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ENGEL Symposium 2012

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT

ENGEL Symposium 2012, Linz, Austria - 13th / 14th June 2012

At the upcoming ENGEL Symposium, the focus will be the innovative strength of ENGEL which has recently been proved during K show. Visitors can expect interesting lectures; additionally ENGEL will demonstrate injection moulding machines with applications of interest in the automotive, teletronics, packaging, technical moulding and medical sectors.

ENGEL Tie-bar-less (HL) Award:
During the gala on 13th of June, which will take place in the Design Center in Linz, Austria, ENGEL will present the HL-Award for innovative and economical applications of the ENGEL tie-bar-less injection moulding machines.

When: 13th and 14th of June 2012

Where: ENGEL Austria GmbH, St. Valentin, Austria

Need further information? contact us here.

How to Weld Plastics with hot air

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Plastic welding, How to - see a series of Tech Tips on how to weld plastics using Techspan plastic welding tools. From surface preparation, to main rod welding, learn all the main techniques covering plastic fabrication and repair welding

Tech tip 001-
Plastics Identification - Plastic Welding.... how to weld plastics

Tech tip 002 -
Surface Preparation & Tacking - Plastic Welding... how to weld plastics

Tech tip 003 -
Main Welding - Plastic Welding... how to weld plastics

Tech tip 004 -
Plastic Welding Tools - what to consider before you purchase..... how to weld plastics

Tech tip 005 -
Applications - plastics fabrication & repair welding... how to weld plastics

Tech tip 006 -
Plastic Welding Rods - large selection of materials & profiles... how to weld plastics

Tech tip 007 -
Welding of Industrial Fabrics... how to weld plastics

Tech tip VIDEO OVERVIEW -
Watch a continuous line of video clips to support these 'Tech Tips'... how to weld plastics

Video: Watch the full length Instructional Hot Air Welding VIDEO

Need further information? contact us here.

Welding of Industrial Fabrics

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Today we are looking at the "Welding of Industrial Fabrics".

Hot Air "Overlap Welding" :
A Hot Air welder is used in 'in-house' welding applications. Hot air is directed between the sheet overlaps. The 'Hot air Overlap' welding process allows the fabrication of a variety of industrial fabrics used in the following applications - Truck & Rail Curtain-sider Manufacture, Tarpauline Manufacture, Sail Fabrication, Flexible Door Fabrication, Vinyl & PVC Flooring, Signage & Banner Fabrication, Roofing & Waterproof Membrane Welding, Tapes & Profile Welding and more.

Video: Techspan "Planon" overlap hot air welder

Hot "Wedge Welding":
Hot Wedge welders are used in 'on-site' welding applications. The Hot Wedge contacts the overlaped materials. The 'Hot Wedge' welding process allows fabrication of 'Geo-synthetic-membranes' onsite. eg. Landfill site liners, Pond Liners, Mining & Containment Liners and Tunnel Liners.

Video: Techspan "Seon" wedge welder

Tools & Equipment:
The key here is in the equipment itself. The tools used in these above applications are 'Walking/Moving' welders (Automatic) - allowing welding of flexible sheet materials in continous welding runs.

Some refer to these machines as 'Robot Welders' - welding speed, welding temperature, and Airflow, can all be precisely controlled and repeated time after time. Tools can be supplied to suit either 'in-house' or 'on-site' welding. The Techspan automatic welding machines are very unique - allowing welding of a variety of seam widths thanks to accessory 'overlap & Hem' kits, which can be interchanged within minutes.

Photos: Accessory "hem kit" (left), and an "overlap kit" (right) - both can be interchanged on the Techspan Overlap Welders

This means one machine can be employed for a wide range of welding applications - ultimately saving you money. All Techspan welding equipment is manufactured in Europe (Switzerland/Germany/Austria) meeting the highest standards and providing innovative design & precision engineering - all machines comply with worldwide welding standards as set by the Swiss/German DVS joining society, and all conform to EU safety standards CE.

Welding Technique - Too Easy :
Techspan Automatic welding tools provide the perfect solution in eliminately the need for fancy skills or years of welding experience. Almost anyone can preform perfect welding - thanks to the easy set up and repeatability of welding parameter settings. See these machines in action on our website.

Save time, buy online :
All Techspan Plastic Welding equipment can be purchased online via our e-commerce website.
Now you can view pricing, order & purchase our vast range of Plastic Welding Tools online 24/7.
Click here to visit our online shop now.

The next Tech Tip will cover "Extrusion Welding" of large wall section plastics. Look out for this next month.

Need further information ? contact me with your questions here.

Visit ENGEL at NPE 2012 - Hall A, stand 943

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT

ENGEL proves its high system solution competences at NPE 2012 – Hall A, stand 943 – with seven highly integrated and automated manufacturing cells – and this by covering a wide range of industries: from Automotive and Technical Moulding to Packaging and Medical.

ENGEL makes the Difference:
So is the motto at the ENGEL North America stand during the most important Plastics Trade Fair of America from 1st to 5th of April 2012 in the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida/USA

At ENGEL it’s not just about equipment“, says Mark Sankovitch, President ENGEL North America in York, Pennsylvania/USA. “It’s about helping our customers bring their ideas to life – discovering new approaches, engineering innovations, developing new process technologies. Only by doing so, it is possible to achieve long-term cost advantages and to increase competitiveness.” ENGEL North America records a strong demand on solutions for efficient injection moulding processes. Investments are being made especially in new technologies and energy-saving options. ENGEL North America shows at the NPE 2012, how high-quality injection molding parts can be produced efficiently and economically with solutions suited to each single industry.

ENGEL automotive:
A cockpit without buttons and switchesThe vision of a vehicle interior without buttons and switches is becoming increasingly tangible. At the ENGEL trade fair stand visitors to the fair can take a seat in the automotive cockpit of the future. Various control functions can be activated via the centre console in the simulation cell, which ENGEL is presenting in cooperation with Magna Exterior & Interior Systems (Munich/Germany). All you need to do is to lightly touch one of the functional elements below the completely closed surface. Thanks to ENGEL clearmelt technology and the integration of a capacitive foil via in-mould labeling, vehicle controls will be just as elegant as smartphone controls in the future. "This trend not only gives interior designers a new level of freedom; it also reduces the costs of producing functional elements," stresses Mark Sankovitch. "We are already talking to various OEMs and automotive companies. In four to five years the first vehicles will be equipped with this sensitive surface technology", adds Franz Füreder, Head of ENGEL automotive at ENGEL Headquarters in Schwertberg/Austria. Centre consoles with a sensitive surface will be manufactured at the ENGEL trade fair stand on an ENGEL duo 350 injection moulding machine. In America this is the first showing of this new machine size, which brings the power of the duo large-scale machines – maximum power on a small footprint – to the lower clamping force class. Further companies besides Magna are involved in this project as ENGEL system partners. The mould maker is Schöfer from Schwertberg/Austria; Hennecke from Sankt Augustin/Germany is the exclusive project partner for polyurethane technology and the function foils are supplied by plastic electronic in Linz/Austria.

ENGEL medical:
Fully-integrated multiple-axis robot - The two exhibits of ENGEL Business Unit medical aim to reach a greater output and to reduce the costs per unit. “Even in medical technology the cost pressure is constantly increasing”, makes Christoph Lhota clear, Head of ENGEL medical. “The consequence of this are two trends: On the one hand the demand on large-scale machines for high cavity molds is increasing, on the other hand medical technology is experiencing a large-scale integration.” An all-electric ENGEL e-motion 180 T WP combi will thus produce components for auto-injectors in a two-component injection moulding process with a servo-electrical 16+16-cavity index platen mold. The auto-injectors are a product of SHL (Scandinavian Health Ltd.), a Swedisch producer of medical devices with its main production facilities in Taiwan and a subsidiary in Florida/USA.

Photo: ENGEL easix multi axis robot

Mould making partner for this exhibit is Hack Mould Making, Kirchheim u. Teck/Germany. The manufacturing cell works fully automated. An ENGEL easix multiple-axis robot will remove parts and deposit them in trays. ENGEL easix, the multiple-axis industry robot, which is completely integrated in the CC 200-control of an ENGEL injection moulding machine, will be on exhibit for the first time in North America. The robot can be operated with the usual and simple injection moulding machine commands through the full integration without Euromap 67-interface. This sets the ENGEL solution apart from the many other suppliers whose understanding of integrating multiple-axis industrial robots is that of simply mirroring the robot's user interface on the injection moulding machine's display, without removing the need for the users to familiarize themselves with the two different control approaches. The ENGEL product developer's primary goal is thus: if you can operate the injection moulding machine, you can operate the robot, too. In another manufacturing cell for the medical industry an all-electric ENGEL e-motion 100 T injection moulding machine will produce polystyrole needle holders for safety syringes with a 16-cavity precision mold from Fostag, Stein am Rhein/Switzerland. With the help of a high speed automation the finished parts will be taken out from the mould and deposited with regard to their cavity-orientation. Defective mould cavities can be turned off individually without disturbing the balanced complete system. ENGEL partner for the automation on this exhibit is Hekuma, Eching/Germany.

Photo: ENGEL medical injection moulding systems

ENGEL technical moulding:
Complex hollow parts in a single working step - The exhibit of ENGEL Business Unit technical moulding is equipped as well with a fully integrated six-axis-robot. Complex 3-component hollow parts will be produced in a single working step on a compact tie-bar-less ENGEL victory 1050H/500W/200 combi machine. The Multitube mold system developed by ENGEL partner Pernoud from Oyonnax/France ensures a high level of process integration. To produce sample parts like intake manifolds for 3-cylinder engines, the threaded bushings are first insert-placed into the mould and over-moulded. The pre-moulded part for injection of the second component will be turned in the mould by an ENGEL easix robot before the third component, a TPE seal is applied. To support multiple component injection moulding, the victory machine is equipped with a piggyback unit and a third small injection unit. The finished component is taken off by the multiple axis robot and deposited on an integrated conveyor belt. Because the robot works inside the extended safety guarding, the production cell only requires a relatively small footprint. The advantage of the plant's high degree of integration is that the hollow parts are produced in a single process step that eliminates the need for finishing, for example, a welding process. Compared to legacy gas injection technology, the Multitube concept also ensures enhanced quality of the interior surfaces and consistent wall thicknesses. From its elast/LIM-product program ENGEL exhibits in Florida an ENGEL e-victory 310/130 LSR US, on which medical-technical membranes made out of liquid silicone will be produced. „The hybrid ENGEL e-victory machines with hydraulic, tie-bar-less clamping force and electrical injection moulder are the future in the area of liquid silicone processing”, says Leopold Praher, sales manager elast/LIM-machines at ENGEL AUSTRIA. “Precision is gaining in importance in this application area. A production free of post-processing and with low-grade flash is required.“ Furthermore the hybrid machine ENGEL e-victory is equipped as standard with the energy-saving option ecodrive, which increases efficiency in the production. The membranes will be made out of LSR 50 Shore (A) from Shin-Etsu Silicones, Akron, Ohio/USA and manufactured during the fair with a 64-cavity mould with a cold runner block and a needle valve from ACH Solution, Fischlham/Austria. The plant runs fully automated. The demoulding device originates from ENGEL-partner ACH as well.

ENGEL packaging:
All-electric for high precision and short cycle times - The exhibits of ENGEL packaging score a maximum of integration as well. In a two-component injection moulding process and with in-mould-labeling, caps for new develloped ice cream boxes will be produced with a thin-wall technique. An all-electric ENGEL e-motion 740H/310W/180 T combi machine will be used for this process. The ENGEL e-cap, the second exhibit from the Business Unit packaging sets new standards in the caps-and-closures-market. Shaped to achieve maximal output and process stability, the all-electric injection moulding machine is able to save energy and cooling water at the same time. The machine accomplishes bridging this challenging gap thanks to a fully electrical drive technology in combination with an especially productive injection unit in a premium-model and to a rapid clamping drive. This will prove an ENGEL e-cap 3440/460 US at the NPE. “All-electric injection moulding machines are gaining constantly in importance, above all in the field of high performance and high speed applications”, stresses Walter Jungwirth, Head of ENGEL Business Unit packaging. Cycle times beneath 3 seconds and injection speeds of 450 mm per second are realisable by now – a performance class, which was reserved for energy-intensive accumulator machines up to now. ENGEL machines combine highest precision with shortest cycle times and low energy consumption through constant further developments.

ENGEL automation:
More efficiency thanks to intelligence - The now complete series of ENGEL viper robots will not just be on show with the other exhibits, but as stand-alone machines. Representing the new generation of ENGEL linear devices, an ENGEL viper 12 will be taking the trip to Florida. “This is the fastest robot in its load bearing class in international comparisons”, stresses Johannes Brandstötter, Sales Manager for automation at ENGEL AUSTRIA. The viper robots impress with a high load bearing capacity, excellent positioning accuracy, and highly dynamic action. Thanks to intelligent software such as vibration control, or mass identification, the robots reduce their structure-borne vibration, even with longer axis dimensions, and optimize their movements and dynamic values to achieve better efficiency. What this means is: shortest cycle times and maximum productivity with low energy consumption. Viper robots are not just deployed on ENGEL injection moulding machines. “More and more plastics processors are ordering ENGEL viper robots for third-party injection moulding machines, or to replace legacy equipment with the aim of improving productivity in manufacturing”, says Brandstötter. Six sizes with nominal load bearing capacities of between 6 and 90 kg are available. Making full use of efficiency potentials.

