Thermosets & composites.Automated molding cells and computer process simulation top the news. Thermoset A polymer-based liquid or powder that becomes solid when heated, placed under pressure, treated with a chemical or via radiation. The curing process creates a chemical bond that, unlike a thermoplastic, prevents the material from being remelted. See thermoplastic. equipment suppliers will present at least two novelties at this show: automated molding of phenolic phe·no·lic adj. Of, relating to, containing, or derived from phenol. n. Any of various synthetic thermosetting resins, obtained by the reaction of phenols with simple aldehydes and used as adhesives. SMC SMC Saint Mary's College SMC Santa Monica College SMC Solaris Management Console SMC Smooth Muscle Cell SMC Small Magellanic Cloud (also see LMC) SMC Safety Management Certificate (maritime shipping) and injection molding with an in-mold gate cutter. Look also for a compact two-platen thermoset injection press, new low-density polyester BMC (BMC Software, Inc., Houston, TX, www.bmc.com) A leading supplier of software that supports and improves the availability, performance, and recovery of applications in complex computing environments. , and process-simulation software for thermoset and thermoplastic A polymer material that turns to liquid when heated and becomes solid when cooled. There are more than 40 types of thermoplastics, including acrylic, polypropylene, polycarbonate and polyethylene. composites. AUTOMATED CELLS IN ACTION A demonstration of molding phenolic SMC into thin-wall laptop computer housings will take place at the booth of Hull/Finmac Inc., Hatboro, Pa. Hull designed a new automated system that is optimized for Enduron phenolic SMC from Fiberite, Inc., Winona, Minn. The system, commissioned by Fiberite, integrates a preplasticizer, magazine-style pick-and-place feeder, automatic compression press with adjustable shot-metering tubes and moving indexing platform, and an automatic gravity deflasher. The system reportedly can achieve cycles of 60-70 sec - about half those of existing SMC presses. Another demonstration of automated thermoset molding will be presented by Bucher Inc., Buffalo Grove, Ill. A TS-160P injection press has been redesigned with larger tiebar spacing and smaller footprint, as well as a new MC-4 controller. The machine will be molding a phenolic electrical part using a new in-mold gate cutter that trims excess gate material inside the mold before the material has cured. The result is said to be better-looking parts that need no post-mold trimming. BIG SHOTS, SMALL FOOTPRINTS A space-saving 165-ton, two-platen thermoset injection press will be demonstrated by Krauss-Maffei Corp., Florence, Ky. This is the company's first adaptation of a two, platen clamp to a thermoset machine and the result is about 30% shorter than before. A new "slab side" C-frame vertical injection press for thermosets thermosets, materials that can not be softened on heating. In thermosetting polymers, the polymer chains are joined (or cross-linked) by intermolecular bonding. Thermosets are usually supplied as partially polymerized or as monomer-polymer mixtures. and thermoplastics will be introduced by Gluco, Inc., Jenison, Mich. The injection unit is located between two steel "slabs" spaced 2 ft apart that serve in place of tiebars. The press has a shuttle table for insert molding. The new MR70 rubber injection machine from Meiki America Corp., Elk Grove Village Elk Grove Village, village (1990 pop. 33,429), Cook and Du Page counties, NE Ill., a suburb of Chicago; inc. 1956. With a population of c.100 at the time of its establishment on open farmland, the village has grown dramatically and steadily, largely because of its , Ill., features a newly developed screw-in-plunger injection unit that allows "first-in, first-out" material flow and reportedly offers a large gain in injection capacity. NEW R&D TOOLS New computer software for modeling flow and curing behavior will be shown by The Madison Group, Madison, Wis. The Thermoset-3D simulation program predicts cure times, temperatures, residual stresses, and final material properties for cast marble sanitary ware. The firm will also show its Cadpress Version 2.0 software for modeling SMC mold flow, curing, fiber orientation, shrinkage, and warpage. Similar capabilities for simulating compression molding of mat-reinforced thermoplastic sheet are featured in new Express software from M-Base Engineering + Software of Germany. 'CLEANER' SPRAY-UP The only open-mold FRP FRP Fremskrittspartiet (Norwegian: Progress Party; political party) FRP Fiberglass-Reinforced Plastic FRP Fiber Reinforced Polymer FRP Fibre Reinforced Polymer FRP Fleet Response Plan (US Navy) exhibit at the show is the new Flow Chop system for spray-up from Venus-Gusmer, Inc., Kent, Wash. It's a flow coater with a specially designed glass chopper. It helps spray-up shops meet styrene sty·rene n. A colorless oily liquid from which polystyrenes, plastics, and synthetic rubber are produced. Also called vinylbenzene. and other VOC (Vertical Online Community) See vertical portal. emissions regulations (see p. 35 for more details). TAKE THE WEIGHT OUT Cyglas polyester BMC that's 20% lighter than standard grades will be introduced by Cytec Industries Inc., West Paterson, N.J. Bulk Molding Compounds, Inc., St. Charles, Ill., will also show new low-density thermoset compounds and a new paintable BMC that reportedly needs no basecoat. What to Look for * Automated cell compression molds phenolic SMC. * Two-platen thermoset press has small footprint. * In-mold gate cutter trims gates before they cure. * Computer software models composite processing. |
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