Applications | product update MEDICAL
PEEK edges out metal
Ametek Engineered Medical Components is using Victrex PEEK resin in place of metal to manufacture X-ray tablet connection clamps, saving money and improving performance. Reliability of X-ray clamps depends on a secure and durable electrical connection being achieved, says Victrex, which is not always possible in metal designs due to wear resulting from the repetitive sliding and locking actions. PEEK is less prone to wear, it says. “PEEK was chosen to
replace metal for this application due to its excellent resistance to abrasion and its overall toughness and strength,” says Ametek director of engineering Kirk Millelsen. ❙
www.victrex.com
ENGINEERING TPE measures up for TESA’s caliper gauges
TESA has selected For-Tec E TPE from Kraiburg for production of the protective housing display on its recently introduced Twin-CAL IP67 digital vernier caliper gauge. The Twin-CAL IP67 is designed to provide accurate measurement in demanding environments, offering protection to IP67 limits. The electronic device can be used as a standalone instrument, or can be used in wireless or
www.injectionworld.com
wired versions where it can send measurement data directly to a PC or tablet via
USB or proprietary interfaces. TESA wanted a housing
material that provided good
protection while meeting the comfort requirements of an instrument intended for manual use. The company worked with its manufactur- ing partner, French injection moulder Charvet/Groupe RGF, in selection of the For-Tec E grade. The TPE was chosen for its good adhesion to PA12, resistance to grease and oils, and easy processing characteristics. ❙
www.kraiburg-tpe.com
June 2014 | INJECTION WORLD 61 ELECTRICAL PLP’s Duo cuts cycle by 70%
North American cable industry systems provider Preformed Line Products (PLP) has realised a more than 10% cycle time reduction together with substantial energy savings through its investment in a 650 tonne two platen Engel Duo moulding machine with ecoDrive technology. The company required new
production capacity at its facility at Rogers in Arkansas to manufacture high voltage pole line hardware for the power distribution industry using an insert moulding technique on two and four cavity mould tools.
“The application we would be running on the machine was not straightforward moulding,” says PLP plant manager Dan Harryman. The production system
comprises an Engel Duo 7050/720US injection moulding machine with energy saving ecoDrive servohydraulic system and Engel Viper 60 beam robot. The robot is engineered to handle the four by 10lb (4.5kg) or two by 17lb (7.7kg) inserts that must be placed in the mould on each cycle. It also removes the overmoulded parts and carries them to an X-ray testing station.
According to Engel, the
precise control of the filling process achieved on the Duo machine has allowed PLP to reduce its cycle times on the project by between 10-12% while maintaining a 100% quality record. Meanwhile, the ecoDrive system – which uses power only when a machine motion is being driven – yields substantial energy savings during the lengthy holding cycle required. PLP operates 19 plants
worldwide, including four in the US, and generates annual sales of around $420m. ❙
www.engelglobal.com
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