Photo: ENGEL viper robot

ENGEL has steadily developed from a manufacturer of injection moulding machines to a system supplier. "Efficiency potential can only be exploited when all system components interlock perfectly. The portion of system solutions delivered by ENGEL inclusive of automation is thus steadily increasing," says Mark Sankovitch. ENGEL focuses its research and development not only on the specific requirements of individual user industries but also on the different country markets. Furthermore, the decentralized production in York guarantees the customers in North America short delivery times and speeds up the launch of new products.

ENGEL in New Zealand:
For further information, contact Techspan Group. Techspan have represented ENGEL in New Zealand now for over three decades.

Contact: Dave Fastnedge, Managing Director, Techspan Group

Need further information? click here.

ENGEL at Medtec Europe - 13th to 15th March 2012

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT

ENGEL will demonstrate expert system solution competencies at Medtec
Process integration reduces cost per unit Schwertberg/Austria – February 2012.

At Medtec Europe from 13th to 15th March in Stuttgart, Germany, injection moulding machine manufacturer and automation expert ENGEL Austria will be demonstrating how to omit a complete manufacturing step in the production of disposable syringes, while at the same time saving raw materials.

As cost pressure increases in medical technology, there is a trend towards a higher degree of process integration. The centrepiece of the highly integrated and highly automated production cell at trade fair booth 4414 in Hall 4 is an all-electric ENGEL e-motion 200/100 T injection moulding machine in clean room specification with a clamping force of 100 tonnes which will be producing disposable syringes including needles in a single process.

Photo: Instead of following the legacy approach of gluing the needles into the syringe barrel, the new production solution overmoulds them directly with plastic.

To allow this to happen, the needles are separated and insert-placed into the 4x pilot mould by ZAHORANSKY by a linear robot driven by a servomotor. After overmoulding with a cyclic olefin copolymer (COC), the syringe barrels are taken off the mould by an ENGEL easix multiple axis industrial robot. Because the take-off step occurs in parallel to insert-placing of a new set of needles, the plant achieves extremely short cycle times. The integrated process is an innovation compared with legacy multiple step processes, which first manufacture the needle holder in an injection moulding step and then glue in the hollow needles. In practical applications, follow-up stations could be integrated into the production cell through to packaging of the ready-for-use syringes. Because there is no need for glue, and the COC acts as a barrier, the application presented at Medtec is also suitable for manufacturing prefilled syringes, which have previously only been made of glass. "Prefilled syringes are a growth market", emphasises Christoph Lhota, Head of Business Unit Medical with ENGEL AUSTRIA, "for two reasons: first of all, they reliably prevent errors in the medication dosage, and secondly they reduce the packaging overhead because the applicator is also the packaging".

Photo: Fully integrated ENGEL 'easix' guarantees quick and simple programming and operation of multiple-axis industrial robots.

ENGEL is presenting this exhibit in cooperation with system partners.
Besides supplying the mould, ZAHORANSKY, Freiburg/Germany is also responsible for the system that separates and feeds in the needles.

The ENGEL easix robot is based on a TX 90 by Stäubli Tec-Systems, Bayreuth/Germany. Transcoject, Neumünster/Germany is involved in the project as the plastics processor.

Transcoject, Neumünster/Germany is involved in the project as the plastics processor.

Leveraging efficiency potentials "Process integration is becoming increasingly important in medical technology", says Christoph Lhota. "The automotive industry, which has been exposed to continuously increasing cost pressure for many years, is the role model for this. It demonstrates the great potential that is waiting to be leveraged in medical technology." Another trend in medical technology is towards large-scale, electrical machines which are also increasingly being used for multiple component technologies. "One factor driving this trend is the increasing use of large moulds with a large number of cavities for comparatively small articles with exacting precision requirements", says Lhota. From a single source Maximum product safety, absolute cleanliness and precision, seamless documentation and traceability - no other branch sets greater requirements than medical technology. But just as important as the technical requirements is trust in the partner on the supplier side. This is why a separate business unit at ENGEL is solely dedicated to the users in medical technology. On the basis of its in-house clean room at the Schwertberg works and a series of resulting machine concepts for clean room use, ENGEL has acquired extensive experience and competence with clean rooms. In cooperation with renowned partners, ENGEL medical offers complex clean room system solutions from a single source – from the machine via automation, moulds and peripherals to the PDA system.

Photo: The all-electric ENGEL e-motion injection moulding machine series is predestined for applications in clean rooms with encapsulated drives, an encapsulated toggle lever, smooth surfaces and an encapsulated barrel.

ENGEL AUSTRIA represented in New Zealand by TECHSPAN GROUP:
ENGEL has been represented in New Zealand by plastics machinery supplier TECHSPAN GROUP since 1979. ENGEL is one of the global leaders in the manufacture of plastics processing machines. Today, the ENGEL Group offers a full range of technology modules for plastics processing as a single source supplier: Injection moulding machines for thermoplastics and elastomers, and automation, with the assurance that individual components are also competitive and successful in the world markets. With eight production plants in Europe, North America and Asia (China, Korea) as well as subsidiaries and representatives in over 85 countries, ENGEL offers its customers the optimal global support they need to compete and succeed with new technologies and leading-edge production systems.

Need further information?
Contact Dave Fastnedge, Managing Director of Techspan Group.
Phone: 0800 603 603 or email us here.

NEW ASM International handbook - Ultrasonic Metal Welding

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT

WEST CHESTER, Pennsylvania, USA January 26, 2012

ASM International, The Materials Information Society, has 36,000 members worldwide and was formerly known as the American Society for Metals. It is a professional organization for materials scientists, engineers, metallurgists, and others working with metals. The newly released Volume 6A is the most complete and up‐to -date reference source on welding processes available today. Copies of this expert written and peer reviewed publication can be obtained here.

An Outstanding Record of Achievement:
Janet Devine was born and educated in England. A graduate of the prestigious Imperial College of the University of London, she has a B.Sc. Degree in Mathematics and Physics. Prior to coming to the United States in 1959, she worked for Bristol Aero-Engine Group (now Rolls-Royce). She joined Sonobond, then known as Aeroprojects, in 1960 when ultrasonic metal welding was in its infancy. Ms. Devine has been an active participant in the development of many of the most significant commercial and industrial uses of ultrasonic energy for metal welding and metal forming. Before being named Sonobond’s President in 1990, she served as the company's Vice President and Technical Director. Ms. Devine holds several patents. She has also authored numerous papers in the field of ultrasonic metal welding, textile bonding, and ultrasonic processing (e.g., extrusion and wire drawing). In 1991, she was a member of the committee that authored the chapter on Ultrasonic Welding for Volume 2, Eighth Edition of the American Welding Society’s Welding Handbook. Ms. Devine serves on the Board of Directors of the Ultrasonic Industry Association (UIA) and was President of that organization from 1997 to 1999. In describing her reaction to being asked to contribute the chapter on Ultrasonic Welding for the new ASM handbook, she said, “I was honored to be of service in this way. I was also pleased to once again to be working with Karl Graff of the Edison Welding Institute, who authored the chapter on ultrasonic additive manufacturing that follows mine in the new handbook.”

Ultrasonic Metal Welding Offers Important Advantages:
Ultrasonic metal welding is a solid-state welding process that uses localized high-frequency vibratory energy in conjunction with moderate clamping force. It does not require consumables — such as welding rods, fluxes, fillers, or solders — or special cleaning methods. This energy-efficient, environmentally-friendly system produces no arcs or sparks. It is ideal for joining non-ferrous dissimilar metals, for welding thin sections to thicker sections, for joining multiple layers of thin materials, and for welding through most oxides and surface oils. Ultrasonic metal welding produces strong joints that have good thermal and electrical conductivity. Only a modest amount of space is needed for the equipment. The first patent ever issued for ultrasonic metal welding was awarded to Sonobond Ultrasonics (then called Aeroprojects) in 1960. Since then, the company has continued to be a worldwide leader in the development of ultrasonic metal welding equipment. This technology offers significant energy cost saving advantages when compared to other bonding methods. According to Devine, “Our equipment not only produces superior metal welds, it also generates important savings in comparison to such methods as resistance welding and soldering. This makes it a win win for manufacturers because they can generate fast, reliable welds while, at the same time, reducing what they have to spend on energy and other production costs.” According to Ms. Devine, energy consumption with Sonobond equipment is substantially less than with resistance welders. For example, manufacturers with multiple installations of resistance welders may require a new electrical substation to handle their requirements. On the other hand, ultrasonic welding equipment can usually be accommodated with standard power capacity. The advantages of ultrasonic metal welding are particularly noteworthy in the assembly of wire harnesses for automotive and similar applications. Resistance welders need 20 times more energy than ultrasonic welders. They may also require water cooling, which can be both costly and necessitate treatment of the water before it can be returned to the water supply. Yet it only takes about the same amount of time to make an ultrasonic weld as it does to produce a resistance weld. Wire harness manufacturers also report that ultrasonic welding reduces the expense of attaching copper wires by 50% over old crimp and solder methods. In addition, ultrasonically welded joints are stronger, have better electrical conductivity, and weigh less without the mechanical crimp.

WedgeReed Design and Other Sonobond Advantages:
After proudly pointing out that Sonobond’s ultrasonic metal welders are all manufactured in the U.S.A., President Devine went on to cite several other factors that help make this technology such an excellent choice. She said, “We design our equipment in ways that help manufacturers reduce costs. For instance, Sonobond machines are easy to operate and require only minimal training. Our microprocessor controlled ultrasonic welders can set and recall up to 250 weld protocols from memory. Welding can be controlled by height, energy or time. All this substantially reduces the possibility of costly mistakes on the part of machine operators. “There are also built-in features that provide meaningful savings to our customers. Eg, all Sonobond metal spot welders use the patented WedgeReed System that combines high vibratory force with low amplitude coupling for maximum metal welding effectiveness. This system uses heat treated, tool steel Taper Lock Tips that are manufactured to last for up to 100,000 welds. When the tips finally do need to be replaced, this can be done quickly and easily on our machines. However, ultrasonic metal welders manufactured by some other companies may require replacement of the entire horn, not just the tip. This can be much more expensive in terms of downtime and labor costs. But that’s not all. Only the Sonobond ultrasonic system is capable of welding most oxidized and tinned metals. This is another important reason so many companies specify Sonobond equipment.”

Sonobond has an Ultrasonic Metal Welder for Practically Every Application:
During her long career at Sonobond, Janet Devine has played a critical role in overseeing the development of ultrasonic metal welders for a wide variety of uses. These applications include: Assembly of wire harnesses - Sonobond equipment can weld wire bundles with cross sectional areas of up to 100 square millimeters, even with lightly tinned or oxidized wires. It is unique in its ability to accomplish this with a single pulse. Advanced battery and super capacitor applications involving up to 80 layers of foils even if lightly tinned. The dual-head system can also weld 3 millimeter-thick, non-ferrous sheet metal when equipped with appropriate tooling. Assembly of the solar cells that constitute solar panels. Sonobond equipment is perfect for welding aluminum strips to the metalized glass on PV modules. The resulting interconnects between the PV cells create an array with excellent conductivity. Welding of larger metal parts, such as those used in the automotive industry. The “C-frame” units virtually eliminate the problem of tips sticking to aluminum parts and can be equipped for use on large industrial robots. Spot welding—including wire-to-terminal welding—in a single pulse. Sonobond ultrasonic metal welders are ideal for bus bar fabrication, as well as for welding stranded wire to brass or copper terminals and producing single point ground terminals. Fast, clean splicing of thin aluminum and copper foils up to 0.004” (0.1 mm) thick and up to 48” wide. Our system consists of a power unit with a solid-state converter, a welding head, and a rotating disk tip which transverses the width of the foil at speeds up to 15 feet per minute. This technology is found in practically all U.S. foil mills. The industry’s most powerful spot welder with a full 4,500 watts of output for welding heavy gage wire to terminals, ignition module plates, and other electronic/electrical assemblies. The welded joints are often stronger than the parent metals, and the process usually takes less than 1.5 seconds. Portable, hand-guided tube closure for precisely crimping and sealing copper and aluminum tubing. This one-step process creates quick, airtight seals without brazing and can accommodate tubes already charged with coolant, fluids, and gasses.

Techspan Group represent Sonobond Ultrasonics throughout the Australasian markets, with premises in both Sydney Australia and Auckland New Zealand.

Need further information? contact us here.

ENGEL | HL Award 2012 - enter now

Fri, 23 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT

We want you to take part by submitting your tie-bar-less project!

ENGEL’s tie-bar-less machines offer one critical competitive advantage: easy access to the clamping unit. This means robots can make access faster with no obstacles, and even bulky moulds can be changed easily and rapidly. The outcome is greater flexibility and efficiency in production.

Share your experiences with us!
Tell us about the innovative ways in which you utilise the freedom offered by ENGEL tie-bar-less injection moulding machines.

The general theme is: freedom for ideas, space for innovation.

