In Process 1872

MOLDER TAKES DELIVERY OF ALL-ELECTRIC MULTICOMPONENT PRESS

Pairing multicomponent applications with fully electric technologies for the press and the mold, The Tech Group (Phoenix, AZ) recently received Ferromatik Milacron?s (Batavia, OH) first newly built two-component all-electric press in North America. Using standard and stack tools built by Tech that employ servos instead of hydraulics for mold movements, the 330-ton Powerline will initially be used for development work, with production jobs expected to be forthcoming.

Saying it has a business plan to target in-mold assembly and multicomponent jobs, Tech?s VP of Engineering Bill Gerard says the all-electric Powerline will serve as a platform for those ambitions.

The press uses a direct-connected rack-and-pinion clamp drive. Its two injection units are situated in an L formation, with the primary unit providing an 8-oz maximum shot at 34,800 psi and the secondary offering a 1-oz shot at 35,000 psi.

Tech?s investment in multimolding is a longstanding one, with this most recent press joining nine existing machines in North America and 11 in Europe. On its toolmaking side, Tech?s two-shot investment includes a Spin-Stack license from Gram Technology. Milacron can configure all its Powerline all-electric machines, up to 1125 tons, for two shot work.

For more information contact Milacron at (513) 536-2428 or visit www.milacron.com.

MOLD-ALIGNMENT SYSTEM STRAIGHTENS OUT STACK-MOLD PROBLEMS

The demanding production schedule and ultra-fast cycles for cap molding, especially extended over a 24/7 basis, were wearing out Portola Packaging?s 48-cavity stack mold. Portola experienced shutoff cavities only one week after performing maintenance on its existing aluminum bronze bushing setup. The company had to replace worn or damaged components caused by misalignment.

Four weeks after maintenance, 10% to 15% of the cavities had shutoff. To address the problem, Portola employed the Greaseless System stack-mold technology from Holmes Engineering & Consulting (Lawrence, KS). The Greaseless system works by aligning the mold section during setup to prevent mold-component and centering-mechanism wear.

The Greaseless system can be retrofitted to existing molds or installed on new ones and is functional with machines up to 2000 tons. Benefits include parts without grease contamination, elimination of flash, and the flexibility of top or bottom tierod mounting. As of four weeks following installation, no cavities were shut off. Repair costs for the next six months fell 80%.

For more information, contact Holmes Engineering & Consulting (Lawrence, KS) at (785) 843-7420 or visit www.greaselessconcepts.com.

PULVERIZER APPLIES PATENTED TECHNOLOGY TO CREATE ROTOMOLDING-GRADE POWDERS

Allowing rotomolders to save .08 cents/lb on materials by bringing their pulverizing in house, a new line of mills is giving processors a competitive advantage. From Powder King LLC (Anthem, AZ), the mills also give PVC recyclers and compounders the ability to manufacture powders efficiently. The company launched operations in April 2003, taking orders for seven mills that year, with anticipated orders for five more in Q1 2004.

The grinding process is kept cool to allow high throughput, and typical grinding disks have been replaced with disposable ones, which reportedly last four to five times longer and don?t require sharpening. The machines are said to come with everything needed for safe, optimized processing, including two operator platforms and soft starts for the motors. For more information about Powder King call (623) 551-9897 or visit www.powder-king.com.

SANDBED SYSTEM STRIPS SOLIDIFIED PLASTICS FROM TOOLS

Two days and two workers armed with torches, wirewheel brushes, and scrapers are what custom color-concentrate manufacturer Ampacet Corp. (Heath, OH) formerly employed to clean solidified plastic from tools. Now, a fluidized sandbed stripping system from Seghers Kepper Technology Inc. (Marietta, GA) does the work in two 90-minute cycles, in a contained system that eliminates smoke and fumes.

The Dinamec FluidClean system is comprised of a large, thermally insulated stainless steel bed filled with quartz sand. A controlled mixture of air and gas is blown into the enclosure, causing the sand mass to fluidize. A pilot light above the sand ignites the air-gas mixture, which raises the sandbed?s temperature to 800F. Components to be cleaned are lowered in a basket into the chamber for 60 or 90 minutes.

For more information contact Seghers Keppel Technology Inc. at (800) 346-2632 or visit www.segherskeppel.com.