Conair and Partners Producing Catheter Tube and 3-D Filament on Medical Extrusion Line

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At MD&M West/Plastec West 2022, Conair Group, together with technology partners Davis Standard and Zumbach Electronics, will be demonstrating production of extruded 0.06-inch (1.5-mm) dual-lumen “Double D” thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) medical catheter. In addition, the line will be used to produce 1.7mm filament made of polylactic acid (PLA) biopolymer, which will be used in a 3-D-printer operating in Booth 4024 during the tradeshow, which is being held in Anaheim, CA, April 12-14, 2022.

In operation, PLA will be processed in a Davis Standard 1-inch MEDD Series (Medical Extruder Direct Drive) extruder. Its key features include interchangeable barrel assemblies and replaceable feed-sections liners for multiple materials and applications. Easy-to-clean stainless-steel surfaces, direct drive motor, simplified maintenance, and operator accessibility are other key advantages for medical cleanroom applications.

From the extruder, melt passes through a cross-head filament extrusion die and a non-contact calibrator in the Conair HTMP multi-pass vacuum-sizing/cooling tank. Wafer inserts, sized to the filament, seal the entrance to the tank to allow for vacuum sizing. Emerging from the tank, the filament goes to a Medline Puller and on to a Conair ATC Series coiler set up with multiple small spools on the coiling shaft. System programming will wind one spool after another until all spools are full. Then the coiler indexes to another shaft with empty spools so the operation can unload to get ready for the next cycle. A floor-mounted ultrasonic loop sensor monitors the incoming product, automatically adjusting coil speed and traverse motion to wind product smoothly, without the friction or tension that can distort delicate extruded products. The unit’s automatic coil-isolation feature locks out access during coil transition, then actuates upper and lower safety gates that isolate the actively winding spindle, enabling users to safely access and remove full coils on the other side of the cabinet.

The multi-pass tank is a space-saving Conair innovation. Instead of making a single pass through a long tank, the extrudate follows a Z-shaped path so that the compact, 12-ft-long HTMP tank provides cooling time equivalent to a 30-ft tank while fitting neatly into the 20 x 30-ft Conair tradeshow booth.

“Floor space in any manufacturing plant is costly,” says Ernie Preiato, VP, Extrusion Sales, “and even more so in a cleanroom environment. Considering our multi-pass tanks occupy only about a third of the space a full-length, single-pass tank requires, the savings and convenience are considerable.”

Catheter Extrusion

On Thursday, April 14, Conair and its partners will be shifting the extrusion line over to production of the dual-lumen “Double D” thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) medical catheter. In addition to the David Standard extruder and Conair upstream and downstream equipment, the line will also feature an ultrasonic wall-thickness gauge provided by Zumbach Electronics. The extruder control integrates these downstream inputs to ensure consistent quality automatically.

TPE resin will be prepared for extrusion by Conair’s Carousel Plus™ dX drying system equipped with a DC-B premium control and Drying Monitor. The patented Drying Monitor monitors temperatures at multiple points in the drying hopper, providing early detection of poor drying conditions so corrections can be made to prevent processing of improperly dried material. The Carousel Plus drying system also includes an onboard conveying option to a Conair MedLine Tube Loader on the extruder feed throat. Using a second tube loader on the drying hopper, the Carousel Plus dryer will draw source material to be properly dried before entering the extrusion process.  Other Conair medical-grade MedLine® auxiliaries include a Thermolator® temperature control unit (TCU) and a Conair EP1A-02 (two-ton) portable air-cooled chiller.

After processing through the extruder, tubing leaves the cross-head die and immediately enters the Conair HTMP multi-pass tank. Like all MedLine auxiliaries, it is specially configured, documented, and supported for cleanroom applications.

The HTMP tank uses a series of motorized sheaves to gently pull extrudate through cooling water, starting with a 6-ft vacuum chamber that creates a positive differential in air pressure within the extruded tube. This slight outward pressure, generated by the vacuum in the tank, helps stabilize tube dimensions before additional cooling passes while preventing any “drool” of cooling water out of the tank’s feed opening that could mar the surface finish of the product.

