, pullers, cutters and saws. Among the new products being introduced are:

The MT-105-22-5 vacuum tank for PE pipe and other high-output applications features a new high-water-flow system with larger pumps, special filters and oversized heat exchangers to handle the additional thermal load, while still providing air/water separation for accurate, controlled sizing. This unit will be demonstrated in an operating foam tubing extrusion line at the Sentinel Products Corp. booth (3475).

The Metaplast MSB-HI-3-24-9 spray-cooling tank for lumber and fencing profiles offers cooling capacity that has been increased by 30 to 50%, which translates to higher line speeds and shorter line lengths.

* Granulators: Conair will be exhibiting eight granulators with various new features:

JC and LP Series granulators can be fitted with new resharpenable bolt-on knife tips. Unlike the disposable cassette knives previously offered, the new tips can be resharpened three to five times using a fixture, which Conair will supply. Conair will continue to offer solid helical segments as standard equipment.

The new CG 1436, a medium-sized, tangential-feed granulator with a cutting chamber that is a foot wider than other models in the Series. Unit can handle parts that might otherwise have required a larger, more expensive central granulator.

The new SPC 750 Dagger is a two-stage granulator designed to produce high-quality regrind from hard, brittle engineering materials. Unit is said to feature the same quiet, low-speed design as other Dagger models, but is sized to handle larger sprues and runners. It has a 10 x 10-in. cutting chamber and can process up to 30 lb/hr.

Existing Products On Display will include:

* A mobile blending system, comprising a GB221 AutoWeigh gravimetric blender, a Powerfil vacuum pump and a variety of feeders and loaders, will be operating in the Conair booth. An integrated printer will document the accuracy of the blender.

* Demonstrating adaptive control functions that can increase extruder yield by up to 4%, a Model XB440 extrusion blender will be matched with an auger that will simulate the extruder.

* With a 21-ft horizontal beam and a vertical stroke of almost 12 ft, the Model PIP 3071 is designed to handle a 200-lb payload. It is used mainly to service 3000- to 4000-ton molding machines in automotive applications, but at NPE it will be paired with a six-axis articulated arm robot to demonstrate trimming of large parts.

* Two different operating displays will give attendees the opportunity to 'play' with Conair robots. In one cell, a PIP 3021 beam robot will be matched against a FANUC M6i six-axis articulated-arm robot, executing visitor instructions in a high-speed, precision game of tic-tac-toe. In another corner of the booth, visitors will discover how easy Conair robots are to program, while using a PIP 3031 beam robot to slam-dunk a basketball.

* Demonstrating one of the hottest growth areas for automation, a six-axis articulated-arm robot will be combined with an insert feeder, degating system and an automated inspection system in a completely operator-less insert-molding cell.

* The Model 4-26 servo-driven belt puller for medical tubing is said to offer speeds up to 1200 ft/min, while overcoming such problems as belt overheating and excessive wear on the drive components. This unit will be demonstrated in an operating medical tubing extrusion line at the Beta LaserMike booth (1141).

* The central focus of the pelletizers display will be an old machine­a Model 160170-2 HDA hydraulic-drive pelletizer that will be taken out of service after 30 years and delivered to NPE. This machine has been in continuous service at a color compounding plant and it will go back to work after celebrating its birthday at the show.

* 200 Series pelletizers are designed for easy tool-less entry into the stainless-steel cutting chamber. The Model 208 strand pelletizer will feature a 'slide-front' design for the first time. The feed roll assembly slides out from the cutting chamber, providing lots of room for maintenance, cleaning and adjustment of the bed knife and rotor. The 208 can deliver throughput of up to 2000 lb/hr.

* The Model 3512S pelletizer, for glass-filled materials, will be shown with carbide coating on the Wedge-Lock rotor and all other components that might come into contact with abrasive materials. It also features slide-front access for cutting chamber maintenance. The unit is designed to handle up to 5500 lb/hr.

Cool Booth Details To show complete systems capabilities, a live demonstration will take place for ten minutes every hour. This multi-media show incorporates extensive video footage from system installations Conair has designed and built. Also featured is a scale model, fully detailed, to introduce a brand new central controls capability.

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Key Contact Ben Martin ­ Tel: 412-312-6000