High-Heat Options for Conair TrueBlend™ Blenders Allow Processing of Pre-Dried Materials

Processors running engineering plastics like ABS, nylon, polycarbonate and PET, can now blend these resins after they are dried, thanks to new high-temperature models available for TrueBlend 100, 250, 500 and 900 Series blenders, which offer throughputs as high as 3500 lbs/hr. High-heat versions of the 1800 Series and 2500 Series, with throughputs as high as 10,000 lbs/hr will be introduced in the near future. Until now, processors had to blend the material before drying, but doing so meant they ran the risk that some ingredients could separate out of the mix during the drying and conveying process. There are several different high-temperature packages available, depending on the application, but they all include high-temperature components like load-cells, level sensors and air cylinders, specified for their ability to stand up to temperatures of 375°F and higher. Electronic components are isolated from elevated temperatures. This prevents premature failure or generation of erroneous data that results in diminished mixing accuracy. Access doors and sightglasses are stainless steel and Plexiglas. The blenders can also be equipped to blanket the material compartments and mixing chamber with dry air to prevent moisture regain during blending. Like all TrueBlend blenders, the new high-heat models feature the fully enclosed weighing and mixing section that makes the TrueBlend unique in the industry. When the full-length access door is closed, all pellets are contained. With all ingredients contained and accounted for, the Conair blenders can be accurate to within ±0.5% of setpoint on colorant and additive weights. No blender is more accurate. The standard microprocessor control adjusts after every dispense cycle, compensating automatically on the next weighed batch for normal variations in dispensing, as well as for resin bulk density and particle geometry. After ingredients are dispensed and weighed, they are dumped into a mixing chamber, which holds multiple batches of material. These individual batches are mixed for a set time, averaging out any specific batch-to-batch differences before the blend finds its way to the machine feed throat. All TrueBlend units come with an ultra-simple control system that features a user interface with an easy-to-read 5.7-inch LCD touch-screen panel with full color graphics. All setpoints are displayed simultaneously, so setup is quick and easy. The user enters the percentages of the blend on the touchscreen display and the blender does the rest, automatically weighing the recipe ingredients in the proper sequence and maintaining the correct blend relationship. For very critical low-volume materials, where variations of a pellet or two can affect the accuracy of the blend, the controls can be set to the Precision Additive™ mode, which gives priority to the weight of that minor component. Then, dispense weights of natural resin and all other ingredients are adjusted accordingly. Up to 50 recipes can be entered and stored in the control for instant recall. Options include an integrated blender/loader control feature. For more information, call the New Product Hotline at 1-888-486-6601