The Zumbach Electronics ultrasonic gauges – one each near the tank entrance and exit – continuously monitor and report changes in tube wall thickness on a control screen as the tubing cools. Further downstream from the tank, a Zumbach 3-axis OD laser gauge provides not only closed-loop dimensional control, but also displays the tube profile for concentricity adjustments. Together, data from the ultrasonic and laser gauges are used to regulate puller speed and cooling-tank vacuum to maintain critical tube dimensions over the production run.

The finished catheter tube then moves through the Conair MedLine Puller/Cutter to produce 6-inch samples that will be given away to attendees. The catheter may also be directed to the ATC Series Coiler, which is set up in this case, to produce a single large coil.

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Conair Group Names Jason Ganim President

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Jason Ganim, whose background includes almost 30 years of success in sales, management and executive leadership, as well as a degree in Finance, is the new President of Conair Group, effective Monday, Nov. 8.

“We interviewed many highly qualified candidates from a number of industrial equipment companies and several other industries,” said Kirk Winstead who has been Conair President since 2018, while also serving as President and COO of Conair’s parent company, IPEG, Inc. “Our key objective was to attract an accomplished executive with a proven track record of leadership and delivering consistent results in a competitive environment. Moreover, we sought a leader capable of enabling and inspiring our people in order to transform challenges into opportunities.

“As Conair continues to experience phenomenal growth, we need to expand our capacity to serve our customers and maximize our effectiveness across the business,” Winstead continued. “Jason Ganim brings to us leadership experience across a number of industrial and manufacturing businesses, as well as an eagerness to learn all about our industry, products and customers.”

Most recently, Ganim was a senior executive for Transtar Industries, Cleveland, a leading distributor of automotive aftermarket parts and solutions. He held multiple high-level positions during his 13 years with that company. He was Vice President Business Development for East West Manufacturing, Atlanta, for just over 5 years before that, and, earlier in his career spent 6 years as Director of Aftermarket Business for a large distributor of automotive and industrial replacement parts. He holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the University of Georgia, with special concentration in Finance.
For his part, Ganim said he is “a big fan of the culture at Conair. They are a high-value, market-leading company, with a very strong focus on helping customers solve problems, which has always been one of my personal passions. I like the fact that they are committed to involving their employees in the process, soliciting and implementing their ideas and focusing on employee development and continuous improvement. From the first time I visited Conair, I sensed a real feeling of family in the organization and I can’t wait to get involved.

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Sepro Group Robots on Display at Fakuma 2021

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Observing all appropriate Covid-19 protocols, Sepro Group will bring a total of 11 robots to Fakuma 2021, which is scheduled for 12 – 16 October in Friedrichshafen, Germany. Seven of those robots will be displayed on Sepro’s own stand (Hall A1, booth 1203) and two of those will be shown on injection-molding machines operating in the booth. A further 4 units will be demonstrated on machines being displayed by IMM manufacturers in partnership with Sepro.

“Sepro is pleased that shows are back on track after last year’s cancelation of the 2020 Fakuma edition” said Charles de Forges, CEO of Sepro Group, “and we have a strong story to tell. Our exhibit will present 3-, 5- and 6-axis robots that are part of the most extensive portfolio in the industry, which also includes comprehensive range of peripheral equipment. Whatever project you may be working on, large or small, complex or simple pick-and-place, you will find that Sepro has a perfect solution for you.”

Sumitomo-Demag, Sepro’s longest standing OEM partner, is providing one of the two molding machines that will be in operation during the show. The 130-ton press will be molding an automobile gearstick baseplate that will be removed from the mold by an SDR 11 robot, the Sumitomo-Demag equivalent of the Sepro Success 11.

Elsewhere on the stand, a Haitian Zeres 60-ton electric IMM will be equipped with Sepro’s smallest Success robot, the Success 5, which will be producing a ‘cleankY’ hygienic door opening tool.

