You can download this magazine in sections with all editorial and advertisement web addresses as live hyperlinks.
Other downloadable back issues.
Contact addresses for the Factfinder reader enquiry numbers in this month's magazine
INJECTION MOULDING
Download this section (1,701 KB)
Hipermoulding - reinventing the wheel?.
An EC-funded pan-European research programme is under way to make European injection moulding more competitive by taking time out of the moulding cycle with improved heating and cooling. We look at what the Hipermoulding project sets out to do and how that target is already being met by the Contura mould-making process, which has been used to date to make more than 5,000 tools.
Temperature monitoring makes the cooling safety margin redundant.
Hipermoulding and Contura are aiming to improve the cooling of the part. But they won't tell you when it has actually reached the required temperature. A recent development from Kistler aims to do that.
How to prevent hot runner leaks.
One of the most commonly expressed concerns about hot runner moulds is the threat of a leak of molten plastic filling the manifold pocket. This article from Husky looks at potential problems with externally heated hot runner systems - the majority of the hot runner systems in use.
A different pair of eyes picks up cost-saving improvements.
It seems that no matter how experienced a moulding company may be, an external organisation can improve the way it operates to save costs. In January we wrote about how PICME advised Daniels Healthcare on reorganising its working practices to improve efficiency. Now Algram of Plymouth has cut time wasted in job changing with advice from the South West Manufacturing Advisory Service.
MiniMolders for clean room medicals.
MCP Tooling Technologies has supplied a 12/90 VSP MiniMolder with tooling to Tamworth-based NCC to mould clear PC hubs and PP buttons on to canulae and stylettes of epidurals and spinal needles.
Money Controls adds first floor moulding shop.
Demand from Italy for its control mechanisms for gaming machines has brought a re-structure at Money Controls which has led it to build a first floor moulding shop.
Automation makes Flexible Lamps more competitive.
An ATM six-axis robot has been installed at Flexible Lamps' Harlow plant to load L-shaped pins into recesses in injection moulded housings for commercial vehicle side marker lamps. The object of automating what was previously a manual assembly task was to combat competition from countries with lower labour costs.
Plastic flexible circuits moulded automatically.
German company Quärder Werkzeugbau has developed a fully automated process for making moulded interconnected devices (MIDs) and is building production lines for high volume MID-parts such as door lock housings, gearbox cases or multi media cards.
Accumulation of knowledge enhances hydraulic circuits.
One of the least understood components within hydraulic circuits is also one of the most important, as it can bring a raft of benefits to virtually all hydraulic applications. Andrew Lindgren and Bernd Killing of Parker Hannifin take a back-to-basics look at accumulators.
Nano holes 'glue' plastics to aluminium.
A process for moulding thermoplastics on to an aluminium substrate with a high level of adhesion has been developed in Japan. The NMT (Nano Molding Technology) process from Taisei Plas works by etching the aluminium surface to produce holes of 20 - 30 nm into which the polymer flows.
Sandretto scoops Mega deal at RGE.
In a deal reckoned to be the biggest single order for injection moulding machines in the UK for 15 months, 16 machines from 485 to 1,000 tonnes have been supplied by Sandretto to RGE Engineering in Yate to make components for Indesit condenser and vented clothes driers.
EGM removes sink marks where other processes failed.
The External Gas Moulding process developed by Cinpres Gas Injection is eliminating sink marks on ABS stand mouldings for Hitachi and Pioneer plasma TV cabinets where more conventional gas injection failed.
WIT overcomes thickwalled PP problems.
Battenfeld Aquamould water injection technology has been applied to the production of a new children's tricycle by Smoby of France. The parts are made in PP and are thickwalled, making production by conventional moulding impossible because of long cooling times, unavoidable sink marks and likely incidence of distortion.
New ways with rubber from Engel.
An asymmetrical rotary table has been introduced by Engel for use on its rubber injection moulding machines - or in any other context where a step in the cycle can be moved sideways to run parallel with injection. The company also has a new vertical rubber machine, its first truly low access height machine.
Maximum productivity from minimum tool count.
A complete suite of 14 moulds for the production of 44 components of a flatpack lightweight garden store was produced in less than nine months for Oasis Leisure Products by Mason Pinder Toolmakers.
ENGINEERING MATERIALS
Download this section (305 KB)
Cheaper route to CBT scheduled for Cyclics' next plant.
The new way of making CBT using cheaper feedstocks being developed by Cyclics Corporation has now reached patent stage and will be used in the company's next plant.
Pre-coated steel sticks to Santoprene.
Advanced Elastomer Systems and NV Bekaert have developed technology that results in high adhesion of Santoprene thermoplastic vulcanisate to metal.
MATERIALS HANDLING
Download this section (338 KB)
Bag dischargers keep the dust in.
New Flexicon (Europe) BFF bulk bag dischargers are for use with pneumatic conveying systems and eliminate the escape of dust.
High throughput blending with difficult additives.
The latest Maguire Maxibatch weigh scale blender is intended for high throughput compounding or processing of materials with difficult to handle additives such as wood flour.
TOOLING
Download this section (338 KB)
Delcam links PS-Electrode software to Charmilles EDM control.
Delcam's PS-Electrode software for the design of electrodes now provides a direct link to the CT Millennium control for Charmilles EDM equipment.
Electrodes and nothing but electrodes.
