Suppliers Showcase.

EQUIPMENT

Tiebarless injection molding

In order to meet the injection molding market's demand for higher tonnage tiebarless machines, the company has expanded its tiebarless line in North America to include a 300 ton model. With a tiebarless machine, users are said to gain a substantially larger platen area that can accommodate larger, more complex molds. Conventional machines often force molders to use larger tonnage machines than an application needs because their mold cannot physically fit between tiebars at the ideal tonnage. The 300 ton tiebarless machine is available with two control packages, including the EC100 and the CC100. Both packages offer smart pump hydraulics and the Company's RISC-based distributed intelligence machine control, which allows for virtually limitless expandability. The EC100 precision package can handle the majority of injection molding applications. It features a standard, high-resolution color display, a single smart pump and self-tuning temperature control. The CC100 advanced package is said to offer even greater flexibility and performance, with its state-of-the-art color graphic interface and dual smart pumps. It is also able to perform independent functions for ejectors and core pulls, and comes with more standard features like teleservice capability, web interface, autoproject, etc. (Engel)

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Stackable conveyor ovens

The No. 602 represents a series of three electrically heated conveyor ovens, capable of being stacked one atop another, for batch processing rubber. Vertical downward air flow, provided by a 10 hp recirculating blower with air flow safety switch, achieves maximum temperatures of 350 [degrees] F inside the heat zone, which measures 66"w x 30'1 x 1' above a variable speed drive conveyor belt. An 80 kw heat input is provided in the conveyor oven, while temperatures are monitored and maintained by a circular chart recording temperature controller and manual reset excess temperature controller with separate contactors. Operator monitoring is possible from a single location. (Grieve)

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Extruder/preformer

The company's newly designed machine extrudes, preforms, screens and profiles rubber compounds in preparation for the next step of rubber parts manufacturing. The rubber compound is plasticized by a screw and then fed into a gear pump. The pump has its own drive, which eliminates the pulsations that are generated by the motions of the screw in many conventional machines. The pressure control system, before and after the pump, regulates the screw and pump speed. This is said to keep the profile even and consistent throughout the system. The gear pump also serves as a metering system that gives an exact volume of rubber during each revolution. The pump motor has an en-coder which sends impulses to an electric counter in the PLC. This in turn gives a signal to the cutter motor, via the servo control, to cut. (Infinity Consulting Services)

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INSTRUMENTS

Lab scale processing system

The PolyLab laboratory scale polymer processing system is available from the company. This manufacturer is said to offer the most comprehensive range of equipment for laboratory scale polymer processing applications, enabling users to better characterize and process their materials. The PolyLab system is used for studying mixing, extrusion, compounding and rheology. The PolyLab system is said to be the world's most advanced laboratory scale polymer processing center. It employs state-of-the-art hardware and software to provide unprecedented flexibility for current and future polymer applications. Its many functions include small scale mixing and blending, single or twin screw extrusion/compounding, as well as that of a traditional torque rheometer. Unique features are said to include "Smart" sensor technology that ensures ease of use; advanced processor design that enables higher speed and temperature control and more sensitive differentiation between "good" and "bad" formulations; and direct simulation of actual polymer processes. In addition to the PolyLab laboratory scale polymer processing system, the company offers laboratory scale twin screw compounders, PolyDrive mixers and extruders, and melt flow rheometers. (Haake)

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Surface area analyzer

The Windows-based Envelope surface area analyzer is said to offer a fast and reliable technique for surface area measurement of powders and porous parts used in the rubber industry. Based on gas permeameter technology, the instrument's analysis can determine the exterior surface area of the sample responsible for reaction rate and product efficiency. The resulting information is said to be useful for quality control, as well as product development. The Envelope surface area analyzer method works on fibers, powders and porous components having surface area in the range of 0.1 to 10 [m.sup.2]/g. The whole process takes less than 15 minutes and is said to give highly reproducible results without the need of evacuation or liquid nitrogen. Fully automated and controlled by Windows-based software, the instrument is said to be user-friendly, accurate, repeatable and reliable. (Porous Materials)