Other robots being demonstrated in the Sepro booth include:

  • S5-25 MED, a 5-axis robot recently introduced for medical applications. It will be manipulating a medical component from the Swiss molder Fischer Soehne AG.
  • Nearby, a Success 22X, the redesigned 5-axis version of Sepro’s best-selling robot range, will be handling a BMW Series 2 automobile grill.
  • A smaller, 3-axis Success 11 will be working with VW hubcap logos.
  • An S5 picker, a 3-axis servo-driven sprue picker will be simulating sprue picking operations.
  • A 6X-140, a small 6-axis articulated arm robot made in collaboration with Yaskawa Motoman, will be holding a car bumper

Elsewhere on the show, the injection-molding machine manufacturers demonstrating Sepro robots are:

  • DECKERFORM Technologies GmbH TOYO, Booth A6-6413
  • Ferromatik Milacron GmbH, Milacron LLC, Booth B3-3292
  • FANUC Deutschland GmbH, Booth B3-3211
  • BILLION SAS, Booth B3-3104

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AIS Gauging to Introduce First-Ever Remote Monitoring App For Web Measurement Gauges at Converting Exposition (ICEC)

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Believed to be the first of its kind, a new smart-device app from AIS Gauging, Terre Haute, IN, continuously monitors essential web-process variables, the operational health of the AIS gauges themselves and automatically alerts key personnel if problems arise. The new app, which will be offered with each new gauging system installed, will make its debut at in Booth 1021 at ICEC USA 2021, the International Converting Exhibition and Conference, scheduled for Oct. 19 -21 in Orlando, FL.

The Cloud-based app, called GaugeView, was developed in association with AIS’s push toward total sensor measurement and process control integration into the users Industry 4.0/IIoT environments.  The app, which can be downloaded to any smartphone, tablet or other smart device, continuously monitors the operational status of the product measurement system and sends a push-alert if process problems are identified. Users can then make control changes to bring the process back into tolerance, maintaining end-product quality. The app also sends a similar alert to AIS Support Services so they can respond immediately. If necessary, a Support Engineer can securely log into the gauge control – using LogMeIn or a similar remote work tool – investigate the problem further and/or make control adjustments

As an added benefit, the app also monitors the health of the gauging system through 16 key variables for each measurement sensor installed.  The variables are then compared to configured limits within the system and the app then delivers a similar push-alert should any attribute drift out of specification.  The app can even track mechanical and electrical systems and compare the usage to maintenance intervals and provide push-notifications when services are required.  “No other gauging system supplier provides this level of monitoring and support to ensure maximum product quality and system reliability,” says John Young, president of AIS Gauging.

The GaugeView app has a 30-minute memory for storing measured scan results so that support engineers can look back at previous readings when necessary. When no issues are found, the values appear green and any faults that occur are flagged in yellow or red as warnings or alerts. The app also stores a record of all alarms for historical reference.

There is no limit to the number of gauging systems the app can monitor, and a drop-down menu allows users to select the unit and/or sensor they want to view at any given time. The app also has a QR code reader built in and each AIS gauge frame is supplied with a code so that the user can directly view readings for that unit simply by scanning the code.

“We developed this app to give our customers secure and direct access to their process measurement and control system anywhere and at any time.” explains John Young. “However, imagine the peace-of-mind it gives our customers to know their systems are being monitored 24/7 and that, if any issue arises, both the customer and the AIS Support Services team will be alerted to it immediately. “

After the first year of free use, a modest subscription fee will apply going forward.

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Sepro Brings New Success Robots to Kunststoffen 2021 Trade Show

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Having demonstrated a prototype of a new, general-purpose 5-axis robot (the Success 22X) at the K 2019 trade fair, Sepro Group has now finished the redesign of the entire range and is bringing two examples to the Kunststoffen 2021 trade show, being held at the Brabanthallen convention center in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands. The show runs 15 and 16 September and Sepro is exhibiting on Stand 40 in the Machine Area of the exhibition.

