Erema partners with Polymetrix AG on PET polycondensation system
Vacunite: Erema’s new system recycles PET flakes into pellets suitable for food-contact applications.
What’s new? The system, which couples Erema’s Vacurema technology with newly patented, vacuum-supported nitrogen solid-state polycondensation (SSP) technology from Polymetrix AG, Oberbüren, Switzerland. Vacurema uses vacuum crystallization dryers, a vacuum reactor and a single-screw extruder to decontaminate, dry and melt PET flakes and extrude them into food-grade pellets. The addition of the Polymetrix SSP technology means that all thermal process steps in the Vacunite system take place in a nitrogen atmosphere.
Benefits: High-quality recycled PET resin that exceeds requirements for food-contact applications. The nitrogen atmosphere prevents discoloration of the flake and pellets and removes additives that could lead to unwanted reactions in the melt. Additionally, the system is compact, consumes little energy, requires minimal maintenance and cleans the nitrogen so it can be reused in the process.
Erema North America Inc., Ipswich, Massachusetts, 978-356-3771, www.erema.com
Industrial fan features variable-speed controls for precision airflow
Pivot 2.0: Big Ass Fans’ latest industrial fan eliminates stagnant air and provides cooling airflow to workers in facilities with tight workspaces, crowded floors or low ceilings. The Pivot 2.0 offers 73 airflow positions and features variable-speed controls for precise air movement. The fan can be mounted to a ceiling, beam or column. With its 6-foot-diameter, powerful direct-drive motor and patented airfoil and winglet design, the fan blows air up to 120 feet away. It comes with a three-year warranty, and the hub and airfoils have lifetime warranties.
What’s new? The fan, which hit the market late last year.
Benefits: Worker comfort and safety. The Pivot 2.0 is quiet because of its direct-drive motor and balanced airfoils. Additionally, its durable steel cage and industrial-grade parts stand up to the toughest environments.
Big Ass Fans, Lexington, Kentucky, 855-798-0788, www.bigassfans.com
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Connectors offer convenience
Squich inserts: Designed for easy installation and disassembly, the newest electrical connectors from Industria Lombarda Materiale Elettrico SpA, a Milan company also known as Ilme, can be used to connect power to a wide range of industrial machines, including shredders and granulators. Mencom distributes Ilme products in the United States.
What’s new? The connectors’ size. Versions of the Squich inserts are available with three or four poles. Previously, Mencom’s smallest connectors had at least 10 poles.
Benefits: Convenience and small size. While users of other connectors need tools to install them, users of the Squich connectors don’t need any special tools to terminate rigid or flexible cables to the contacts in the connectors. Because of this difference, Squich connectors can be wired in half the time of conventional screw terminal connectors. Also, the connectors are wired on the rear top of the inserts, saving users time and eliminating the risk of the wires becoming bent.
Mencom Corp., Oakwood, Georgia, 770-534-4585, www.mencom.com
Analyzers troubleshoot equipment problems
MDA-510 and MDA-550: Fluke’s analyzers for single- and three-phase motor-drive systems measure key conditions such as voltage, current, DC bus voltage level and voltage modulation. They can be used to troubleshoot problems on a variety of industrial equipment, including shredders, granulators and material conveyors. The MDA-550, which also has the capability of measuring motor-shaft voltage discharges and harmonics, is shown at left.
What’s new? The motor-drive analyzers, which became available late last year.
Benefits: Simplified troubleshooting and reliable, repeatable test results. The analyzers provide guided testing so technicians can quickly capture the most important measurements. The technician selects a test, and the device provides step-by-step instructions that show where to make voltage and current connections. The device’s preset measurement profile ensures all pertinent data are captured for each motor-drive section.
Fluke Corp., Everett, Washington, 425-347-6100, http://en-us.fluke.com
Columbus McKinnon expands line of ratchet lever hoists
CM Tornado 360°: These ratchet lever hoists from Columbus McKinnon are distinguished by a fold-out, revolving lever handle designed to increase worker productivity and prevent repetitive wrist injuries. The hoists also feature double-reduction gearing and high-quality bearings that decrease pull forces by as much as 30 percent, minimizing operator fatigue. The hoists’ lightweight aluminum housing and powder-coated finish make them suited to harsh environments, such as recycling facilities.
What’s new? A unit with a 9-ton capacity. It joins hoists with capacities of 0.75, 1.5, 3 and 6 tons. The 9-ton-capacity hoist requires headroom of about 27.4 inches and comes in standard lift heights of 5, 10, 15 and 20 feet.
Benefits: More lifting options for heavy loads.
Columbus McKinnon Corp., Getzville, New York, 716-689-5400, www.cmworks.com
Floor-marking tape features added thickness, tapered edges
ToughStripeMax: Brady’s new floor-marking tape is designed for use in high-traffic areas in industrial settings. Made of PVC with a strong acrylic adhesive, the tape comes in 100-foot lengths and widths of 2, 3 and 4 inches. Brady offers the tape in a variety of solid colors as well as with black and yellow stripes. Typical uses for the tape are to mark hazardous areas, traffic lanes, the boundaries of work cells and material storage areas. Costs range from $109 to $184 per roll.
