Auxiliaries AT NPE: New Controls Link Auxiliaries
Industry 4.0—the internet of things—is bringing a new level of connectivity to auxiliary equipment. Here’s a rundown of developments there, along with other news in auxiliaries from the show.
Tony Deligio
Senior Editor, Plastics Technology
K 2010 Preview, Auxiliaries: Equipment of All Types Debuts This Month at K 2010
From materials drying, feeding, and blending to process heating/cooling, scrap reclaiming, testing, welding, and decorating—the K 2010 show this month in Dusseldorf, Germany, will have news in all categories of auxiliary equipment.
Testing & Measuring Instruments: More Versatile, Compact, Affordable
From polymer characterization to on-line bottle or preform inspection, coordinate measuring, and color sensing, new testing and measuring instruments at the NPE show in Chicago were easier to use and more compact, yet often packed higher performance than earlier versions—and sometimes with a more attractive price tag.
New Weather Testing Instruments at NPE
Atlas Material Testing Technology, Chicago, will present the newly redesigned and upgraded Suntest XLS+. Adding a digitally controlled specimen spray turns this flatbed lightfastness tester into a full-fledged weathering instrument.
Ergonomically Designed Portable Color Spectrophotometer
A new color reflectance measurement instrument is ergonomically designed for use on the plant floor or outdoors.
Weather Testing For the Real World
Broader use of plastics in building products and a growing desire to minimize painting of automotive parts is increasing the need for reliable predictions of light stability and weathering performance.
Recyclers
Recyclers ... Is The Correct Color Important To You?
AUXILIARIES AT NPE: More Control, Flexibility, And Efficiency
These are key trends in the many kinds of auxiliary equipment displayed at this month’s show. You’ll also see equipment designed to be virtually ‘foolproof.’
Lilli Manolis Sherman
Senior Editor
How to Measure PET Pellets
PET(E)-extruded pellets are created from Polyethylene Terephthalate, a form of thermoplastic polyester resin derived from the combination of ethylene glycol and either purified terephthalic acid or dimethyl terephthalate.
How to Measure: Plastic Preforms
• Preform color measurements can be used to verify lot-to-lot consistency, predict final blown bottle color from the preform color and get into target range when switching over a line to a new color. • Spectral measurements in the 360 - 390nm range on an UltraScan PRO and UltraScan VIS can be used to verify the presence of a UV absorber for food grade bottle cut-outs (can also be done on preforms with caution). • Haze measurements of bottle cut-outs are used to verify that internal scattering is minimal from lot-to-lot. • Color measurements of bottle cut-outs are used to verify lot-to-lot consistency and conformance to specification.
Composites and VOCs: Plain and Fancy Ways To Meet Emissions Rules
One year after EPA’s MACT rules took effect, most FRP fabricators have complied via process modifications or low-styrene resins. But some big players have invested in much more elaborate technology.
Natural Weathering Testing
No accelerated weathering program can be complete without the confirmation from and correlation to natural weathering.
Ci4000 Xenon Weather-Ometer®
The Ci4000 is approved by many OEMs in the automotive, paints and coatings, and plastics industries as the exclusive platform to deliver accurate, reproducible and repeatable results for predicting service life. · 6500 W water cooled xenon arc lamp system · Total exposure area of 6,500 cm2 · TFT full color touch screen control panel · Direct setting and control of irradiance · Direct setting and control of BPT/BST (Temperature range: BPT 40º to 110º C; BST 40º to 120º C) · Direct setting and control of relative humidity (precise humidity control: 10% RH to 75% RH in light cycles and up to 100% in dark cycles) · Direct setting and control of specimen and chamber air temperature · 14 factory pre-programmed test methods; space for 12 custom programs · Multi-language capability · SmartDamper™ to reduce test variability in chamber temperature and humidity and compensates for changes in ambient laboratory conditions · SmartLight Monitor™ to verify that the correct light capsule is installed · Xenon lamp cooling system to dramatically reduce the amount of cooling water used Specimen and rack spray · Filter combinations available for tailoring the spectral output of the xenon arc lamp · 3-tier specimen rack
SUNTEST XXL/XXL+
Our largest and only freestanding SUNTEST flatbed instrument.
K 2013: More Efficient, Flexible & User-Friendly Auxiliaries
It’s hard to generalize about auxiliary equipment, but a few trends stood out at K, including: greater energy efficiency, ease of maintenance and cleaning, controls that provide more real-time and historical process information and greater ease of use.
Lilli Manolis Sherman
Senior Editor
SUNTEST CPS/CPS+
Perfect xenon test instrument for a limited budget.
Xenotest® Beta+
The Xenotest Beta+ offers fast, reliable answers to product weatherability questions.
SUNTEST XLS/XLS+
An affordable xenon instrument in a table-top design.