Sepro is demonstrating a Success 33, which is the largest in the range, sized to support molding machines from 300 to 700 tons. It can handle a maximum payload of 15 kg and will be shown manipulating a BMW Series 2 front fascia.

Elsewhere, on the Haitian will be operating a smaller Success 11C on the stand of its Dutch distributor, Robotec bv, on Stand 33. The ‘C’ designation stands for “compact,’ and it means the robot is especially designed with a reduced footprint and can be used when overhead clearance above IMM is limited.

Originally introduced in 2011, the Success Range has become Sepro’s best-selling robot family. For the first time, the speed and precision of 3-axis servo operation became available to molders with simple pick-and-place applications and simple downstream operations. Success units were the first truly affordable robots to offer enhanced capabilities, with all of the quality and reliability for which Sepro is well-known.

Now this popular line of robots have been completely redesigned with important improvements. In addition to aesthetic changes, including sleek, streamlined styling, the latest Success robots have an extended standard demolding stroke and, for the first time, a long-demolding (LD) configuration is available that adds 200mm to the stroke. In certain applications, this can allow a robot of a given size to serve a higher-tonnage molding machine than previously possible. In some models, the maximum horizontal stroke has been lengthened, and a telescoping vertical arm is also available to extend that movement by as much as 200mm.

Sepro engineers also have returned to the use of cam follower bearings for linear motions of the new Success robots. Developed and patented by Sepro some years ago to handle the heavy payloads and long strokes on the large robots, they are now standard on all Cartesian robots. This recognized technology provides more even weight distribution and smoother operation compared to linear bearings and also is more tolerant of dust and other contaminants.

Success Line X

As noted above, the three largest robots in the Success Range (covering IMMs from 80 to 700 tons) are available in a 5-axis-servo ‘X’ configuration that adds speed, flexibility and user-friendliness compared to 3-axis robots with pneumatic wrists.

The full-servo wrist on Success Line X robots is a feature previously found only on more technological robots, including the Sepro 5X Line of small and mid-size robots, and 7X Line of large robots, both of which feature a 2-axis servo wrist developed in partnership with Stäubli Robotics.

“Among other advantages,” explains Claude Bernard, Product Marketing Director, “the all-servo wrist can be easily adapted with simple digital commands, guaranteeing greater flexibility and faster production changeovers — approaching Single-Minute Exchange of Die (SMED) methodology. We believe this represents the future of Cartesian robots.”

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Sepro’s Eves Describes UK Robot Market as “Buoyant,” as Company Prepares for Interplas

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After a highly successful first half in in the United Kingdom, Sepro Group (La Roche sur Yon, France) is bringing a total of seven of its newest and most advanced robots for plastics-injection molding applications to Interplas 2021, being held September 28-30 at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham, UK.

“The UK market is buoyant at the moment,” says Glen Eves, General Manager, Sepro UK. “So far, our sales numbers are above target, with gains over the first half of 2020, especially in medical, household goods, automotive and among trade moulders. We have sold a number of larger automation systems too, and that has added strength to our turnover for the year.”

He’s optimistic about the Interplas show, too, after its cancellation in 2020 due to the Covid 19 pandemic. “We are hoping that, with the number and diversity of units on display, we will gain an audience from plastic moulders that would not normally see us. We hope to break into new accounts, strengthen existing accounts, and look forward to a final quarter of the year that benefits from the usual “Interplas Effect,” which historically has led to a good increase in enquiries and orders immediately post-show and on into the following year.”

Eves notes that “the majority of the best-selling robots in the UK market can be seen on our stand [D20 in Hall 4] and operating on the machines of our IMM-manufacturer partners.”

These include a Success 11X, Sepro’s recently introduced five-axis version of its redesigned Success Line. It can be seen operating on a Haitian molding machine on Stand E4 in Hall 4. In addition to offering 5 axes of motion instead of the standard 3 axes, the latest Success robots have an extended standard demolding stroke and, for the first time, a long-demolding (LD) configuration is available that can add 200mm to the stroke. In certain applications, this can allow a robot of a given size to serve a higher-tonnage molding machine than previously possible.