The HL Award 2012 entry details:
The deadline for entries is 29th February 2012.

Eligibility requirements:

Entry is open to all companies which -
■ use ENGEL injection moulding machines with tie-bar-less clamping units in their production operations
■ thereby benefit from production-related and/or economic advantages compared to conventional injection moulding machines
■ would like to present these benefits to the general public

To enter, Download the application form here

Need further information? contact us here.

Plastic Welding - step by step video tech tips

Fri, 16 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT

The following is a line of continuous video clips, showing the various techniques required to achieve strong, structural Plastic Welding - from 'surface preparation' to 'speed welding' - by Techspanonline

Christmas Closure Dates

Mon, 12 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year !

Thank you to you all for your continued custom throughout 2011. As usual, we will closed down over the holiday period.

Closing at : 3.00pm, Friday 23rd December 2011

Re-opening : 9.00am, Wednesday 4th January 2012

Shop Online over Christmas
Urgent orders should be made via this website, either using your credit card, or if you hold an account, simply select "account" as your payment method. Your account code can be found on a copy of your invoice or statement.

For other urgent matters, we have three mobile contact numbers you can try :
Dave - 0275 701 701
Tim - 0275 701 702
Jon - 0275 701 703

Safe & happy holidays to you all.

Download the Christmas Closure flyer here

ENGEL injection moulding - Clear Melt technology - the future is now

Wed, 30 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT

In the cockpit simulation at its trade fair stand, (Fakuma exhibition) ENGEL demonstrated how cars will be even more user-friendly than smartphones in future, thanks to the simple elements of touch, feel and interactivity. Capacitive electronics will be replacing buttons and switches in the cockpit of the future. "This trend not only gives interior designers a new level of freedom; it also reduces the costs of the producing functional elements," says Franz Füreder, Head of ENGEL Automotive. "We are already talking to various OEMs and automotive companies.

In four to five years the first vehicles will be equipped with this technology." Centre consoles with a sensitive surface were manufactured at the ENGEL trade fair stand on an ENGEL duo 350 injection moulding machine with a rotating platen and combination mould in stack technology. For this purpose a capacitive touch-skin film was back-moulded and the component upper part was flow-coated with polyurethane by the ENGEL clearmelt method.

Two ENGEL viper 20 and ENGEL viper 40 type linear robots took care of component and part handling. This enabled the ready-for-installation functional components to be manufactured in one work step.

Video: In this video see the production of a 'Sensitive touch-panel'

Clear-Melt technology:
Scratch-proof, high quality surfaces combined with 3D effects that visibly impress. Thanks to ENGEL's innovative clearmelt method, decor parts with these characteristics can now be produced in a time-saving, economic and highly productive manner. Sliding table technology floods a thermoplastic carrier with transparent polyurethane.

Compared to legacy methods, the required level of scratch resilience and 3D effect is achieved with thin coatings using the ENGEL clearmelt approach. Compared with coating systems, this means substantial material, time and emission savings. Time consuming and expensive multiple coating techniques, which also produce a high level of rejects, are incapable of producing an attractive 3D effect below a coating thickness of 0.5 mm. In contrast to this, ENGEL clearmelt achieves visually impressive effects on decor parts using back-injected foils as a carrier. This makes panels in vehicle interiors real eye catchers. This technology will shed new light on the world in the future. The reason for this is that ENGEL clearmelt also supports overlaid carriers with integrated circuits which are comprehensively protected by a layer of PUR sufficiently thin to support easy actuation.

Need further information? contact us here.

ENGELs "viper" robot range expanded

Thu, 24 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT

ENGEL viper robots are now available with a nominal load-bearing capacity of 90 kilograms. Now available in six sizes (from a nominal load-bearing capacity of 6kg upwards).

The linear robots in ENGEL's new viper generation are ideally suited to automation tasks in the injection moulding field. This means that users of large-scale machines in the upper clamping force range can also take advantage of the new ENGEL viper robot. Maximum stability, dynamism and ease of use combined with lightness are the characteristics shared by viper robots in all size groups. An innovative design that utilises laser-welded steel sections has kept the dead weight of the robots low, enabling the load-bearing capacity to be raised. Smart software packages reduce the structure-borne vibration of the robots – even with longer axis dimensions – and optimise their movement and dynamic values.

Three specific software features are designed to minimise cycle times and maximise productivity whilst keeping energy consumption low: vibration control reduces structure-borne vibration, thereby improving tracking and positional accuracy and ensuring short cycle times.mass identification detects the weight in the gripper. If the weight exceeds a preset value, the robot slows down its movements, thus additionally extending its extremely long service life. If the weight is below the nominal value the robot accelerates its movements, thus improving the productivity of the plant. efficiency control eliminates unnecessary waiting times as the robot automatically adapts its sequences outside of the injection moulding machine to match the cycle time of the production plant. This function again ensures the long service life of the robot's mechanical systems and makes a major contribution towards energy efficiency.

Since ENGEL supplies both injection moulding machines and robots from a single source, full integration of the two control environments is guaranteed. Solutions offered by many suppliers simply reproduce the user interface of the robot on the monitor of the injection moulding machine, so users are required to familiarise themselves with two different operating scenarios. The holistic solution offered by ENGEL sets it apart: anyone who can use the injection moulding machine can also operate the robot. This is priority number one for the product developers at ENGEL.

Optionally, the robots can also be delivered with a separate control system; in this case, they can work with injection moulding machines from any manufacturer via a EUROMAP 67 interface. ENGEL viper robots can thus be ordered in conjunction with an ENGEL injection moulding machine – yet their high performance and efficiency also make them ideal for replacing old equipment and operating injection moulding machines of other brands.

ENGEL has significantly increased its sales in the linear robots area since introducing the ENGEL viper range: the company is on course to sell more than 1,200 of the automation units for the first time this financial year.

Need further information? contact us here.

Expansion for ENGEL Automation

Mon, 21 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Construction work has started in Hagen, Germany as ENGEL automation expands. The production area will benefit from significant extension, with a new hall to be added in March 2012. The expansion will provide an additional 1,000 square metres in total. 750 square metres will be devoted to the assembly of robots and other automation solutions with new office space of 250 square metres: the staffing level at ENGEL automation in Germany will also be increased from the current total of 45 to over 60 employees. More than 90 staff members will work at ENGEL's base in Hagen in 2012.

“The market share of ENGEL in the field of automation technology is growing all the time, and we've reached the limit of our capacity”, says Jörg Fuhrmann, Managing Director of ENGEL Automatisierungstechnik Deutschland GmbH, explaining the reason for the investment. Two factors are driving this development. Firstly, system solutions from a single source are becoming increasingly important: “For a lot of our customers, integrated automation is the main reason to purchase”, stresses Rolf Sass, Managing Director of ENGEL Deutschland GmbH in Hagen. “Almost half of automated manufacturing cells sold by a European producer of injection moulding machines now come from ENGEL. Clearly, ENGEL is leading the way when it comes to the automation of injection moulding machines.” The second aspect is the fact that since the launch of the ENGEL viper linear robot series, ENGEL has been selling an increasing number of robots for use with machines made by other firms: already, ENGEL provides a quarter of the robots purchased by the injection moulding industry in Europe.

ENGEL Automatisierungstechnik Deutschland is set to celebrate its 10th anniversary in April 2012 – the new hall and offices should be up and running.

Need further information? contact us here.

New & Improved - Dyna-Purge "C"

Thu, 13 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT

DYNA-PURGE C is a clear, non-abrasive, non-chemical engineered thermoplastic purging compound, formulated to purge high clarity resins such as PET, GPPS, PC, SAN and PMMA. An additive expands allowing for the purge to reach and clean all areas of the machine. The carrier matrix will then flush away the previous resin and other soils, which eliminate any "milky drag".

Excellent for transition between clear or transparent resins, preventative maintenance, and is excellent for purging through hot runner systems, dies, or other downstream equipments.

Dyna-Purge C is effective through a wide temperature band 193°C-310°C (380°F-590°F)

Very easy to use: no process adjustment necessary use at the resident resin processing temperature and RPM speed Non-abrasive thermoplastic, which thoroughly loosens carbonized and degraded resin, allowing it to be flushed out of the system

• Safe, non-hazardous, with no chemicals
• Ingredients are FDA compliant
• REACH and RoHS compliant
• Heat stable
• Recommended during shutdown and start-up
• Low "cost-per-purge" — only small quantity needed to be effective
• No mixing required — simply use "as is"
• Unlimited shelf life

Dyna-Purge has been the top performing purging compound for over 30 years! Our product line offers superior cleaning and economic value over other in-house methods and other commercial purging compounds.

Techspan invite you to sample the new Dyna-Purge "C" at no charge, so you can see the results yourself.

Want to try a 'free sample' ? contact us here.

Dyna-Purge C technical data
Dyna-Purge C case study
Order Dyna-Purge C online

Herzog - machine shut-off nozzles at FAKUMA 2011

Tue, 11 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT

This month the plastics industry will come together at Lake Konstanz in Germany and Herzog Systems AG invites you to view our full nozzle range at the Fakuma 2011. With more than 40 years extensive experience in shut-off nozzle technology, Herzog Systems AG has the goal; to extend our quality standards in offering the most reliable and highest performing solutions. By working closely together with you, our valued partner, we look forward to building on our relationship and achieve the most effective solution for your application. With the largest selection of machine shut-off nozzles, each one targeted to a specific application, herzog systems ag embodies the tradition of Swiss precision engineering and manufacturing.

Herzog Systems AG look forward to seeing you in Friedrichshafen!
Hall: A1
Stand: 1328
Date: 18th - 22nd October 2011

Need further information? contact us here.

ENGEL at Plast Eurasia exhibition - 27th to 30th October 2011 - Hall 2, 202-203

Wed, 05 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT

During Plast Eurasia from 27 to 30 October in Istanbul everything will be focused on efficiency at the exhibition stand of ENGEL ENJEKSUIYON MAKINA TIC. Ltd STI, (ENGEL AUSTRIA's) Turkish subsiderary.

On two exhibits the injection moulding machine manufacturer and automation expert will be demonstrating ways of increasing productivity in injection moulding while at the same time cutting unit costs. The keys to success: process integration, automation and fully electric drive technology. Complex 3-component hollow parts will be produced in a single working step at the ENGEL stand in Hall 2, 202-203 on a compact tie-bar-less ENGEL victory 1050H/500W/200 combi machine. The Multitube mould system developed by ENGEL partner Pernoud from Oyonnax/France ensures a high level of process integration. To produce sample parts like intake manifolds for 3-cylinder engines, the threaded bushings are first insert-placed into the mould and over-moulded. The pre-moulded part for injection of the second component will be turned in the mould by a Stäubli six-arm robot before the third component, a TPE seal is applied. To support multiple component injection moulding, the victory machine is equipped with a piggyback unit and a third small injection unit.

The finished component is taken off by a multiple axis robot and deposited on an integrated conveyor belt. Because the robot works inside the extended safety guarding, the production cell only requires a relatively small footprint. The advantage of the plant's high degree of integration is that the hollow parts are produced in a single process step that eliminates the need for finishing, for example, a welding process. Compared to legacy gas injection technology, the Multitube concept also ensures enhanced quality of the interior surfaces and consistent wall thicknesses.

Fully integrated robot control:
The control unit of the multiple-axis robot in this application without Euromap 67 interface is fully integrated into the CC 200 control unit of the ENGEL injection moulding machine. This sets the ENGEL solution apart from the many other suppliers whose understanding of integrating multiple-axis industrial robots is that of simply mirroring the robot's user interface on the injection moulding machine's display, without removing the need for the users to familiarise themselves with the two different control approaches. The ENGEL product developer's primary goal is thus: if you can operate the injection moulding machine, you can operate the robot, too.

To allow for simple and fast programming and control of the robot, despite the complexity of the overall system, the control unit offers the users different user levels, from a simple view, to a fully object-oriented visualisation of the sequence. The industrial robot is programmed with the familiar and simple graphical instructions supported by the CC 200 control unit. The additional movement instructions for the multiple-axis robot integrate seamlessly with the graphical user interface.

From the point of view of the CC 200 control unit on the ENGEL injection moulding machine, it really doesn't matter whether the machine cooperates with a linear device or a multiple-axis industrial robot. The control concept is identical for the two robot types. Besides ease of control and programming, the fact that the machine and the robot share data storage is another advantage of control unit integration which both improves efficiency and ensures a greater degree of process reliability.

Fully electric energy-saving champion for high-performance applications:
The second trade fair exhibit focuses on energy efficiency. An ENGEL e-motion 740/180 T fully electric injection moulding machine will be producing thin-walled lids for food product packaging with an integrated spoon using a 4-cavity mould from Greiner Packaging, Kremsmünster/Austria. The machines in the ENGEL e-motion series combine a high level of performance and precision with minimum energy consumption. All machine movements - from injection and plasticising, through to the mould and ejector movements - are executed by servoelectric drives. The result is optimum efficiency. During idle times, for example when cooling, no energy is consumed. Furthermore, the energy lost by conventional systems during braking movements is recovered as electric power. Thanks to the encapsulated toggle lever with recirculating oil lubrication, friction in the toggle lever joints is extremely low. This means that the ENGEL e-motion requires comparatively little power for building up, reducing clamping force, saving energy and ensuring particularly clean operation. Fully electric injection moulding machines of the ENGEL e-motion series are fast gaining ground in the packaging industry, especially in the field of high-performance and quick running applications. Cycle times of less than 5 seconds and injection speeds of 450 mm per second are now feasible – a performance class that was previously the domain of energy-intensive accu machines.