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Ultrasonic flowmeter 

The Sono-Trak clamp-on transit time ultrasonic flowmeter is available from the company. Designed to measure liquids in pipe sizes from 2" to 100", the Sono-Trak utilizes an advanced non-intrusive flow measurement technology. The electronics design is said to provide an accurate, maintenance-free, easy-to-install and easy-to-use flow measuring system. With no moving parts to wear out over time, flowmeter maintenance is said to be non-existent, and the non-intrusive transmitters mean there is no liquid contamination. Sono-Trak measures liquids using transit time and domain expansion technology, improves accuracy and increases resolution, according to the manufacturer. The instrument is said to be accurate up to 0.5% of rate with precise pipeline dimensional measurement, and offers a 0.1% of rate repeatability. (Emco)

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Laser measurement system

The LK Series CCD laser displacement meter is said to be a high-accuracy, semiconductor laser-based triangulation measurement system with 1.0 micron resolution. Designed for surface profiling, measurement of thickness, height, width, position and size of materials, the LK is said to provide accuracy that is unaffected by target color, surface texture or stray light for practically every application, according to the manufacturer. The LK is available in a high-accuracy Model LK-031 (30 mm [+ or -] 5 mm range) and a long-range model LK-081 (80 mm [+ or -] 15 mm range). Applications for the LK exist in a wide range of rubber and plastic molding processes. The LK uses a high resolution CCD sensing array instead of a PSD (positive sensitive detector) used in conventional systems. The array detects the peak value of the light quantity distribution of the beam spot for each pixel within the area of its ultra-small 30-micron diameter beam spot and determines the precise target position. (Keyence Corporation of America)

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MATERIALS

Water-based releases

Diamondkote water-based, semi-permanent release agents are based upon a unique, non-transferring chemistry that is said to deliver improved mechanical slip, while not sacrificing longevity. Many products have been tested successfully in the automotive markets, including robber-to-metal bonding applications, according to the manufacturer. The company said these new product innovations work on virtually all types of robber, including polychloroprene, nitrile rubber, ethylene acrylics, SBR, fluoroelastomers, natural rubber, EPDM and more. (Franklynn Industries)

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Polyurethane cleaning

Today's polyurethane foam blowing technology is said to have created additional cleaning needs in the polyurethane industry. For companies using the [CO.sub.2] blowing agent technology, the micro-pore screens are said to have created a difficult cleaning challenge. Once the polyurethane components have dried or cured onto the screens, some companies are said to be discarding the screens altogether. Dynasolve 2000 is a solvent used to clean the screens. Dynasolve 2000 works at room temperature in a simple soaking tank. It is said to be a safe solvent with a flash point greater than 200 [degrees] F. Even the screens that were saturated with cured polyurethane were said to be easily cleaned by the Dynasolve 2000 in less than one hour. The company provides products for screen cleaning and other polyurethane cleaning needs. (Dynaloy)

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UV curable encapsulants

Eclipse UV curable encapsulants, potting compounds and adhesives are available from the company. The Eclipse products are single-component epoxies and acrylates that polymerize when exposed to ultraviolet light. The Eclipse products feature a patent-pending, deep-cure technology. The products cure in seconds in the most challenging conditions for UV curable products, according to the company, including the following: Shaded areas; under and around potted components; thickness up to two inches; fillers, pigments and dyes; and room temperature with no post cure. The technology involves a two-step cure. UV light starts the polymerization, and the company's chemistry finishes the cure. Users are said to save the time and investments associated with the mixing and post curing of conventional encapsulants and potting compounds. The Eclipse product line features the excellent performance properties, chemical resistance and electrical properties of epoxies and acrylates, according to the company. They also are said to provide the safety and environmental advantages unique to their single-component chemistry, including: No solvents; no volatile organic compounds; no n-vinyl pyrrolidone; no residual acetic acid; and no curing ovens. The Eclipse family includes eight commercial and several custom products. (Elementis Performance Polymers)