Nearby, on its own stand (D20 in Hall 4), Sepro is featuring a three-axis Success 22 – sized for IMMs from 150 to 400 tons — as well as a 6X-70L. Aimed at IMMs from 20 – 200 tons, this is the smallest in a line of six-axis articulated-arm robots developed jointly with Yaskawa Motoman. The ‘L’ designation indicates it is equipped with an extended-reach arm.

The Success 22 is equipped with end-of-arm tooling (EOAT) that displays a wide variety of gripper components, and the 6X-70L is manipulating Audi hubcap-logo medallions.

Elsewhere in Hall 4, Bole Machinery (Stand G70) is operating a Sepro five-axis Cartesian 5X-35 robot with telescoping arm, as well as a Success 22. Billion (Hall 4, Stand C4) has a three-axis S5-25 installed on one of its molding machines. And Tederic (Hall 4 Stand C78) is demonstrating a 3-axis Success 11.

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Conair, Davis-Standard, and Zumbach Electronics Partner to Demonstrate Medical Swab Tube Manufacturing

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At Plastec/MD&M West 2021, Conair Group is once again partnering with Davis-Standard and Zumbach Electronics, this time to demonstrate high-volume production of medical swab tubes used in COVID-19 test kits. After extrusion and cutting, these extruded polypropylene tubes are tipped with a flocked nylon swab head and used for collecting nasopharyngeal samples for COVID testing and other medical applications. The demonstration, held in Booth #4024, is among the highlights of the annual trade show being held at the Anaheim Convention Center, August 10-12.

The long, very thin swab tubes (0.09 in. x 5.58 in.) begin as a continuous plastic tube produced from a ¾” Davis-Standard Medical Extruder. As the hot tube exits the extruder die, it passes through a water-filled pre-skinning tool, developed by Conair, which rapidly hardens the fragile extrudate before it enters a 5-ft-long Conair MedLine Model 235 vacuum cooling tank. The tank’s water temperature and vacuum level, managed by a PAVC+ vacuum control through a touchscreen HMI, create gentle pressure inside the warm extrudate, stabilizing tube dimensions as final cooling takes place. A ceramic air wipe assembly dries the product as it exits from the tank. (Like all Conair MedLine products, the Model 235 vacuum tank is based on a proven Conair design, but is specially sized, configured, documented and supported for use in cleanrooms and other controlled environments.)

Just inches inside the vacuum cooling tank, QC measurements begin as the “hot” tube passes through an immersed ultrasonic gauge supplied by Zumbach Electronics, which takes continuous wall-thickness measurements. Some six feet later, after the tube has exited the tank, a second Zumbach instrument – this time, a three-axis laser gauge – continuously measures and displays the OD, ID, and ovality of the now-cooled tube on a display screen. The data from these two instruments are used for two purposes.  First, they provide closed-loop control of critical tube dimensions throughout the production run by regulating puller speed and cooling tank vacuum.  Second, they feed QC and length data that is used by downstream equipment to identify and eliminate any out-of-spec product before it reaches the final collection point.

After laser measurement, the extruded tube continues through a Conair MedLine® MD-L1-12-D puller/cutter unit, where dual belts (top and bottom) powered by a dual-servo, planetary-gear drive gently pull it forward at speeds precise to ±1/100 percent of setpoints. Upon entering the cutter section, the tube passes through specially-lined stainless-steel bushings where a high-speed rotary knife automatically cuts it into finished swab lengths that fall onto a Conair MedLine 403 takeaway conveyor.

A final product sort is made on the conveyor, using a QC mode available in the MedLine cutter control. This mode receives dimensional and length data from upstream instruments, then digitally “marks” any out-of-spec tube sections using a length offset that enables the cutter to track their position on the line. Then, the cutter can be programmed to cut those sections differently or not at all, or to instruct downstream equipment to handle those sections differently.  In this demonstration, the cutter control removes good tubes from the takeaway conveyor with a puff of compressed air, blowing them into a bin for collection. Out-of-spec parts are left to flow to the end of the conveyor for reprocessing.