System solutions from a single source – worldwide:
As one of the world's leading manufacturers of machinery for the plastics industry, the ENGEL Group sees its mission not only in the production of injection moulding machines and robots, but in supplying integrated system solutions worldwide. This means injection moulding technology from a single source, both for thermoplastics and for elastomer processing. Injection moulding machines and automation, process technology and mould project engineering, training and service are all seamlessly integrated at ENGEL. And we always look to the future. Innovation and technology leadership give a decisive competitive edge to ENGEL's customers.

Need further information ? contact us here.

Plastic Welding Rods - Plastic Welding

Mon, 26 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT

There are two general groups of plastics - "Thermoset" materials, and "Thermoplastic" materials. A "Thermoset" material is produced by a method of chemical reaction. These plastics are commonly used in 'risk of fire' applications - eg. Fuse holders. These materials cannot be welded.

"Thermoplastic" material is produced using methods of heat - where the material can become 'molten' or 'liquid' at what we refer to as the 'welding temperature' of the specific material. These plastics are those we see most often in industrial & domestic applications. And almost all can be welded with very high structural strength.

A large range of thermoplastics are being used for a wide range of applications. Plastics fabricators and plastics repairers will come across a range of different plastics - the Automotive repairer has perhaps one of the widest range of plastics to contend with. Due to the high use of thermoplastics in automotive manufacture, a plastic repairer will need to become familiar with a wide range of plastics. Some thermoplastics are "blends" of two similar materails - commonly referred to as "Composite Plastics".

The Techspan Rod Test Kit (RTK) is designed to help with identification of this wide range of plastic materials. It is ideal for every welder to help ensure accurate compatability of his welding rod selection. The RTK contains 40 different thermoplastic materails, each with its own unique code. Once the welder has identified the correct rod, he can then order from a range of different profiles and colours.

Photo: Techspan RTK ( Rod Test Kit ) - contains 40 different materials

Here is a list of commonly supplied thermo plastic welding rods we supply: ABS - ABS/PC - ABS/PC/A - ABS/PBT - AES - ASA - HDPE - HMWPE - LDPE MDPE PA PA/PPE - PC - PC/PBT - PC/PET - POM - PP - PP/EPDM - PPE - PPE/PA - PPO - PUR - PVC - PS - TPR - UHMWPE... see our full plastic welding rod listing here.

Plastic Welding Rod Profiles:
Techspan supply welding rod in a variety of materials and profiles. These include :3mm, 4mm & 5mm ROUND profiles, 5.7mm & 7mm TRIANGULAR profiles, 8mm x 2mm & 13mm x 2mm TAPE profiles. We can also supply SPECIAL profiles to order. The most commonly supplied welding rod profiles are 3mm round , 8mm x 2mm tape and 5.7mm triangular.

Photo: Triangular profiled Plastic Welding Rod, in white

Colours:
A range of colours is also available - eg. for off-road quads & farm bikes - these are usually a PEMD (Polyethylene Medium Density) material. Techspan carry these rods in a range of specific colours. eg. Honda Red , Suzuki Yellow, Yamaha Blue, Kawasaki Green ...and so on. We can also produce Plastic Welding Rod in special colours (min quantities may apply).

Welding Rod Dispenser:
Techspan have produced a range of standrad plastic welding rod dispenser boxes, for our low volume rod users.

Photo: Plastic Welding Rod box dispenser

Techspan supply plastic welding rod in standard quantities of 25 meters & 50 meters (depending on the material), and for extrusion welders we can supply large spools of 400 meters. Other quantities can be supplied to special order.

Photo: Standard 50 meter and 25 meter Plastic Welding Rods

The next Tech Tip will cover "Industrial Fabric Welding" and we'll explain the wide range of equipment available. Look out for this next month.

Further information:
Techspan have put a great deal of emphasis on providing 'easy to find' equipment specification, training videos and more online. The latest Techspan website is packed with all the information you'll need.

Save time, buy online:
A range of standard Plastic Welding rods can be purchased online via our e-commerce website
Visit www.plasticweldingrods.co.nz

Youtube channel:
Visit www.youtube.com/user/TechspanOnline

Facebook page:
Visit www.facebook.com/Techspan

Need further information ? contact us here.

ENGEL foam injection moulding - Mucell

Thu, 22 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT

With immediate effect, ENGEL is delivering full systems for MuCell™ foam injection moulding on a turnkey basis world-wide, thereby covering the entire physical foaming process chain from a single source. The relevant agreement was signed by ENGEL AUSTRIA GmbH of Schwertberg in Austria and Trexel, Inc. of Woburn, Massachusetts, USA. The development makes it easier for plastics processing companies to move into MuCell technology.

Photo: Automotive Door Cladding Insert - first class grain finish, cavity pressure 40 bar

ENGEL imports MuCell systems from Trexel on their behalf and performs integration with injection moulding technology for control and safety purposes. This guarantees very simple operation of the overall system. Incorporation of the MuCell plasticising unit within the CC 200 control unit used in ENGEL injection moulding machines ensures compliance with the highest standards as regards documentation, traceability and transparency. At the same time, ENGEL's patented safety technology promises simple mould and process coordination; the technology also facilitates access to the mould room in a pressurised, gasified melt, thereby raising productivity when starting up the system. In addition, ENGEL is supporting its clients by providing application-specific solutions such as mould trials, training machines and on-site training carried out by application engineers specialising in foam injection moulding.

Photo: Automotive Light Trim - 15% cycle time reduction, 10% weight reduction, 20% clamp force
reduction, no sink marks

“MuCell physical foaming is rapidly gaining ground, especially in the automotive industry”, says Michael Fischer, Head of Sales Technologies with ENGEL AUSTRIA in Schwertberg. Growth is being driven by two factors in particular: the increasing trend towards lightweight construction and low distortion of products manufactured by the MuCell process. ENGEL AUSTRIA GmbH ENGEL is one of the global leaders in the manufacture of plastics processing machines.

Photo: Cable Ties - 10% weight reduction, 30% injection pressure reduction, 30% clamp force reduction

Today, the ENGEL Group offers a full range of technology modules for plastics processing as a single source supplier: Injection moulding machines for thermoplastics and elastomers, and automation, with the assurance that individual components are also competitive and successful in the world markets. With eight production plants in Europe, North America and Asia (China, Korea) as well as subsidiaries and representatives in over 85 countries, ENGEL offers its customers the optimal global support they need to compete and succeed with new technologies and leading-edge production systems.

Need further information? contact us here.

ENGEL famox - fast mould change

Tue, 20 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT

The shorter the set-up time, the higher the productivity. With the aim of further increasing the level of efficiency at its customers' plants, ENGEL has extended its product portfolio to include an automatic mould changing system.

Photo: Ready for action in just a few seconds: The new automatic mould changing system

ENGEL famox – fast mould exchange – enables mould changing in less than a minute.   Production lifecycles are shortened and a larger range of models is available. A further trend is becoming evident, particularly in the automotive industry: radical reductions in inventories. For injection moulding production this means ever smaller batches and consequently more frequent mould changing processes. In an effort to avoid a negative impact on productivity or incur an increase in component costs, automatic mould changing systems are gaining significantly in importance.   Continuous operating philosophy A uniform operating philosophy, simpler data transfer and a comprehensive security concept are among the advantages of procuring machine and automation from one source. In the case of ENGEL, this strategy now also includes mould changing. ENGEL famox is equipped with control logic, visualisation and ergonomics of the CC 200 control unit of ENGEL injection moulding machines.

Photo: ENGEL famox is equipped with control logic, visualisation and ergonomics of the CC200 control unit of ENGEL injection moulding machines

All mould and machine parameters can be transferred from the machine to the mould changing system without external interfaces. The diagram of the mould changing system can be displayed either on the table itself or on the machine.

Photo: mould change program

The animated screen page gives the user a fast overview of the current status of the system and enables the mould change to be started with only a few settings. ENGEL famox enables mould changing in less than a minute. Besides the continuous operating philosophy, two further factors contribute to the high mould changing speeds of the ENGEL famox: the integral mould pre-heating station and standardised multi-coupling for media lines.

Photo: integrated mould pre-heating station and standardised multi-coupling lines

Direct drive for high availability ENGEL stands for high availability, not only in respect of injection moulding machines and robots, but also mould changing. Whereas conventional mould changing systems work with chain drives, the ENGEL famox scores points with direct roller drives. Because each roller has its own electric motor, the system proves to be extremely robust in operation. The automatic mould changing system will be available in three sizes. The first will be the ENGEL famox 25 for mould weighing up to 25 tonnes. A version for smaller and larger machines or moulds is to follow.

Need further information? contact us here.

NEW Label Barcode Printers

Mon, 05 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Techspan now have the new TSC models TTP-268M and TTP-366 in stock. These new 6" thermal transfer label printers are at a price well below that of the competition. In particular the high-resolution, 300 dpi TTP-366M achieves a printing speed of six inches per second (152.4mm/sec) and as powerful as the usually more expensive "high-end" devices offered by its competitors.

The TTP-268M offers 203 dpi resolution and the TTP-366M offers 300 dpi print resolution.

The TTP-366M is ideally suitable for 2D barcodes, for small print and graphics printing. Many industry sectors today require wide labels with a size of six inches (152.4 mm). Since the print also has to remain legible under the most varied weather conditions, a powerful very high-resolution thermal transfer printer is required.

The TTP-366M, is an extremely powerful 6" thermal transfer printer which offers high resolution, a printing speed of 6 ips and all at an affordable price. The TTP-366M is suitable for demanding applications in which 2D barcodes, small print or graphics printing are required. Its "little brother" in the line, the TTP-268M, prints with a resolution of 203 dpi at a speed of 8 ips.

Two year warranty:
As is usual with TSC Auto ID products, the printers offer a number of extras at a very affordable price. The standard features of the TTP-268M/366M line include a large LCD display, integrated Ethernet, USB 2.0, one parallel interface and one serial interface as well as a PS/2 keyboard interface and an SD flash memory card slot which allows users to upgrade to four GB additional memory at a low price.

A GPIO port, a universal input/output standard in the industry, is available as an option. All TSC industrial printers come with a two-year guarantee. The 6" printers have a large memory of 32 MB DRAM and 8 MB flash which can be used for the simple saving of fonts, international symbols and graphics. The printers support a fully compatible set of standard industry emulations ex works, including the Eltron® and Zebra® languages, which makes it simple to replace older installed software. The TTP-268M/366M line prints 1D and 2D barcodes as well as the more powerfully encoded GS1 DataBar which has been licensed for commercial use since 1 January 2010. The devices are also suitable for wide, transverse barcodes without having to rotate the image.

Rugged and easy to operate:
The die-cast aluminium housing of the TTP-268M/366M line flips open easily and thus allows material to be installed easily. Label roll, print head and platen roll can be replaced in seconds. The pressure of the print head can be altered using three user-friendly rotary knobs. Label rolls with an outer diameter of up to 208 millimetres can be used. The ribbon length is 450 metres.

Need further information? contact us here.

ENGEL invests in India

Thu, 01 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT

ENGEL, based in the Austrian town of Schwertberg, is extending its sales base in Mumbai to include a technical centre and a seminar centre. In making the investment, the manufacturer of injection moulding machines and automation specialist is addressing the rising demands on plastics processing companies in India.

Photo: Engel Machinery India, Managing Director, Jitendra Devlia

“The Indian market for injection moulding is transforming beyond recognition”, says Jitendra Devlia, Managing Director of ENGEL MACHINERY INDIA Pvt. Ltd. “Issues like maximum product quality, long-term reproducibility, proper mould protection and set-up time optimisation are becoming ever more important to our clients.” In order to carry on providing full, application-specific advice as well as the best possible service as demands increase, ENGEL INDIA has taken up residence in new and significantly larger business premises close to Mumbai International Airport in the Andheri East district of the city. The technical centre will be used for machine demonstrations, customer trials, preproduction and running mould trials. Tie-bar-less ENGEL victory machines with energy saving servo-hydraulic ENGEL ecodrive, fully electric machines from the ENGEL e-motion range (for extremely precise, high-speed applications) and ENGEL viper robots from ENGEL's latest linear generation will be used for these purposes.Facilities expand to include technical and seminar centresCourses offered at the new training centre will lead to qualifications for machine operators and maintenance technicians; the basics of plastics processing will also be taught. Furthermore, ENGEL INDIA plans to invite customers and other interested parties in the plastics processing field to regular technology seminars. The ENGEL spare parts warehouse is also expanding in the course of the relocation to new premises.

ENGEL has been active in India for 13 years. “Over that time, ENGEL INDIA has become the leading importer of high quality injection moulding technology”, reveals Jitendra Devlia. Growth rates are expected to remain high in India, the second most important Asian market for European manufacturers of plastics processing machines after China. Expansion is being driven by strong domestic demand in the automotive, packaging, white goods, agricultural and construction sectors.