Stand-alone electrode design software without CADCAM tools which may be superfluous for some users has been introduced by Cimatron.
FILM & SHEET CONVERSION
Download this section (407 KB)
Automated system for lid production.
A Kiefel KMD 75 BFS pressure forming machine with a combined forming/cutting mode and a Mould & Matic Solutions 24 cavity lid mould is the basis of a new production concept for the high speed automated production of snap-on lids now in use with Greiner Packaging of Austria.
Dienes adds glass hard shafts for crush cutting.
New glass hard shafts for crush cutting systems from Dienes can be adjusted to respective knives and holders and can provide surfaces with superfinished quality and with optional dynamic balancing.
FILM & SHEET PRODUCTION
Download this section (407 KB)
Automatic cutting increases safety.
Safety has been improved when handling heavy or gusseted folded films on a new Davis-Standard winder for industrial and agricultural films by fitting an automatic crosscut knife and transfer mechanism.
FINISHING
Download this section (407 KB)
Inkjet and pad printing introductions from Tampoprint.
Tampoprint has developed a new digital inkjet printing machine and has improved cliché making for pad printers and developed UV curing inks.
Infrared outpaces hot plates in hot plate welding.
Infrared heating improves on a heated plate in traditional hot plate welding processes according to CPR Automation.
TESTING & INSPECTION
Download this section (237 KB)
Compression cages for testing large objects.
Large samples upwards of 400 mm in width can be compression-tested with the aid of a tailor-made compression cage from Lloyd Instruments.
Tactile reference system defines touch.
Touch and feel are an important feature of the modern product but it is an entirely subjective matter - there has been no tactile frame of reference for design and marketing. All that is set to change with the introduction of Sensotact, a system developed in France by Renault and marketed by Quinte&sens.
Thickness gauge processes data in the sensor itself.
Elekrophysik has introduced a new wall thickness gauge with applications in plastics in thickness measurements on bottles, containers, mouldings, sheets and large parts. It uses sensor-integrated digital signal processing for maximum accuracy and reproducibility in which the measuring signals are created and processed in the sensor itself. Only the processed digital readings are transferred to the base unit for display, evaluation and storage.
RECLAMATION & RECYCLING
Download this section (1,043 KB)
Rapid melting and mixing of less than pure materials.
A high speed melting system which can process highly filled, mixed, undried and contaminated plastics has been brought to Britain by Orthos (Engineering). The American-built Draiswerke Gelimat is a batch mixer which relies on the high tip speed of the mixing tools on its horizontal shaft to bring materials up to 140 - 250 degC in under 30 seconds.
Shredders cut energy costs.
New shredders from Conair Europe have been designed to pre-cut bulky scrap articles prior to final granulation and reprocessing. The shredding process means that smaller granulators with lower energy consumption can be used for the final process.
Metal detector overcomes material handling problems.
Mesutronic has designed its new Quicktron 03 E metal contamination detector to avoid difficulties with product bridging or blow back, for which the reject mechanisms of conventional detectors are said to be unsuitable.
Granulators are designed specially to reclaim PET bottles.
Two special purpose Nuga CentriCut 44s series granulators are being installed by Texplast, German recycler of used PET bottles and waste material from PET bottle manufacturing operations, to reduce energy consumption and increase throughput.
What to consider when selecting a melt filter.
No matter how clean reclaimed materials are made before reprocessing they are still likely to be contaminated. This contamination needs to be removed, and how this is best done depends on many factors such as the nature of the contamination and its extent. This analysis from recycling equipment specialist Erema of Austria describes the different types of melt filter, how they compare and the applications for which they are best suited.
Hydraulic ram clears out contamination.
A hydraulically-operated power backflush has been introduced by Kreyenborg to reduce the frequency of screen changes.
Thermal seals and safer venting on piston filters.
Econ of Austria has devised a temperature-controlled system for preventing melt leakage from its piston-type filters. The Thermosealer series is fitted with air blowers at the ends of the piston to cool the piston to below the temperature of the melt and so prevent molten plastic from escaping.
Street bollards made from reclaimed rubber.
Rubber crumb reclaimed from vehicle tyres by IFS Chemicals is being used by Bollards International, an associated company, to make street bollards 'to a previously unattainable standard'.
WEEE implementation put back - but you still have to mark mouldings from August.
Introduction of the controversial European Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive to the UK has been put back to January 2006. The deferment relates to obligations by retailers and manufacturers to take back redundant equipment, but obligations to mark equipment for recycling will still come into force on August 13.
Infrared sorts PLA from PET.
NatureWorks, a corn-based polylactide, has a unique signature in the near-infrared spectrum and this means that it can be distinguished and separated from PET and other plastics by existing infrared sorting equipment.
SOFTWARE
Download this section (372 KB)
Polymer composites? Enquire within and Free for all.
This month Clive Maier dives into the internet to explore a web site dedicated to polymer composites, and to trawl for that commodity most beloved of internet users, Free Stuff.
5 Step Process software upgraded.
The latest version, 1.12, of Beaumont Technologies' 5 Step Process software now includes one-click e-mailing of results, a direct link to the Microsoft Snapshot Viewer software that is needed to view the saved or e-mailed results files, a validation process during export, and changes to the installation package that accommodate all international requirements.
ON-LINE
ON-LINE Home
You can download this magazine in sections with all editorial and advertisement web addresses as live hyperlinks.