What’s new? The ToughStripe Max product line, which is made from thicker material than the company’s original ToughStripe line. The product’s tapered edges also are new.
Benefits: Greater durability. Users can spend less time and money replacing damaged or worn tape. Designed to resist cuts and scrapes, the thick tape also withstands sliding and dragging forces, making it ideal for areas where forklifts and industrial vehicles are used. The tapered edges ease the transition between floor and tape, minimizing “traffic bumps.” Also, ToughStripe Max tape is easy to apply and remove.
Brady Corp., Milwaukee, 888-250-3082, www.bradyid.com
Compact machine offers shredding, granulation and regrind storage
Modular Eagle: Republic Machine’s line of combination shredder / granulator machines features the patented Split-A-Part design that offers easy access to the shredder for maintenance and cleaning.
What’s new? A custom-configured stacked unit, known as the 42ME, featuring a removable low-profile granulator section, which mounts directly below the shredder. Delivered to a customer in October 2018, it has a top-mounted, lift-and-dump feed hopper that accepts large batches of scrap, and a horizontal feed ram to drive material into shredder blades driven by a 60-horsepower motor. Like similar-sized, standard models, it has a cutting chamber that measures 10 inches by 48 inches, a five-knife offset rotor and a 40-horsepower drive motor. It has been specially designed so operators can disconnect the compact granulator section by removing five bolts; they can then wheel the section outward for easy cleaning and maintenance. The machine processes up to 1,000 pounds per hour using a 2-inch shredder screen and a 0.31-inch granulation screen. Regrind flows into the extended lower compartment that forms the base of the unit, where it can be vacuum-conveyed to storage.
Benefits: Space savings. The 42ME squeezes ample material shredding, granulation and regrind storage capability into a small footprint. By eliminating the need for a separate conveyor and granulator, it addresses the space constraints of Republic Machine’s customer.
Republic Machine, Louisville, Kentucky, 502-637-6778, www.republicmachine.com
Conair granulator is designed to withstand highly abrasive scrap
Viper 2343: This Conair granulator has a 43.3-inch-wide cutting chamber and a 19.7-inch-wide rotor. It can process as much as 3,200 pounds per hour.
What’s new? A first-ever variant that offers an armored, tangential cutting chamber designed to dramatically slow internal wear caused by highly abrasive scrap containing long glass fibers. The water-cooled unit is equipped with a 100-horsepower motor, high-wear knives and screen and a five-blade rotor. Replaceable, engineered wear plates line the cutting chamber. These, as well as the granulator screen, are made from a specially hardened, proprietary material. Together with other hardened cutting chamber components, these additional elements are designed to enable the unit to stand up to highly abrasive scrap. Scrap flows in through a hopper built to mate seamlessly with the customer’s existing granulator/conveyor equipment.
Benefits: Extended operating life even under grueling conditions. It offers high throughputs and tank-like durability with reduced maintenance requirements.
Conair Group, Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania, 724-584-5500, www.conairgroup.com
Flo-Thru expands size range of circular screen separators
Ultra-low-profile circular screen separators: Kason’s Flo-Thru ultra-low-profile circular screen separators have vertically aligned inlets and outlets that let material of specified sizes, such as regrind or recycled plastics ranging from 38 microns to 50 millimeters, fall directly into downstream equipment or vessels at high rates. Two gyratory motors force material that won’t pass through the screen to the unit’s outer edge, where a spout ejects oversize or foreign matter.
What’s new? The available sizes. The smallest unit is 18 inches in diameter with a minimum height of 14 inches, while the largest is 84 inches in diameter with a minimum height of 48 inches.
Benefits: Ability to fit in tight spaces without the need to alter existing layouts. Externally mounted motors free up internal space and make the Flo-Thru suitable for high-temperature applications. The screener is available as a mobile unit and can serve as a stand-alone sifter. A ball tray can be added to keep near-size material from clogging the mesh.
Kason Corp., Millburn, New Jersey, 973-467-8140, www.kason.com
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Nordson screen packs are designed for precision fit
Screen packs: Nordson has introduced new screen packs for its line of BKG screen changers, which can be used to filter contaminated recycled plastics during extrusion processes. The company designs the screen packs to fit precisely, eliminating the problem of contaminants passing the screen pack at the edges. Additionally, screen pack components are ultrasonically cleaned to eliminate contamination from the oil used in the weaving process.
What’s new? A robust multilayer structure that can withstand pressure differentials of up to 200 bar. Depending on user requirements, Nordson supplies the screen packs with different combinations of layers.
Benefits: Maximum filtration, optimum melt flow and a long service life. With low-cost screens, polymer melt can build up, causing pressure increases that lead to damage and allow contaminants to bypass the screens. The new screen packs are designed to maintain their structural integrity and extend the time between screen changes, enhancing profitability.
Nordson Corp., Hickory, North Carolina, 828-639-3669, www.nordson.com
Explore the February 2019 Plastics Recycling Issue
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