“The Indian market for injection moulding is transforming beyond recognition. Demands on plastics processing companies are rising in terms of quality and productivity”, reveals Jitendra Devlia, Managing Director of ENGEL MACHINERY INDIA Pvt. Ltd.

Need further information? contact us here.

Techspan® Ultrasonic Cleaners - 'state-of-the-art' cleaning

Tue, 30 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT

The Techspan® S ultrasonic cleaners offer state-of-the-art cleaning technology. After more than 50 years, cleaning by ultrasound in all its complexity has now obtained a new meaning. The new Techspan® S units provide optimum cleaning effiency. The high quality materials used and the reliable technology prolong service life. The new design combines more functionality with modern design. The basis of nearly perfect cleaning processes with ultrasound is the Techspan® high-performance transducer system operating at 37 kHz.

Sweep function:
The sweep function guarantees a homogeneous sound field distribution by way of continuous shifting of the sound field waves.

Degas function:
The degas function accelerates very efficiently the degassing process in the cleaning liquid, particularly when adding 'new' fresh cleaning chemicals/solutions.

Industrial use:
Techspan® S Ultrasonic Cleaners are designed for industrial use, to meet the demands of any cleaning task.

The 7 most important advantages of Techspan® S Ultrasonic cleaners at a glance -

       • Electronic time and temperature control
       • High-performance transducer systems
       • Dry run proof ceramic heating
       • Quick degassing with Autodegas / Degas
       • Improved cleaning performance with Sweep
       • Autostart temp-controlled / Temp pre-selection
       • Safety switch-off
       • Made in Germany

Buy the Techspan® S Ultrasonic Cleaners online now.

Need further information? contact us here.

Applications in Plastic Welding

Tue, 23 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Applications - plastics fabrication & repair welding

The use of plastics is increasing rapidly. A new vehicle that rolls of the production line today, has over 350 kg's of plastics on board - and with manufacturer's taking steps to improve fuel economy, we are likely to see the use of plastics to increase.

WELDING OF RIGID PLASTICS
There are a vast range of applications where "Rigid" plastic welding is being used. Here is a listing of the most common applications by related Industry sector -

Automotive:
Front & Rear Bumpers - Front Bonnet Grills - Air Inktake Grills - Radiator Header Tanks - Rear View Mirrors - Heating & Air Conditioning Ducts - Mirror Housings - Head Lamp Housings - Water Reservoirs - Decrotavie Trims - Door Pockets - Facias & Fittings - Exterior Door Panels - Motorcycle Fairing & Guard Repairs

Photo: Automotive Repair Application - a radiator header tank being repaired

Tank Fabrication:
Tank Construction - Internal Baffling & Lining - Y Branch & Fittings - Leak Repairs - Tank Modifications

Plastic Crates / Bins:
Refuse (Green bin) repairs - Fish Crate Repairs - Crate & Pallet Fabrication - Bread Crate Repairs - Buoy Repairs - Container Fabrication & Repair

Photo: A plastic Crate being repaired

Pipelines:
Pipeline Fabrication & Joining - Y Branch & Fittings - Pipe Modifications

Farming:
Tank Fabrication & Repairs - Farm Bike 4 wheeler Repairs - Spray Container Repairs - Pond Liner Fabricaion & Repairs

Industry:
Conveyor Belt Fabrication & Repairs - Containment Vessel Fabrication & Repair - Safety Guarding Fabricaion & Repair - Chemical Tank Liner Fabrication - Fume Hood Fabrication - Plastic Part Assembly

Marine:
Fish Crate Repairs - Boat Fabrication & Repair - Kayak Repairs - Bouy Repairs

Medical:
Fume Hood Fabrication - Vinyl Floor Welding - Safety Guarding Fabrication

Photo: Welding of a hospital vinyl floor

WELDING OF FLEXIBLE PLASTICS (sheet)
The Techspan 'hand-held' plastic welding tools, can also be used in applications involving "Flexible Sheet" welding, with the addition of two accessories. A Wide Slot or Fish Tail nozzle is fitted to the welding tool and a High Temperature Silicone Pressure Roller is used. The Wide Slot Nozzle can be placed between the "overlap" of the flexible sheets and the Silicone Roller is used to apply pressure, forcing the now molten materials together.

Photo: A hand tool being used to finish off a Geo-membrane

These applcations include -
Fabricaiton & Repair of Tarpaulines - Covers - Banners - Waterproof Membrane Welding - Geomembrane Welding - Landfill Liner Fabrication - Pond Liner Fabrication - Truck & Rail Curtain-sider Fabrication & Repair

Photo: Overlap welding of flexible sheet - Tarps, Covers, Banners etc

In a number of these applications, a Techspan Automatic Welding machine can also be used. The "Tarpon" & "Planon" Automatic welders, are designed to allow accurate, fast welding of a range of flexible sheet welding applications.

Video: A Techspan "Tarpon" automatic welder can be used for tarpauline manufacture

OTHER USES IN AUTOMOTIVE
There are also a range of other uses that the Techspan 'hand-tools' can be used for, which are not related to welding - simply by the application of heat from the hot air tool -

These inclucde -
Loosening of Seized Bearings / Screws / Gear Wheels - Drying of Bogs & Fillers - Drying of Paints - Removal of Under Car Sealant - Removal of Auto Trims - Plastic dent removal - Curing of Resins & Glues - De-icing - Smooting & Shining - Igniting & Burning

Remember that these tools have the ability to supply hot air at accurate temperatures ranging from 20 - 600 deg C, so technically you could even cook bacon & eggs when applied correctly. In almost every sale of a hand tool, we are seeing customers finding numerous other uses and applications for the tool, and especially those in the Automotive Repair sector.

Further information on Plastic Welding Tools & Equipment:
Techspan have put a great deal of emphasis on providing 'easy to find' equipment specification, training videos and more online. The latest Techspan website is packed with all the information you'll need.

Online Store:
Now you can View, order & purchase our vast range of Plastic Welding Tools online 24/7.
Visit www.plasticweldingtools.co.nz

Youtube channel:
View our Youtube channel video vault
Visit www.youtube/user/TechspanOnline

Facebook page: Follow us on Facebook
Visit www.facebook.com/Techspan

Need further information? contact us here.

Need further information ? Feel free to contact me with your questions.

ENGEL at Interplas Exhibition, Birmingham, UK, 27th - 29th September 2011

Mon, 22 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Engel signs up as headline sponsor of the Interplas Green Room initiative.

It is less than 1 month now to the unveiling of the revitalised Interplas exhibition in September 2011. Over 400 companies have already signed up for their own stands and the show is well on track for positive growth again. Organisers have introduced many new initiatives for this years event, such as the British Centre of Excellence and the PDI (Plastics Design Intelligence). However, it was “The Green Room” that caught the eye of Engel, who demonstrated the company’s stance in this important topic by signing up as headline sponsor.

“Engel are delighted to be the headline sponsors of The Green Room at Interplas 2011. It goes hand-in-hand with our philosophy — so much of our business is now based either on our fully electric machine platforms, or on our Ecodrive servo-hydraulic machines. This is a perfect fit.” said Engel UK managing director, Graeme Herlihy.

The Green Room will be one of three seminar sessions being staged at Interplas and will be dedicated to burning topics of energy efficiency, materials and the environment, recycling, and the wider world.

Ken Grace, Consulting Editor for British Plastics & Rubber, said: “The greatest challenge facing the plastics industry today must surely be how to achieve the maximum environmental benefit at the minimum environmental cost. All aspects of the manufacturing process need to be tuned to the best effect. We are learning daily how to source materials more efficiently. But we need to know more and to know it more quickly. The Green Room will provide a forum for discussion and workshops highlighting responsible manufacturing in plastics, particularly the choice of materials and the energy required to process them“

Sam Anson, British Plastics & Rubber Editor added: “The Green Room represents an important new development for Interplas and the British plastics industry. The conference will give processors valuable insight into a wealth of technology which is designed to both help the environment and offer a new and exciting commercial angle to manufacturing.”

Interplas will be co-located with MM Live UK, MEMS Live UK, NANO Live UK TCT Live, The PPMA Show and Sensor Technology and the seven shows will form the largest manufacturing gathering in the UK in 2011 comprising over 500 exhibitors and an expected attendance of in excess of over 10,000 visitors.

Visit the Interplas 2011 website here.

Need further information? contact us here.

New & Improved Dyna-Purge M

Fri, 12 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Dyna-Purge was first introduced into the marketplace over 30 years ago, and is the most widely used commercial purging compound in the plastics industry. New & Improved Dyna-Purge M was developed as part of the company’s continuous product innovation program and offers considerable savings over original Dyna-Purge M as well as other purging products.

The Institute of Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering at The University of Akron conducted an extensive independent study in January 2011. The study was commissioned by the Dyna-Purge® division of Shuman Plastics, Inc. to compare a new and improved commercial purging compound to the original version, as well as to other common purging products used in the market. The independent study was overseen by Dr. Mark Holtman,Assistant to the Director at The Institute of Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering. All trials were conducted on a 55 ton Van Dorn injection molding machine using 7 melt HDPE transitioning from black to white.

Click here to read the full report covering performace test results of the new & improved Dyna-Purge M.

Save time, buy online:
Click here to order & purchase Dyna-Purge purging compounds

ENGEL Injection Magazine 2011

Wed, 10 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT

ENGEL Servo-hydraulic triumph - Anyone whose investment decisions were driven by the energy efficiency of the injection moulding machi-ne had no alternative but to purchase a fully-electric machine – up until recently. This has now changed. Fully-hydraulic machines with servo-hydraulics realise energy saving potentials that typically compare well with those of fully-electric machines. In other words, the choice of drive technology is no longer driven by the energy saving potential, but by the application. Fully-electric machines thus continue to replace hydraulic machines in high-performance or fast running applications, whereas servo-hydraulics help to provide a future-oriented answer to energy efficiency questions for companies that produce a versatile range of moulded parts. Furthermore, as increasing affluence and limited resources necessitate a sustainable approach to resource management, energy is bound to increasingly dominate public discussion in the future. ENGEL was one of the early adopters in the energy savings field and is a pioneer in the development of energy-saving injection moulding machines.

Click here to read the ENGEL Injection Magazine online.

Need further information? contact us here.

Plastic Welding Tools - plastic fabrication & repair welding

Mon, 25 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Techspan's Tech Tips will help guide you in achieveing a good understanding of the Plastic Welding process. These Tech Tips will provide you with new tips and techniques on how to get your Plastic Fabrication & Repairs right first time. Today we are looking at the "Plastic Welding Tools" available and the various types of equipment.

Hand-held plastic welders:
The hand-held plastic welding tools provide a precisely controlled jet of Hot Air, which can be set to a specific temperature for welding all thermoplastics. These are by far the most commonly used tools for plastics fabrication and repair welding today.

Photo: Techspan 'hand-held' Plastic Welding tool (model BAK 'RION' heay-duty)

Extrusion Welders:
Extruder welders are designed to weld large wall section materials (12mm +), and in general are used in large scale plastics fabrication. If you are a first time buyer, you will find a range of welding tools available to suit a wide range of welding applications.

Photo: Techspan Extruder Welder (model Dohle DX281 'MINI CS')

So what do you need to consider before buying a Plastic Welder ?
Here is a list of things to take on board prior to purchasing your first plastic welder.

1. Quality -
DVS compliant ?
Equipment should be selected that complies with worldwide welding standards, as set by the German/Swiss welding/joining society (DVS). This means the welding equipment is manufactured to meet ideal parameters as required to ensure strong, structual, molecular welding.
CE compliant ?
In general equipment manufactured in Europe (Switzerland / Germany) will carry the CE mark. CE marking is a key indicator that a product complies with EU (European Union) legislation. CE marked products conform to very high standards of manufacture, safety, performance and quality - CE marked products are bought by professional users as they are the most suitable for industrial & commercial use. (Beware of cheap chinese equipment !! In China the CE symbol has been alleged to stand for China Export or China Engineering - because some Chinese manufacturers apply a very similar marking to their products. As Chinese exporters have used the CE logo incorrectly, the matter was raised at the EU parliament in 2008, and the Commission decided they will look into trade-marking the official CE logo - and are in discussion with Chinese authorities to ensure compliance with European standards. So in simple terms - if you pay peanuts, you'll get monkeys)

2. Back up & Support -
Make sure the supplier offers back up and support. Applications advice, spare parts & technical service is usually offered by the quality equipment suppliers. A good supplier will carry a full range of equipment, accessories and even consumables - eg. Plastic Welding Rods. These suppliers have generally been in the business for many years and so will have the knowledge & experience to best support you.

3. Warranty -
High quality welding tools are usually covered with a warranty. In Australia & New Zealand, Techspan brand plastic welders are supplied with a limited 2 year warranty.

4. Temperature Control -
A critical part of the plastic welding process is ensuring your welding temperature matches the welding temperature of the particular material to be welded. As different plastics weld at different temperatures, a welding tool with precise electronic temperature control is essential. In general temperature control is built-in to the welding tools. Some models even offer LCD displays, where you can set welding tempertures accurately on the screen. These models are commonly referred to as 'Digital' models.