Xenotest® Alpha+
The Xenotest Alpha+ provides reproducible and repeatable test results of lightfastness and weatherability using an air-cooled xenon arc light source and the ability to perform high irradiance tests up to 3 Sun. · Air cooled xenon lamp with 2200 Watt · XENOSENSIV sensors for measuring and controlling irradiance in the wavelength band 300-400 nm and Black Standard Temperature at sample holder level · Total exposure area: max. 1320 cm2 · Temperature control selectable by test chamber or Black Standard Temperature or both simultaneously · Air volume control to influence the temperature difference between test chamber and Black Standard Temperature · Specimen spray system · Color touch screen to show current test status and graphic display of the progression of your test parameters · Serial interface RS232, USB Slave Port, SmartMedia · Water supply with integrated water reservoir (capacity 70 l) · Software languages variable between German, English and French
Laboratory Test Services
Atlas is the industry leader and the only weathering organization to provide a global approach to providing natural and accelerated weathering testing solutions for materials durability issues with over 20 exposure sites and laboratories to serve your needs.Atlas laboratories can provide the expertise and the equipment necessary to meet the ever-increasing demands of our clients.Atlas indoor exposure laboratories offer artificial accelerated weathering tests and a variety of other environmental test programs, all designed to accurately simulate true end-use conditions.
Ci5000 Xenon Weather-Ometer®
The Ci5000 represents a significant advance in applying state-of-the-art digital and optical technologies to large capacity laboratory weathering instrumentation, establishing new standards of performance for reproducibility, repeatability and operating efficiency. · 12000 W water cooled xenon arc lamp system · Total exposure area: 11,000 cm2 · Automatic irradiance control at 340 nm, 300-400 nm, or 400-750 nm · Automatic, on rack Black Panel Temperature Control (Temperature range: BPT 40 to 110 ºC; BST 40 to 120 ºC) · Automatic blower speed control · Automatic test time countdown in kJ/m2 · Water purity meter · Automatic Humidity Control · Specimen and rack spray · Filter combinations available for tailoring the spectral output of the xenon arc lamp · 3-tier specimen rack (specimen holders not included) · Multi-language touch screen capability (English, French, German, Spanish, Japanese) · Instrument footprint is 180 cm x 302 cm · CE model available
Auxiliaries at NPE: New Solutions from Material Preparation To Post-Mold Operations
There will be an extraordinary range of new auxiliary equipment on display at the show.
Lilli Manolis Sherman
Senior Editor
HVUL2 Horizontal Vertical Flame Chamber
The Atlas HVUL2 Horizontal Vertical Flame Chamber is designed for the flammability testing of plastic materials used in consumer electronic devices and appliances. · Burner angle adjustable to 0º, 20º, 45º · Flexible iris hand access ports · Remote burner positioning · Sliding tempered glass viewing window · Removable burner carriage assembly · Digital timers located in line of sight with specimen · Digital timers with resolution of 0.1 sec · Remote control with push button reset for in-chamber event timing. · Electrical gas shut-off solenoid · Gas control system · Flame confirmation kit (ASTM D5207)% · Black interior finish · Performs all UL 94 tests (Except Section 10.0 Radiant Panel Test) · Bench top chamber (Volume greater than 0.75 m3 · Tirril Burner · Multi-directional specimen and burner positioning apparatus
UV2000 UV Condensation Weathering Device
The UV2000 is an affordable UV condensation weathering device with improved test result reproducibility and lower operating costs. · Intuitive touch screen and display · Irradiance control: four SmartLight monitors for controlling irradiance reside externally so irradiance control is not affected by chamber temperature · Irradiance calibration: the optional hand-held, wireless irradiance calibrator quickly connects to the UV2000 without opening the door or interrupting the test cycle · Temperature control: Atlas Black Panel temperature control provides precise temperature control throughout every test cycle · Condensation Cycle: Water vapor to create condensation is produced by a heating reservoir located in the bottom of the test chamber · Dual safety (hardware and software) for quick shut off of main control due to the door opening · Net weight: 129 kg · Gross weight: 222 kg · Exterior dimensions: 155 cm H x 135 cm H x 51 cm D
Ci3000+ Xenon Weather-Ometer®
The Ci3000+ with its advanced digital control system, is the perfect balance of price and performance in a state-of-the-art weathering testing instrument. · 4500 W water cooled xenon arc lamp · Total exposure area of 2,188 cm2 · TFT full color touch screen control panel · Direct setting and control of irradiance · Direct setting and control of BPT/BST (temperature range: BPT 40º to 110º C; BST 40º to 120º C) · Direct setting and control of relative humidity (humidity range: automatic 10 to 100% RH) · Direct setting and control of specimen and chamber air temperature · Multi-language capability · SmartDamper™ to reduce test variability in chamber temperature and humidity and compensates for changes in ambient laboratory conditions · SmartLight Monitor™ to verify that the correct light capsule is installed · Xenon lamp cooling system to dramatically reduce the amount of cooling water used · Specimen and rack spray · Filter combinations available for tailoring the spectral output of the xenon arc lamp · Single-tier specimen rack
NPE 2006 News Wrap-Up: Testing and QC--New Lab Instruments Stress Affordability and Convenience
Thermal and mechanical testers, color and appearance sensors, vision inspection devices and CMMs—the NPE had them all in more compact, economical, and easy-to-use models.
What to See at NPE 2006:Testing and QC
There’s never been a better time to outfit your lab or QC inspectors with testing and measuring instruments.
NPE 2006 News Flash
Injection MoldingSimplified Hot Runners Save Time & CostA new lower-cost hot-runner alternative to valve gating is suited to less critical cosmetic applications where users need predictable and reliable gate opening but not sequential gate operation.
