CHINAPLAS 2014: Conair cost-efficient material-handling solutions

Joachim Lim, General Manager Conair Asia

CHINAPLAS 2014 is Conair Group’s major exhibition in Asia and the company, represented by Conair Trading (Shanghai) Co., Ltd,aimed to bring quality equipment to China’s fast-growing PET processing sector.

For instance, the new Conair MDA Series mould dryers deliver a flow of air that has been dried to a -10°C (14°F) dew point. The dry air surrounding the mould prevents moisture from condensing out of warm humid ambient air onto cool mold surfaces. The system is ideal for the moulding of PET preforms and other products which require low-mould temperatures to maintain short cycle times. It is especially useful in non-air-conditioned plants where high temperatures and humidity levels, combined with cold steel surfaces can result in condensation that can cause cosmetic and structural defects.

“Some of the products that Conair offers are now made in China, like the dehumidifiers, which are made in China at the Conair manufacturing plant in Shanghai. The design is based on global engineering specifications and has been customised to meet the needs of the Asian market. Some of the products, like the mould dryers, are new. However, we’ve been able to add new features or improve our existing products,” according to Doris Raybuck, Director of Global Marketing, The Conair Group.

Doris Raybuck, Director of Global Marketing, The Conair Group

Conair showed a rotor which revolves slowly and continuously through in-process, regeneration and cooling cycles. This design ensures rock steady temperature and dew point control. The rotor technology produces low-dew-point air within minutes of start-up, and the dryer’s reduced structural mass requires less heat energy (up to 40% less) than twin-tower dryers. The dryer is ideally suited to the precision drying required for production of quality PET preforms, film and sheet.

The dryer control offers a 7-inch-diagonal screen with touch-activated full-colour graphics and status indicators. System overview screens and “snapshots” of the process display critical process settings and actual data, while individual parameters can be selected and adjusted just by touching them.

Other PET-drying components displayed at CHINAPLAS included insulated drying hoppers and mould-space dehumidifying systems, which are manufactured entirely in Shanghai for customers in the Greater China region. Conair hoppers are designed to promote even heat distribution and mass material flow to eliminate hot and cold spots in the hopper. Large access doors and smooth interior surfaces keep downtime for material changes to a minimum. Like Conair dryers, mould-space dehumidifiers are based on a desiccant wheel. They are used to prevent condensation that can cause quality defects in fast-cycling PET preform moulds.

Expert global team for customer service

To provide PET processors with products and services to meet their unique requirements, The Conair Group has formed a global team that includes representatives from engineering, sales, project management and service.”We have highly trained people and the number of staff we have in Asia continues to grow,” according to Raybuck.

The China-based team members have a total of 15 years’ experience in the PET market.  “The entire PET material handling and conditioning process is critical to making quality products,” explained Joachim Lim, General Manager Conair in Asia. “PET is a technically challenging material, and many of our customers process extremely high volumes. These companies are highly knowledgeable and quite demanding, so we need to deliver the products, service and technical knowledge required to optimize processing, cut costs and increase efficiency.”

In this challenging environment, Conair excels, delivering the breadth of equipment, the advanced technology and the comprehensive knowledge and experience that it takes to ensure low energy costs, high yields and optimum end product quality.   

At CHINAPLAS, the company gathered a lot of inquiries on their dyers and material-handling systems.  “This year, we have quite a lot of visitors who asked about our products. Conair has been offering highly-efficient systems that are ideal for various applications in Asia’s growing industries,” Lim added.

The Conair Group  is a leading global supplier of auxiliary equipment for plastics processors, including resin drying systems, blenders, feeders and material-conveying systems, temperature-control equipment and granulators. Extrusion solutions include line-control systems, film and sheet scrap-reclaim systems and downstream equipment for pipe and profile extrusion. Over 450 individual products solve problems, save energy, cut waste and are easy to use. Conair is also an international company, with long-standing operations in Europe, Asia and South America. The industry’s most complete product line, top-flight engineering and unbeatable service, all combine to give processors the confidence they need to succeed in today’s competitive global marketplace.   

Mr. Joachim Lim

General Manager

Conair Trading (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.

Tel: +86-158-218-90-425

E-mail: joachim@conair.com.sg

Website: www.conairgroup.com; www.conair.com.sg