Conair to exhibit 11 plastics auxiliary equipment at Chinaplas 2015

The Conair Group will present eleven different pieces of plastics auxiliary equipment at Chinaplas 2015. Many of these are manufactured in the company’s new, larger production facility, which opened in Shanghai in December 2014. Conair is exhibiting in Hall 8.1, Booth E41, at the plastics show being held May 20-23 in Guangzhou. 

 

The new MicroWheel desiccant dryer, which is perfect for mounting on small molding machines, is being shown in China for the first time. It delivers the efficiency and precision of desiccant-wheel drying in a compact configuration that is. Thought to be the smallest wheel dryers available, the new MicroWheel units have the same, efficient desiccant wheel design as larger Conair dryers, but in a small, lightweight package. They offer an alternative to compressed-air dryers and small twin-tower units, which tend to be less efficient. Two models are being shown: MW1 units with hoppers from 5.7 L (0.2 cu-ft) to 28.5 L (1.0 cu-ft) capacity, and MW2 dryers with hoppers from 28.5 L (1.0 cu-ft) to 42.5 L (1.5 cu-ft). The largest unit weighs only 65 kg (144 lb), so they are ideal for machine mounting.

 

Other dryers in the Conair booth include a W1000 Carousel Plus dryer that is part of a 400 kg/hr (880 lb/hr) PET drying system. Equipped with variable-frequency drive, the unique Conair Drying Monitor, and advanced TouchView  dryer controls (Siemens platform), the dryer allows users to maintain optimum drying conditions using less energy than conventional drying systems. The PET system also includes a MDA2400 mold-space dehumidifier, which is used envelop the area around the mold with air that has been dried to a ‑10°C (14°F) dew point. The dry air surrounding the mold prevents moisture from condensing out of warm humid ambient air onto cool mold surfaces. The system is ideal for the molding of PET preforms and other products which require low-mold 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. 

 

Also on display at Chinaplas 2015 is a TB250 TrueBlend gravimetric blender equipped with SB2 controls, Conair’s most advanced blender-control platform. Set-up procedure is fast and easy. Once the percentages of each component in the blend are entered, the control works automatically. Dosing accuracy is based on an entirely different “feed forward” learning algorithm. Instead of making a single dispense and then adjusting for errors in subsequent batches, the SB2 system uses incremental dispenses in each batch to hit the target weight. The SB2 control also has the ability to communicate directly with a computer hard drive using SQL Server software and a standard Ethernet TCP network. As the blender operates, it continually adds data to the database, which can be tapped using Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services and write a “query” that quickly generates a report. Companies with experienced SQL users may choose to write their own queries, or Conair provides standard query templates in system documentation.

 

Two examples of Conair color and additive feeders, one for injection molding and the other for extrusion are also being exhibited. The BFSA feeders are compact, fitting between the material supply hopper and the processing machine feed throat. They can deliver digitally precise doses of color or additives at rates as low as .01 gram/second or as high as 72 kg/hour (160 lb/hour). For injection-molding applications, the feeder’s digital timer controls the metering motor during screw recovery, supplying a consistent volume of additive in proportion to the amount of resin flowing into the machine throat. For extruders, the feeder meters continuously, with the addition rate slaved to the extruder screw speed. Metering additives directly on the processing machine cuts inventory costs compared to pre-colored resins or central blending systems. BFSA feeders are manufactured in the Conair factory in Shanghai and are configured for the Asian marketplace.

 

A Conair TrueFeed gravimetric feeder is also being shown. The feeder operates on the basis of continuous loss-in-weight metering technology with closed-loop control of the feeding speed.

 

For advanced control of resin conveying, the FLX material handling control from Conair gives users the ability to build a system of up to 128 loaders and 40 vacuum conveying pumps. FLX is designed to be affordable and easy to install and expand. A processor could start with an FLX system to manage just 8 loaders and 2 pumps (one primary pump and one back-up pump), and then increase capacity and capabilities in manageable increments when necessary, simply by adding input and output cards. The system can include such high-level functions as multi-source/multi-destination loading, purge, ratio loading, ratio loading with purge, reverse conveying for regrind recovery, loader fill sensing, output sharing between FLX control panels, Ethernet communication and much more. The PLC-based system has a 5.6-inch color touch screen operator interface on the central control box.

 

 

The FLX system, as well as the TB250 blender, the W1000 dryer and the TrueFeed gravimetric feeder, has web-enabled controls, which means that anyone with a computer or smart phone and internet access – and the proper credentials – can connect with the controls and monitor conditions or change settings. This means that key personnel never need to worry about being out of touch. If there is an alarm on a dryer, blender or FLX system, the controls can issue an alert via an email or text message. Then production managers can log in from almost anywhere to assess the situation and, if necessary, make changes immediately and remotely.

 

Conair in China is part of The Conair Group, 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 not only in Asia, but also in Europe and North 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.