The tubing line is controlled by the Davis-Standard eVue Control System.  This is a PLC-based controller with a touch screen HMI that communicates with the Conair and Zumbach equipment to control the entire line from one location.

OTHER CONAIR AUXILIARIES ON DISPLAY

The demonstration of the cleanroom-ready MedLine vacuum tank, tooling, and puller/cutter unit   is supported by several additional Conair auxiliaries:

The polypropylene resin for the swab tubes is drawn directly from machine-side storage and fed to the extruder feed hopper by a Conair AL-2 Access Loader. This self-contained unit is equipped with an angled stainless-steel canister and its own vacuum motor, which can deliver up to 100 lbs/hr to the extruder’s feed hopper. The loader’s straight-through tubular body ensures smooth resin flow, even in low quantities.

Tempered water used in the pre-skinning tooling and vacuum cooling tank is provided by a single Conair TW-P temperature control unit. This TCU, representing the top end of Conair’s Thermolator product line, is equipped with a premium digital HMI, solid-state relays, and a modulating cooling valve.

When the TCU requires chilled water to maintain a precise cooling temperature, it is provided by a two-ton Conair EP2A portable chiller, which features nonferrous internal components (evaporator, pump, reservoir and piping) for long-lasting corrosion resistance. This chiller has a compact footprint with an easy-to-access interior, and a touchscreen HMI control that provides precise temperature control along with extensive diagnostics.

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JIMENA HOMRIGHAUS TO HEAD LATIN AMERICA SALES FOR GRAHAM ENGINEERING

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Graham Engineering Corporation (GEC), York, PA, has promoted Ms. Jimena Mendoza Homrighaus to the position of Regional Sales Manager – LATAM.

“Having managed our Southeast US territory over the past several years, Jimena has a broad understanding of our products and processes, which will be a tremendous asset in introducing GEC products to LATAM customers in all extrusion segments.” said Michael Duff – Vice President, Sales and Service.

In her new role, Ms. Homrighaus will oversee the commercial business of GEC’s extruders and extrusion systems, including sheet lines, blow molders, medical tubing systems, and wire & cable machinery in Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America and South America. In addition to being responsible for direct sales, she will manage network of sales representation agencies in the LATAM countries. Based in Florida, Ms. Homrighaus will also continue to manage GEC’s products in Florida.

Ms. Homrighaus has been with GEC for two years. She has nearly 20 years of experience in sales and account management, and has been actively involved in the plastics, rubber, wire & cable and similar industries since 2005. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business.

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Improved ScrapSaver™ Fluff Feeder from Conair Offers Higher Film-Scrap Capacity and Better Reclaim Efficiency

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A redesigned ScrapSaver™ fluff feeder from the Conair Group makes high-volume film-scrap reclaim easy by feeding granulated film scrap (fluff) into a stream of virgin material and delivering the mix to an extruder for processing. Designed for use with in-line granulation systems, the latest ScrapSaver feeder features an enlarged and strengthened main hopper and top plate for greater fluff surge capacity, a beefed-up auger and auger shaft to deliver higher fluff-to-virgin ratios to the extruder, an integral control panel, and mounting adapters for varied extruder feed throats from 2 to 8 inches in size.

The special twin-chamber hopper of the redesigned ScrapSaver feeder holds granulated film fluff in a large main chamber and virgin material in a smaller side chamber, keeping both separate until just before they are introduced into the screw flights. To prevent fluff from bridging and keep it flowing smoothly downward, the new ScrapSaver unit employs a longer, stronger one-piece auger, capable of driving higher fluff re-feed ratios to the extruder throat. Virgin pellets feed in by gravity on one side at the base of the auger, maintaining a smoother infeed and a steady fluff-to-virgin ratio.

