In Process 18626

DECORATIVE WOOD ELEMENTS FOR CARS PROTECTED WITH POLYURETHANE COATING

A company has matched a polyurethane coating system with decorative wood-decor elements for luxury vehicles by automakers Audi, BMW, and DaimlerChrysler. Novem Car Interior GmbH (Vorbach, Germany) has added five polyurethane Clear-Coat Molding (CCM) systems from Krauss-Maffei between two production plants in Vorbach and Bergamo, Italy to handle the new decoration project.

The systems use RIM-Star 8/8 mixing and metering units with a newly designed transfer mixing head to precision meter very small shot weights. Four to five mold-carrier units are included for flexible production. The system protects real wood-decor elements with a clear surface coating. No post-mold finishing is needed with the CCM product, since the transparent polyurethane layer is added in a single-step process.

Catering to upscale automakers and the pressing desire for more stylish interiors, CCM is expanding rapidly. Novem serves as an example of this growth with nine plants globally and 2800 employees. For more information on Krauss-Maffei?s CCM system contact +49 (88) 8899 4194 or visit www.krauss-maffei.com.

GRANULATOR IS THE CENTERPIECE OF A MATERIAL RECLAIM/SEPARATION CELL

A medical device manufacturer, needing to reclaim the polyethylene used for sterilization caplets but not the hydrogen peroxide it contained, contacted bulk material processing manufacturer, Foremost Machine Builder (Fairfield, NJ) for a system. The 1-oz caplets are applied in medical-device sterilization equipment, and even when used, the caplets often retain trace levels of hydrogen peroxide, which must be separated.

Foremost created a system that includes an in-feed conveyor to load bulk amounts of caplets into a granulator; a liquid separator to split the PE and peroxide into two distinct tanks; and a discharge pump station to move the removed hydrogen solution from the holding tank to a separate container.

Foremost worked closely with its customer to create a safe system that eliminates user contact with the caustic solution, and construction materials were chosen after a metallurgical study determined what would withstand the hydrogen peroxide?s corrosive nature. The system uses Foremost?s Model 1008 press-side granulator. For more information contact Foremost Machine at (973) 227-0700 or visit www.foremostmachine.com

MACHINERY ADDS MUCELL LICENSE

Injection molders who wish to apply the weight-reduction surface-enhancement properties of the MuCell microcellular-foam molding process to their shops can now use gear from Nissei Plastic Industrial Co. Ltd. (Nagano, Japan). The Japanese molding machine manufacturer announced that it obtained a license from Trexel Inc. (Woburn, MA) to sell presses with MuCell.

Trexel acquired MuCell?s patent rights and now it sells individual licenses to interested parties. By introducing supercritical carbon dioxide or nitrogen into the melt stream, MuCell can aid resin flowability, prevent warpage and sink marks, shorten cycles, and reduce weight.To learn more, contact Nissei at (714) 693-3000 or visit www.nisseiamerica.com. To learn about MuCell, contact Trexel at (781) 932-0202 or visit www.trexel.com.

TPU HELPS GIVE PROSTHETIC HAND A SOFT GRIP

Combining a soft touch with the ability to withstand ultraviolet light, stains, wear, and extreme temperatures, a new prosthetic prehensor, or hand, uses an aliphatic thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) from Bayer Polymers. Molded by ProMold Inc. for TRS Inc., a developer of body-powered prosthetic devices, the Grip 3 prosthetic prehensor features Bayer?s Desmopan TPU, giving it what?s described by the company as the ability to pick up an item as delicate as an egg or as heavy as a sledge hammer.

By sensing musculoskeletal movement and using natural sensory pressure, the Grip 3 allows users to virtually feel what they?re holding. Bayer assisted TRS with the development of the Grip 3, which is used by the company?s founder, Bob Radocy, who lost his left hand in a car accident.

For information on the Grip 3 contact TRS Inc. at (800) 279-1865 or visit www.oandp.com/products. To learn more about the the Grip 3?s Desmopan TPU material contact Bayer at (800) 665-2927 or visit www.bayerpolymers.com.