Photo: Electronic Temperature Control - Techspan Rion Tool

5. Built-in Blower -
The most common plastic welding tool is fully self contained (Techspan model Rion) - meaning that the blower is built-in to the welder. These tools are by far the most portable and easy to use. Some models dont have built in blowers - compressed air can be used to provide the required airsource to such models, however use of compressed air can be very expensive and must be 'clean & dry'. Pressure must also be be controlled to suit the welding tool airflow specifications. Compressed air flow characteristics are also not as ideal as the fully self contained models with built-in blowers.

6. Accessories & Nozzles for Plastic Welding -
The welding tool will require some specfic accessory nozzles in order to effect correct welding techniques. To ensure you have all the right nozzles for your welding application, we recommend you buy your plastic welding tool in KIT form.

Photo: Plastic Welding KITS from Techspan

Techspan have put a great deal of emphasis on providing 'easy to find' equipment specification, training videos and more online. The latest Techspan website is packed with all the information you'll need.

Online Store: Now you can View, order & purchase our vast range of Plastic Welding Tools online 24/7.
Visit www.plasticweldingtools.co.nz

Youtube channel:
Visit www.youtube.com/user/TECHSPANONLINE

Facebook page:
Visit www.facebook.com/Techspan

The next Tech Tip will cover "Plastic Welding Applications" and we'll explain the wide range of applications. Look out for this in next months issue.

Need further information? contact us here.

ENGEL at Fakuma Exhibition 18th - 22nd October 2011

Mon, 25 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Integrative solutions for exacting requirements Schwertberg/Austria – July 2011. "More colours. More integration. More energy efficiency." – this is the motto chosen by ENGEL AUSTRIA in for this year's presentation of system solution competency at Fakuma from 18th to 22nd October in Friedrichshafen, Germany. With five production cells at our own trade fair booth and five additional machines at partner booths, ENGEL will be demonstrating efficient and economic production of premium quality moulded parts based on solutions tailored for a variety of applications.

Read the full article here.

Need further information? contact us here.

Mounting of Moulds on Injection Moulding Machines

Fri, 22 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Mounting of Moulds on Injection Moulding Machines:
This description is valid for all injection moulding machines and ‚standard moulds’. Special moulds can possibly need a special procedure deviating from this description, but this must be made known ex-pressly by the mould manufacturer. In all other cases it must be proceeded according to this description. In order to be able to operate a mould as ideal and wear-free as possible, both mould halves must be mounted best possibly concentrically to each other. The present description is a guideline, it shall ensure a repeatable ideal mounting also by differently trained personnel. Each displacement of the two mould halves to each other leads to increased wear on the guides and in further sequence often also on the inserts and cores. As in the vertical plane the gravitational force acts, specially the height displacement of the mould halves must be observed. As guide value a displacement of less than 0.05 mm should be striven for. From 0.1 mm usually already knocking noises at the immer-sion of the guides can be heard and wear on the guide columns becomes apparent.

View the full article here.

Need further information? click here.

ENGEL training

Tue, 19 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Successful training you can measure - Schwertberg, Austria – July 2011.

Plastics processing companies are seeking to use custom-designed programs to convey business-related information to their staff, and to quantify the effectiveness of these training measures. ENGEL Austria has come up two new offers that address this requirement and, at the same time, shed light on the effectiveness of ENGEL training services. A uniformly high standard of training programmes around the world is guaranteed by a quality assurance system.

Year after year, some 3,000 employees from plastics processing firms take part in seminars or workshops at one of ENGEL's 14 global training centres. As from this year, participants are being invited to add a final examination to their course. “The exams are not compulsory, but a lot of people are taking up the option”, reveals Robert Brandstetter, head of training at ENGEL Austria in Schwertberg. “For those who join a course, it is becoming ever more important to get objective feedback on how much knowledge is actually conveyed.” The final examinations are offered for all regular courses around the world. The majority of course participants answer the examination questions online via the ENGEL e-learning platform, which provides them with an instant written confirmation of their score upon completion.

In addition, the ENGEL training division has responded to customer requests for objective learning feedback with a second new initiative: first ENGEL gauges the knowledge level of trainees with a competence assessment, then develops custom-made training programmes aimed specifically at them. From basic to expert level, from machine and robot operation to process engineering, ENGEL covers the full spectrum of knowledge needed by plastics processing businesses – and addresses the individual needs of its clients. Companies that are active around the world are also benefiting from the global presence of ENGEL training centres: they can take advantage of ENGEL competence assessments to raise the knowledge level of staff at all their sites to a uniformly high level.

High quality training on a global scale:
“The issue of further education and training is becoming increasingly important in the workshops of our customers”, says Robert Brandstetter. To keep pace with the trend, ENGEL is continually investing in training as a business area. The new training centre built three years ago at the headquarters of ENGEL Austria in Schwertberg is one of the most modern training facilities for the plastics industry. By striking the perfect balance between theoretical and practical education, it sets the standard for all ENGEL training centres in Europe, America and Asia. Inside the seminar rooms, all computer workstations are equipped with ENGEL virtmould, the virtual injection moulding machine. This enables course participants to prepare fully for the subsequent practical exercises on real machines before they leave the seminar room.

Equipment alone is not enough to ensure successful training outcomes, however; continual learning on the part of the trainers is equally important. Trainers at ENGEL keep pace with the latest technical developments through workshops arranged by the development and product management departments, train-the-trainer seminars and other means. For ENGEL, measuring the success of the company's own training initiatives is also a priority. For this reason, the trainers themselves undergo regular testing to assess their knowledge levels. A quality assurance system, developed recently, ensures the highest possible quality standards at all training centres, across the board and around the world. Centres that bear the Certified Training Centre logo, which symbolises this aspiration, have successfully participated in an annual process of auditing and certification.

Cooperation to combat specialists shortage:
Thanks to its high standards in education and training, ENGEL has also established a name for itself at state training facilities in Austria. During the past year, for example, ENGEL's training division entered into a cooperation agreement with WIFI Oberösterreich GmbH and the certification authority of the economic development institute of the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber. The partners to the agreement worked together to develop training courses in injection moulding machine operation (MBS) and process-optimised injection moulding (POS). Both courses conclude with examinations and certification in line with international standards.

The aim of a new cooperation initiative between ENGEL's training division and the SPES Labour Foundation is to combat a growing shortage of specialists. With the backing of the Public Employment Service Austria (AMS) and the state of Upper Austria, job seekers will be offered places on courses lasting one to three months that lead to qualifications in the operation and maintenance of injection moulding machines and robots as well as plastics processing technology.

Need further information? contact us here.

Techspan - TSC high-resolution 600-dpi Label Printers

Fri, 08 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT

The TSC Printer model TTP-644M packed with features:
The NEW label printer, TTP-644M is a state-of-the-art industrial thermal-transfer printer is designed to operate in tough conditions and is packed with features - Constructed in heavy-duty die-cast aluminium, the TTP-644M is loaded with standard features not offered by other label printers in its class. The TTP-644M is easy to use - including a large LCD display, built-in Ethernet, a PS/2 keyboard interface, and USB 2.0 and serial communications ports. 32MB DRAM and 8 MB FLASH, which can be used for easy storage of fonts, international character sets and graphics. The printer also comes with a secure digital (SD) FLASH memory card slot for inexpensively adding up to 4 GB of memory.

High Resoluition Printing:
The TTP-644M offers a 600 dpi print resolution. It was specifically designed for industrial applications that require the highest-quality print for small fonts, barcodes and graphics. The TTP-644M provides a label calibration that allows customers to print on labels as small as 3mm high, with a 1mm gap between labels. This ultra-precise calibration out performs any other competitive label printer, offering the best price-performance over its competitors. The TTP-644M printer provides superb high-resolution printing at a very attractive price.

'Out of the box' language-emulation:
The TTP-644M supports, 'out of the box' the most popular prgramming languages, including Eltron(R) and Zebra(R) languages - making it very easy to replace old installed hardware. Datamax-printer emulation is also available as an option.

Thermal Transfer Ribbon:
Techspan also manufactures' Thermal Transfer Ribbons, and can convert ribbons to exact size requirements. We stock a huge colour range of Thermal Transfer ribbons (TTR), in all grades, for all label and barcode printers, in all configurations. High quality, high performance thermal ribbons for barcode & label printers, thermal coders, signage, graphics, data ribbons & plain paper fax machines.

Need further information? click here.

ENGEL celebrates big success at Chinaplas

Thu, 30 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Schwertberg/Austria – June 2011. ENGEL was able to draw an extremely positive balance after this year's Chinaplas in Guangzhou, PR China, at the end of May. Almost all show cased machines had already been sold by the end of the trade fair. Never before had the injection moulding machine manufacturer and automation expert recorded more visitors at its stand than this year. "Chinaplas 2011 was a record event for us," says Gero Willmeroth, Sales Manager at ENGEL Machinery (Shanghai) Co. Ltd. "It was a clear signal that we are pursuing the rightmarket strategy in Asia. Over the past few years we have continuously expanded our market shares in Asia, and we want to continue this trend." As the sole European injection moulding machine manufacturer, ENGEL displayed only locally produced machines at its stand. A total of six applications were presented at the trade fair.

"Decentralised production guarantees short delivery times to our customers, short time-to-market and the ability to adapt our machines, automation and technologies to the specific requirements of the Asian market," Willmeroth points out. In order to satisfy growing demands in Asia, ENGEL is currently doubling the capacity of its large-scale machine production facility in Shanghai to 200 machines per year. Small to mid-range machines for the Asian market are built in Korea.

Besides the increased number of visitors, a further trend was identified at Chinaplas: An increasing portion of visitors are from abroad. This year many decision-makers from otherAsian countries, but also from the Middle East and South America, called at the ENGEL stand to obtain information. There was a conspicuously strong interest in system solutionsfor medical technology.

Highest level of precision for medical technology:
For this industry ENGEL demonstrated the manufacture of cylinders for 2 ml syringes on anENGEL victory 1050/160 in a 32-cavity mould of Swiss mould maker Schöttli, thus showingthat high-precision, thin-wall applications are also possible with ENGEL standardengineering technology. A substantial reduction in wall thickness compared to legacysyringes guarantees a considerable reduction in material use and cycle times. Fitted withthe servo-hydraulic ENGEL ecodrive, the showcased ENGEL victory machine thus achieves energy consumption figures which can compete with those of fully electric machines. The conservation of scarce resources is fast gaining importance in China. Energy efficiency was one of the top themes at the trade fair. The ENGEL duo 5550/700 largescale machine, which produced engine covers at the ENGEL stand, was fitted with an ecodrive. With the servo-hydraulics, available as an option for all hydraulic machines from the ENGEL production programme, the energy consumption of the machines – depending on application and machine type – can be reduced by up to 70%. The servomotors operate with a fixed displacement or variable capacity pump, instead of a permanently running asynchronous motor, so that the speed of the machine is directly related to the rpm. During standstill times, cooling phases for example, the machine does not consume any power at all. In addition, cooling water consumption on the oil cooler is reduced to a minimum, in many cases to zero. The oil temperature is an indicator of the energy efficiency of the machine.

Energy-efficient system solutions in demand:
The ENGEL duo machine was presented in Guangzhou as a complete manufacturing cell including automation. An ENGEL viper 40 type linear robot removed the engine covers from the mould. Thanks to new software features, the ENGEL viper robots operate with the highest degree of efficiency and productivity. Furthermore, at its trade fair stand ENGEL demonstrated the manufacture of LED leadframes on an ENGEL insert 80V/60 injection moulding machine, as well as the production of sealing rings of liquid silicone on a fully electric ENGEL e-max 200/100.

Another ENGEL e-max machine was on display at the stand of ENGEL partner Max Robotof Yuyao City, Zhejiang, China. Here mobile phone shells were manufactured by thin-walltechnology with insert parts. A second ENGEL partner, Hi-More Pte. Ltd., Singapore, demonstrated the manufacture of cups on an ENGEL e-max 100. The machine was equipped with in-mould labelling.

With a total of six exhibits, ENGEL once again demonstrated its system competence in Guangzhou. From the machine, automation and process technology to training andservice, ENGEL covers the entire spectrum of injection moulding technology worldwide.

Visitor magnet:
More visitors than ever before came to the ENGEL stand at Chinaplas to inform themselves about pathbreaking manufacturing technologies. They came not only from China, but fromother Asian countries, the Middle East and South America. The highest level of energy efficiency, precision and productivity: with four system solutions at its own trade fair stand and two further exhibits at partner's stands, ENGEL responded to the trends at Chinaplas 2011 in innovative applications. The displayed machines were all build in the region.

The ENGEL trade fair team in Guangzhou:
"The great success at Chinaplas 2011 is for us a clear endorsement of our strategy on the Asian market." Continuing on a growth path: the capacity of the ENGEL production plant for large-scale machines in Shanghai is to be doubled."Decentralised production guarantees short delivery times to our customers, short time-to-market and the ability to adapt our machines, automation and technologies to the specific requirements of the Asian market." Gero Willmeroth, Sales Manager, ENGEL Machinery (Shanghai) Co. Ltd.