The enlarged fluff auger is mounted on a new, solid-core auger shaft and powered by a variable speed drive motor (1.5 or 5 HP standard) through a standard 20:1 reduction gearbox.  Other optional motors (3 and 7.5 HP) and gearboxes (10:1 or 30:1) are available to handle varying mass-flow rates and bulk densities. The standard feeder enables users to set maximum fluff re-feed ratios of up to 28 percent of extruder output, but can be factory-modified to provide even higher fluff ratios if required.

The ScrapSaver unit mounts, via the appropriate adapter, directly atop the extruder feed throat. The unit is powered and controlled by wiring it through a new, integral control panel that is equipped with displays showing auger speed and auger drive load. This panel can also be equipped with an option to support remote network communications using the Modbus TCP/IP protocol.

The speed of the motor and auger drive are factory-calibrated for precise regulation by a 0-10 VDC reference signal from the customer’s extruder control. In operation, the feeder uses this signal to automatically adjust to any change in extruder rate, maintain the specified scrap/virgin ratio and ensure consistent, surge-free feeding. The drive system comes equipped with current overload protection and status alarms to prolong drive life.

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New Conair AutoWave™ Feature Automates Selection and Use of Multi-Phase, Variable-Speed Wave Conveying

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AutoWave™, a new feature of Conair’s multi-phase, variable-speed Wave Conveying™ system for plastics materials handling, makes it easy to automatically select and use capabilities to protect valuable resins from damage caused by dilute-phase conveying systems operating at excessive speeds.

Designed as a “bolt-on” addition to Conair’s SmartFLX control, AutoWave signals the next stage of development for Conair’s Wave Conveying system, the first resin-conveying system to allow use of multiple conveying speeds and phases. Wave Conveying can move resin in dense material “pulses” (Wave Pulse phase); gentle, rolling “streams” (Wave Stream phase); or conventional, but speed-controlled dilute phase.

Wave Conveying was developed to eliminate the problems associated with dilute phase conveying, which moves resin at speeds that are fast enough to damage the resin through friction/rubbing or impact/shattering.  This, in turn, results in resin waste, angel hair, and fines, and maintenance problems with clogged filters, overheated pumps, or sluggish conveying performance. Especially when abrasive, filled or reinforced resins are transported at high speeds, tubing elbows and some receiver parts can easily wear to the point of failure. There are a number of ways to compensate for these problems but Wave Conveying actually can eliminate them.

“However,” says Nick Paradiso, Conveying Products Manager for Conair, “until now, successful use of Conair Wave Conveying technology has required users to manually program a series of parameters – a conveying recipe – into the conveying control for each receiver in a conveying system. Then, if the recipe needed refinement, additional manual programming or parameter changes would be required.

“The AutoWave feature eliminates virtually all of that manual programming effort” he continues. “Now, to convey a particular resin, a user needs only to use the new Conair SmartFLX HMI to select a source and destination, then open up a new, simplified receiver control screen and select a desired conveying phase – Wave Pulse, Wave Stream or Dilute. The AutoWave feature coordinates with the SmartFLX control and Wave Conveying components to complete the job”

To keep each conveying cycle “in phase,” AutoWave relies on logic and processing power housed in a supplemental PLC, which links to the same high-speed PowerLink™ network that is shared by the SmartFLX conveying control and all primary conveying equipment.  In operation, the AutoWave PLC constantly monitors inputs from Wave Conveying sensors and components; processes them through intelligent conveying algorithms; then, if needed, adjusts the conveying cycle in real-time to assure “in-phase” performance. Because AutoWave continually logs (and references) the real-time adjustments it is making, every conveying solution is optimized with continued use.

Paradiso compares the automated conveying capabilities provided by AutoWave with the adaptive functions of an automobile engine computer, since both continually monitor and manage current performance settings while identifying, “learning,” and then avoiding settings associated with system instability or suboptimal performance. He adds that unlike an engine computer, which is factory programmed, the AutoWave PLC always allows for manual intervention and the addition of new, custom programs.

“This is the closest thing there is to plug-and-play variable-speed conveying,” Paradiso concludes.

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