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Heat transfer fluid

NF non-fouling, non-toxic heat transfer fluid is used in rubber machinery to precisely and uniformly control temperature in molds, barrels, dies, screws, platens and calender rolls to 600 [degrees] F. It is said to be highly efficient, cost effective and thermally stable. (Paratherm)

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RTV silicone sealant

A neutral cure sealant has been developed for bonding and sealing sensitive components and other applications where the released solvents or cure by-products of many room-temperature sealants are undesirable. The RTV silicone material produces no acid by-products during cure. It is said to be well suited for a range of industrial uses, including bonding or sealing of components and as a formed-in-place gasketing material for sealing compressors, gear boxes, pumps and small motors. The No. 737 neutral cure sealant is a one-component, non-slumping sealant that cures at room temperature upon exposure to moisture in the air to form a durable, flexible silicone rubber, according to the manufacturer. (Dow Corning)

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Non-silicone internal release

MoldWiz INT-52EPR is a proprietary robber additive that is said to generally improve flow characteristics and reduce tack, making it easier to process natural and synthetic rubbers, particularly EPDM, TPO and elastomeric copolymers used in a multitude of applications, according to the company. INT-52EPR is said to benefit manufacturers by contributing to easier, cleaner release of cured parts, reducing or eliminating the application of external release agents, and lowering the incidence of mold fouling. The company reports that customer evaluations have demonstrated MoldWiz INT-52EPR to have no adverse effect on secondary operations, such as bonding, and no harmful effect on physical properties of the cured elastomers, even after prolonged storage. Some users have reported an increase in elongation and greater tensile strength when MoldWiz INT-52EPR was used in various robber recipes, according to the manufacturer. All of the company's products are formulated from raw materials which comply with the chemical substance inventory lists of TOSCA, DSL, MITI, EINECS, Australia and Korea. The company manufactures hundreds of process-specific external release agents and internal lubricants for thermosets, thermoplastics and elastomers. (Axel Laboratories)

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Bonding agent

Cilbond 55 is a high performance top coat bonding agent. When used with the appropriate primers, Cilbond 55 will successfully bond NR, SBR, BR, IR, CR, ECO, CSM and NBR to metal and plastic substrates, according to the manufacturer. Cilbond 55 is said to offer excellent resistance to high and low temperatures, salt spray, glycol, hot water and hot oil. These attributes are said to make the system ideally suited to applications such as engine mountings, suspension units, seals, valves, bushes and rollers, etc. The company supplies a broad range of bonding agents. (Compounding Ingredients Ltd.)

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Monomer products

PC-300, an acrylate monomer, and PC-301, a methacrylate monomer, are said to offer such improved performance properties as reduced shrinkage, higher Tg in unsaturated polyester resins, vinyl esters and epoxies, metal adhesion, enhanced thermal cycling and styrene replacement, according to the manufacturer. These enhancements are said to make PC-300 and PC-301 ideal for the following composites applications: Cast polymers, composite anchor media, gel coats, vehicle repair putty and thermal-demand end uses, according to the company. PC-300 and PC-301 offer no volatile organic compound emissions, thereby providing improved environmental compliance. In addition, the monomers are available as an ultra-fine particulate to aid dispersion in unsaturated polyester and vinyl ester resins, further improve final performance and maximize efficiency, according to the company. (Sartomer)

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Fully saturated HNBR 

Therban A 3907, a fully saturated grade of HNBR, is designed for a variety of automotive applications, including seals and o-rings. Therban HNBR is said to give products superior performance and durability in applications where extreme temperature, fuel, oil, ozone or abrasion exists, according to the manufacturer. Transitioning Therban A 3907 from a developmental product to a commercial product is said to help ensure predictable, consistent quality. (Bayer)

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Semi-permanent release

KantStik 91WX release agent is said to use the latest dry-film technology for lubrication of molds. This product has been formulated with a polymeric-base material which can withstand high-temperature molding conditions well over 450 [degrees] F. KantStik 91WX is water-based, non-flammable and safe to use, providing a better working environment, according to the company. It was specifically designed for the molding of robber items without the use of silicone-based products. (Specialty Products)

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