ENGEL maintains three sales and service subsidiaries in China: in Shanghai, Beijing and Shenzhen.

Need further information? contact us here.

Ultrasonic Metal Welders - Energy savings

Wed, 29 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Thanks to the patented Wedge-Reed bonding system of high vibratory force and low amplitude coupling, ultrasonic metal spot welders create true metallurgical bonds while reducing energy consumption and cutting production costs.

Melissa Alleman, vice president at Sonobond Ultrasonics, announced today that ultrasonic metal welding equipment continues to offer significant energy cost-saving advantages to manufacturers when compared to other bonding methods. She said, “Sonobond equipment not only produces superior metal welds, it also generates important savings in comparison to such methods as resistance welding and soldering. This makes it win-win for manufacturers because they are able to generate fast, reliable welds while, at the same time, reducing what they have to spend on energy and other production costs.”

Sonobond’s Ultrasonic Welders Consume Less Energy:
Energy consumption is significantly less with Sonobond equipment than with resistance welders. Manufacturers with multiple installations of resistance welders may require a new electrical substation to handle their requirements. On the other hand, ultrasonic welding equipment can usually be accommodated with standard power capacity. Significant cost savings occurs in the assembly of wire harnesses for automotive and similar applications. When resistance welding is used, it requires 20 times more energy than ultrasonic welding. Yet it takes about the same time to make an ultrasonic weld as it does to produce a resistance weld. High-powered resistance welders, unlike ultrasonic metal welders, require water cooling. This water must often be purified before it can be permitted to enter the wastecycle. This adds time and costs to the production process. Parts may also have to be cleaned before they can be processed by resistance welding equipment. In contrast, Sonobond equipment is fast and environmentally-friendly. It does not require any of these extra steps.

Superior to Crimping & Soldering:
Wire harness manufacturers report that ultrasonic welding reduces the expense of attaching copper wires by 50% or more over old crimp and solder methods. Ultrasonically welded joints are also stronger, have better electrical conductivity, and weigh less without the mechanical crimp. In short, ultrasonic metal welding produces wire harness joints that are significantly superior to those created by crimping and soldering. Because of this, manufacturers report that the need for costly warranty reworking of wire-to-wire and wire-to-terminal assemblies has been substantially reduced.

Other Money-Saving Advantages:
According to Vice President Alleman, there are even more ways in which Sonobond Ultrasonics’ metal welders offer customers significant savings. She says, “Our units require minimal operator training. In fact, the time and effort involved in getting operators up to speed is about the same for our equipment as for resistance welding units. Also, our microprocessor-controlled ultrasonic metal welders can set and recall up to 250 weld protocols from memory. Welding can be controlled by height, energy or time, reducing the possibility that the operator will make costly mistakes.” Ms. Alleman continues, “There are also built-in features that can represent meaningful savings to customers. For example, all Sonobond metal spot welders use our unique Wedge-Reed design with heat-treated, tool steel Taper Lock Tips. These are manufactured to last for up to 100,000 welds. When the tips finally do need to be replaced, our units are constructed so that this can be accomplished quickly and easily Savings with Sonobond’s Ultrasonic Metal Welders: with a minimum of labor and downtime. Some ultrasonic metal welders produced byother companies require replacement of the entire horn, not just the tip. But this is notthe case with Sonobond equipment. So we have yet another example of how we help ourcustomers save valuable time and money. Sonobond’s system is also the only ultrasonicsystem with the capability of welding most oxidized and tinned metals.”

Sonobond’s Ultrasonic Metal Spot Welders:
Sonobond leadership in the field of ultrasonic metal spot welding is demonstrated by these units -

SpliceRite™ Wire Splicer for the lowest resistance, most reliable electrical connections. This machine creates solid-state metallurgical welds of stranded copper wire bundles of up to 60 sq. mm. in size. Tinned wires up to 35 sq.mm. can be accommodated with our 3500-watt power supply.

• Dual Head SpliceRite™ features two ultrasonic welding heads, one on each side of the welding area, for increased welding capacity. The unit confidently handles wire bundles with cross-sectional areas from 48 to 100 sq. mm., including up to 60 sq. mm. wires that are tinned.

• SonoWeld® 1600 Spot Welder performs spot welds, as well as wire-to-terminal welding of non-ferrous metals, including dissimilar metals such as copper to aluminum. The SonoWeld® 1600 is ideal for welding multiple layers and/or delicate foils to tabs or terminals for lithium-ion and NiMH battery assembly.

• Dual Head Spot Welder features two ultrasonic welding heads, one on either side of the welding area, for increased welding capacity. It welds non-ferrous sheet metal, including aluminum up to 3mm thick, and reduces tip sticking on thinner aluminum as used for automotive applications. This unit is ideal for welding up to 80 layers of foil to tabs and terminals, as used for advanced battery and super capacitor applications.

• Ultrasonic Single Point Ground Welder—SPG 2600 is a microprocessor controlled metal spot welding system for producing the single point ground terminals used in complex automotive electronic components and circuitry. The SPG can weld up to 18 wires to a single terminal with just one pulse before automatically folding the terminal arms to provide stress release on the joint.

Over a Half-Century of Innovation:
For over 50 years, Sonobond has been a worldwide leader in the application of ultrasonic welding technology. The company—then known as Aeroprojects—received the first patent ever awarded for ultrasonic metal welding. This was in 1960. Over the intervening years, Sonobond has earned a well-deserved reputation for its pioneering work and quality-engineered products. Today Sonobond manufactures a complete line of ultrasonic welding and bonding equipment. Among the company’s many customers are leading firms in the electrical, automotive, appliance, solar, aerospace, filtration, medical, and apparel industries.

Selecting the Appropriate Sonobond Unit:
As part of its dedication to providing top-quality service, Sonobond offers a free, no-obligation Ultrasonic Welding Viability Test. This helps assure that each customerselects the right equipment for their specific application. Once a company decides toincorporate a Sonobond unit into its manufacturing process, every effort is made to makesure the process is as seamless as possible. In commenting on her company’s commitment to superior service, Vice President Alleman says, “We understand that every installation is unique. So our personnel work very closely with customers to make sure everything goes smoothly. Anyone choosing Sonobond equipment can count on us for reliable, in-depth technical support before, during, and after installation.”

Need further information? contact us here.

Main Welding - Plastic Welding

Thu, 16 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Main Welding - plastics repair welding

Techspan's Tech Tips will help guide you in achieveing a good understanding of the Plastic Welding process. Each month we will provide you with new tips and techniques on how to get your Plastic Repairs right first time. Today we are looking at "Main Welding".

Main Welding:
The "Main Welding" of plastics can be carried out using two welding techniques. 1. Pendulum Welding 2. Speed Welding Firstly, please ensure you have followed the previous steps in the Plastic Welding process - as outlined in our previous "Tech Tips" Plastics Identification & Surface Preparation.

Pendulum Welding:
The "Pendulum Welding" technique, can be used for short weld runs, or when access is difficult. Fit the standard nozzle (LE100303) on the welding tool. Set the required welding temperature on the welding tool using the guide provided. This is carried out using the red rotary dial on the end of all Techspan Plastic Welders. Once up to temperature (from cold, this takes approx. 1.5 minutes), select the correct welding rod (see our previous Tech Tip covering "Plastics Indentification"). Cut the start of the welding rod to a point. This will help with the initial flow of the weld rod. A pendulum motion is used to evenly heat the parent material and the welding rod. Feed the welding rod into the welding area, while curving the tail of the weld rod away from the welding tool. This will help you control the rod feed during welding and will allow the operator to observe the material flow during welding. Welding should be carried out in one continuous run along the length of the area to be welded. Welding speed should be adjusted to the point where you observe a slight 'wash' at the sides of the welding rod. Ensure that your pendulum motion is providing even heating of both the parent material and the welding rod throughout the weld run. When complete, allow the plastic component to cool completely before attempting to trim or clean up the welding area. This is important as the plastic will not be at full strength until completely cool. Triming & sanding can now be carried out if required.

VIDEO: Pendulum Welding Technique

Speed Welding:
The "Speed Welding" technique should be used for long weld runs. The term "Speed Welding" gets its name from the fact that it is a relatively fast process compared to that of the "Pendulum Welding" technique. Fit the standard nozzle on the welding tool. Select the correct "Speed Welding" nozzle to suit the corresponding welding rod profiel - these are available to suit a range of welding rod profiles. In round profiles, Techspan can supply 3mm, 4mm or 5mm diameter. In Tape profiles, Techspan supply an 8mm x 2mm Speed Welding nozzle. And in Triangular profiles Techspan supply either a 5.7mm or 7mm Triangular Speed Welding Nozzle. The Speed Welding nozzles are an easy push fit onto the standard nozzle. Once up to temperature, simply insert the welding rod into the Speed Welding nozzle and apply a downward pressure on the welding rod itself. Apply approx. 2.5 - 3 kgs of downward pressure, forcing the welding rod through the speed welding nozzle and into the weld area. The welding tool will only need to be supported, as the force on the welding rod will move the tool along the weld area with ease. The "Speed Welding" process is fast, and very easy to achieve.

VIDEO: Speed Welding Technique

The next Tech Tip will cover "Plastic Welding Tools" and will help guide you in purchasing the correct equipment for the job. Check back here for the next Techspan Tech Tip, or subscribe to the news page via RSS

Need further information ? Feel free to leave your comments or questions below.

By Tim Fastnedge - Techspan Group

New Automatic Plastic Welders

Wed, 01 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT

High Quality, and Versatile - Automatic Overlap Plastic Welding machines from Techspan -
Made in Germany, the Techspan® automatic plastic welders are reliable, high quality machines, designed for precise, efficient welding of thermoplastics, including tarpaulins, covers, banners, liners, structural fabrics, and water-proofing membranes.

Photo: Techspan Planon Overlap Welder (40mm)

The Techspan® Tarpon and Planon automatic overlap welders feature inter-changeable ‘overlap kits’, enabling the weld seam width to be easily changed, without having to purchase different machines for different widths. The ‘overlap kits’ consist of 4 parts, and can be easily changed by the operator, with an allen-key, in less than 5 minutes.

Photo: Overlap Kits - 20, 30, & 40mm

A ‘hem kit’ also enables the welding of hems, which can be quickly and easily adjusted for hem widths of 20, 25, 30, 35, or 40mm.

Photo: Hem Kit - adjustable Hem widths 20, 25, 30, 35 & 40mm

Welding speed, welding temperature, and airflow volume are infinitely adjustable. The Techspan® automatic welding machines are robust, practical and easy to use. Quality materials and workmanship, and intelligent engineering design ensure that these automatic welding machines stand up to the toughest working conditions, virtually anywhere on the planet.

All Techspan® plastic welders can be purchased online at www.techspanonline.com This is a secure e-commerce site, where customers can find all specifications, datasheets, videos, availability and prices, and you can order and purchase on-line.

Need further information ? click here.

Techspan to Exhibit at NMW 2011

Fri, 20 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Techspan Australia at NMW 2011 - Melbourne, Australia 24th - 27th May 2011 - Stand No. 3111 - Visit us at the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre - see you at the show !

See tomorrow's manufacturing solutions today at National Manufacturing Week (NMW) - the event that strengthens Australian manufacturing through technology, innovation and education. Meet some of the Techspan team "face-to-face" and see our live plastic welding demonstrations - see, touch, feel and experience our range of Plastic Welding equipment working.

We will help you to make informed purchasing decisions. Learn all about technologies for welding plastics -
including:

        Hot Air Welding
        Wedge Welding
        Overlap Flexible Sheet Welding
        Bag & Film Welding
        Ultrasonic Plastic Welding
        Ultrasonic Metal Welding

Our range of high technology equipment will enhance your business !

We look forward to meeting you at NMW 2011.

Getting to the NMW 2011 exhibition click here.

More about NMW 2011 click here.

Surface Preparation - Plastic Welding

Mon, 09 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Surface Preparation and Tacking - plastics repair welding
Techspan's Tech Tips will help guide you in achieveing a good understanding of the Plastic Welding process. Each month we will provide you with new tips and techniques on how to get your Plastic Repairs right first time. Today we are looking at "Surface Preparation" and "Tacking".

Surface Preparation:
As with all forms of welding, cleaning of plastic components prior to welding is as important as any other welding preparation in achieveing strong, structural welds. Poorly prepared plastic components will lead to weld failures. Plastics surface preparation involves ensuring all soils are removed. Any paints, oils, greases and even UV degredation must first be removed prior to welding. With large parts, eg. Bumper bars, washing the part is usually a good start. This will ensure we are removing any atmospheric soils, eg. Mud, Traffic films etc . Use a soft sponge with warm water - don't use any industrial detergents as these can also introduce film coatings that may also effect the welding results. Any painted surfaces should also be cleaned right back to the parent material.

Surface Preparation - What tools do I use ?:
Paints and other remaining soils should be removed easily using a standard abrasive wheel (sanding disc) with any high speed air drill or electric drill will do the trick. A grinding disc will make quick work of this process, but be warned - plastics yeild easily to abrasives, so take care you dont end up damaging other sections of the part where the wheel can 'catch' and 'drag' across the component.

VIDEO - Preparing the plastic surface

This process can create a fair bit of dust, so we recommend the use of a face mask when performing this task. Other methods for preparing plastics include - paint scrapper, sharp blade, clean wire brush and even a solvent. These other tools can also be employed for assisting in your plastics preparation - Note: the least used method is that involving solvents. Solvents can assist you in removing greases & oils, however different plastics will also react differently to a range of solvents - so finding a suitable solvent for the specific plastic you are working with may be more trouble than its worth. Imagine attempting to clean a high gloss plastic part with a solvent that reacts with the plastic making it sticky and dissolving the paint - so my advice is not to use solvents. Not only are they harzardous to store, but can be harzardous to use and even more harzardous to your plastic parts. Once the part has been properly cleaned are prepared, we are now ready for the "Tacking" step.

Tacking:
Welding of plastics components relies on a number of factors -
- Surface Preparation
- Good joint interfaces
- Plastics Identification / Correct welding rod selection
- "V" Grooving, using the rotary burr
- Tacking
- Correct welding temperatures
- Welding technique

A Rotary Burr is used to provide a "V" groove along the weld line.

VIDEO - 'V'ing out of the welding line

Tacking of plastics components prior to welding, helps the welder to achieve two things -
1. Good joint interfaces and
2. Alignment of the plastic components

The "Tacking Nozzle" can be used to ensure close joint interfaces and alignment of broken parts. Unlike metal welding, where tacking is carried out at the ends of the welding area, Plastic Welding requires "Tacking" to be carried out where ever you intend to place welding rod.

VIDEO - Tacking of the weld area

So if you have a crack of 100mm in length, you must "Tack" along the entire length (100mm) of the weld area. The "Tacking Nozzle" is an easy 'push-fit' onto the Techspan welding tool. It heats up to the corresponding temperature set on the welding tool, then simply run the tip of the tacking nozzle along the welding area. You will notice this will provide a slight "swagging" together of the two materials - closing up any gaps in the weld area. If you notice any "un-tacked" areas, simply run the tacking nozzle over the weld line again, until there are no visible gaps between the mating surfaces.

Feel free to leave a comment below, or to ask any questions you may have. We will respond to these within 24 hours.

Need further information ? contact us here.

Plastics Identification - Plastic Welding

Thu, 28 Apr 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Plastics Identification - plastics repair welding:

Techspan's Tech Tips will help guide you in acheiveing a good understanding of the Plastic Welding process. Each month we will provide you with new tips and techniques on how to get your Plastic Repairs right first time. The first of which covers "Plastics Identification".

Plastic Welding & repair is realtively easy to carry out, and providing you follow a few fundemental steps, strong structural welds can be acheived. Due to the high replacement cost of damaged plastic components Welding & repair of these parts becomes a very wise choice.

Getting into Plastics Repair offers the repairer a number of significant advantages -

1. Improved Customer Service - parts on order can take some time obtain, Having the necessary skills & equipment to carry out such repairs, helps to improve customer serivce as you can get the vehicle back to the customer, improving turnaround times.

2. More work opportunties - A repairer with the necessary skills & equipment now has a service to offer to other repairers.

3. More profits - ALL of the profits from the repair work come to you ! You can now stop sending half of your profits to the other repairer.

Plastics Identification:
You can only weld "like" materials. For example, Polypropylene (most car bumers) can only be welded with a Polypropylene welding rod. So it is very important to first identify the material to be welded. Today most plastics used in the manufature of modern vehicles are stamped with plastics identification codes, however, where this identification is not present, a welding test is required to ID the material to be welded. There are some 20 commonly found plastics and many more made up of two or more mixtures of materials, known as 'plastic composite materials'. As only "like" materials can be welded, identifying the plastic correctly is vital. There are two ways to identify plastics - the first is known as a "Flame Test" and the second (our recommended option) is to use our "Rod Test Kit" (RTK).

Flame Test:
This involves taking a small slither of the parent material and using a pair of tweezers, ignite the material over a Bunsen flame. By observing the way in which the plastic slither burns, the flame colour and smoke formations from the part and whether is drips etc.
Flame Test Observation:
1. Ignition - is the plastic hard to ignite?
2. Once burning, is the flame self extingishing?
3. Does it burn at all?
4. Does it drip?
5. What colour is the flame?
6. Does the flame spit or is it stable?
7. How does it smell? (sweet, rancid, burning wool, rubber) This simple flame test can give you a pretty accurate indication of the plastic type, however there are a number of negative aspects to using such a test. The first is the fact that you are introducing a flame into your working environment. Also the flame observation no. 7 above (How does it smell?) involves you having to inhale fumes & odors created after burning and degrading of the material has taken place. I do not recommend this test as personally I will not inhale burning plastic of any kind.

So this leads me to the safest and most recommended ID test method, the Rod Test Kit (RTK).

Rod Test Kit (RTK) : We only recommend this method
This plastic ID test kit provides the welder with over 40 different materials for ID testing. It is by far the most easy and safe way to verify your plastic material type. The RTK rods have been specially selected for weldability and compatibility with a wide range of commonly found plastics in the Automotive Repair and Fabrication industries. RTK rods are UV stablized where applicable. The Techspan RTK contains the following thermoplastic materials: ABS, ABS Blend, ABS/PA, ABS/PBT, ABS/PC, ASA/PC, ASA/PBT, AES, ASA, HDPE(crate), HDPE(pipe), HIPS(Polystyrene), HMWPE, LLDPE(PE), MDPE(Pipe), MDPE(Rotational), PA(Nylon 6), PA66HS, PA/PPE-GTX, PBT, PC, PC/PBT, PC/PET, PET-G, PMMA(Acrylic), POM(Acetal), PP(Sheet), PP(Crate), PP(Homopolymer), PP/EPDM, PPE, PPE/PA, PPO(Noryl), PUR, PVC(Flexible), PVC(Rigid), C-PVC, RANCO(Random PP), TPR and UHMWPE. Rod Test Kit procedure: Simply clean an area on the underside of the part to be tested. Ensure you remove any contamination (grease, oils, paints etc) before attempting his test.

1. Select a rod from the RTK that appears and feels similar to the parent material.
2. Attempt to weld (approx. 30mm) of the selected rod to the parent material, leaving a tail (30mm long) at 90 deg to the parent.
3. Once complete, allow to cool. It is important to note that plastics will not hold full strength until completely cold.
4. Attempt to remove the rod with a pair of pliers, pulling at 90 deg to the welded part. If the rod snaps off leaving the material on the parent, you know you have a match.
5. Repeat the test with another rod selection until you find the correct match.
6. Once you have identified the materail, simply order the rods as required using the code marked on the end of the test rod. Once you have successfully identifed the correct material, you are now ready for the next step.

Plastic Identification Codes(pdf)

The next Tech Tip will cover "surface preparation" and "tacking". Check back here for the next Techspan Tech Tip, or subscribe to the news page via RSS

Need further information ? Feel free to leave your comments or questions below and I will answer these each day.

By Tim Fastnedge - Techspan Group

Plastics meet Electronics

Thu, 28 Apr 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Polymers with electronic functions -Schwertberg/Austria – April 2011.
"Plastics meet Electronics" is the motto of the first international Smart Plastics Trade Congress on 7th and 8th June 2011 at the Ars Electronica Center in Linz, Austria. The organiser of the congress is the Smart Plastics Initiative, which was founded at the beginning of this year and whose goal it is to make Upper Austria a one-stop shop for intelligent electronic plastic products. Dashboards without switches and buttons, flexible solar cells or medical diagnostics systems on a credit card: Smart Plastics prepare the way to help these visions become reality. The combination of plastics technology, mechatronics and design not only allows for new product ideas, but opens up enormous market potential at the same time. How to leverage this with the help of new technologies will be the topic of discussions in the scope of the event.

The congress starts in the evening of 7th June with a keynote by Prof. Niyazi Serdar Sariciftci, the Head of the Institute for organic solar cells at the Johannes Kepler University of Linz. The second day features an all-day programme with talks and an open innovation workshop. The speakers include Mathew Gardiner (Orobotics AEC-Future Lab, Austria), Jaap Lombaers (Holst Centre, Netherlands), Thomas Müller (Chair of Plastics Technologies, University of Erlangen, Germany), Roland Streule (Sefar Holding,Switzerland), Dirk W. Pophusen (Bayer MaterialScience, Germany) and Dr. Markus Riester (maris TechCon, Austria). The conference language is English.

Bundling expertise along the entire value-added chain:
The important thing for the initiators and organisers is the mutual exchange and the ability to network with new contacts. Nowhere else in the world are the companies and the infrastructure required for Smart Plastics represented in such large numbers and geographical proximity as in Upper Austria; and this is what prompted the founding of the Smart Plastics Initiative. Companies and research institutes are now invited to join the network.

"Our aim is to promote cooperation between companies along the value-added chain in thisfield", emphasises Prof. Georg Steinbichler, Head of Development Technologies with ENGEL Austria and programme Chair of the event. "After all, the opportunities and challenges that this discipline presents require very different fields of expertise, which should preferably be accessible to partners via an efficient network.

Initial prototypes created in cooperation with partners:
The network currently includes Hueck Folien, Schöfer, STIWA Automation, KEBA, Brands and Friends, ENGEL Austria, plastic electronic and form quadrat among others. Prior to the founding of the initiative, the companies had already started cooperating in the field of intelligent electronic plastics. For example, ENGEL exhibited trims with integrated switches for vehicle interiors during the Symposium 2009. The development partners were Schöferand plastic electronic. Touching the surface of the trim activated specific functions. This was made possible by a foil with capacitive sensors which were back injection moulded with thermoplastics and covered with polyurethane in a single step. With its many years of experience and extensive competence in the fields of foil back injection moulding, surface decoration and process integration, ENGEL already plays a leading role in the young market segment of Smart Plastics.

Programme of talks, further information on the event and registration: www.smart-plastics.com

Need further information ? click here.

Ultrasonic Metal Welding

Fri, 01 Apr 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Sonobond Ultrasonics announced today that it has developed a new ultrasonic spot welder for use in manufacturing single point ground terminals. These terminals play an important role in eliminating the electrical noise produced by the growing number of electronic components in automobiles and the increasingcomplexity of their circuits.

Important News for Manufacturers of Electronic Components:
In discussing the new ultrasonic spot welder, Sonobond’s vice president, Melissa Alleman, said, “For a long time now, ultrasonic welding has proven to be a quick, cost effective, environmentally-friendly way to assemble wire terminals for the automotive Welder and other industries. However, our new unit makes it much easier to produce the single point ground terminals that help solve the problem of electrical noise caused by today’s intricate vehicle systems. This ‘noise’ results when multiple ground connections are made within a circuit, thereby creating “ground loops.” Our new Single Point Ground Welder helps solve this problem by giving manufacturers the ability to ultrasonically weld multiple wires into a single terminal. A successful weld is created with just one pulse. The unit then completes the process by folding over the terminal arms to provide stress relief on the joint.” Vice President Alleman went on to say, “We are proud and pleased by this important development in ultrasonic spot welding technology. And we look forward to unveiling the Sonobond Single Point Ground Welder SPG 2600 at this year’s Electrical Wire Processing Technology Expo in Milwaukee, May 18 and 19. We encourageattendees to plan now on visiting us at Booth #1441 to see the new unit and learn more.” Reliable Welding with a Single Pulse: Sonobond’s Single Point Ground Welder SPG 2600 is similar in appearance to the company’s popular SonoWeld® 1600 Digital Metal Spot Welder. However, the new unit’s tooling is designed specifically for gathering as many as 18 wires into a single terminal. Once the weld has been made, a set of clamps automatically completes the assembly by folding over the terminal’s arms to provide stress relief on the joint. The unit can confidently handle wirebundles of up to 20 square millimeters. The unit’s power supply features a built-in microprocessor that can store and recall up to 250 weld protocols from memory. A digital display allows selection of welding modes by time or energy and provides automatic frequency control and overload protection. The Single Point Ground Welder has an RS232 port for transferring weld data to or from a computer. It also utilizes automatic control monitoring that can detect when variables exceed preset power and time limits. Like all Sonobond metal welders, the unit features heat-treated, tool steel Taper Lock Tips. These can last for up to 100,000 welds and are designed for fast, convenient removal and replacement. The Single Point Ground Welder, like other Sonobond equipment, can be operated easily with minimal training. Advantages of Ultrasonic Welding: Ultrasonic metal welding is a fast, cost-effective, environmentally-friendly process that creates solid-state metallurgical bonds without heat, current, fluxes, or fillers. So there are no costs for consumables or post-assembly cleaning. The Single Point Ground Welder SPG 2600 uses Sonobond’s patented Wedge-Reed coupling system. This system combines high vibratory force with low amplitude coupling to create precise, dependable welds. High-frequency ultrasonic energy is directed to the surface between the metals to be welded. This is done via the unit’s welding tip. The applied vibratory energy disperses the oxides and surface films between the work pieces. A true metallurgical bond is accomplished in one, fast step without arcs, sparks, or fumes and without melting the materials. Even lightly tinned or oxidized wires can be handled in this way.

Over Half a Century of Innovation and Leadership:
For more than 50 years, Sonobond has been a worldwide leader in the applicationof ultrasonic welding technology. In 1960, the company—then known as Aeroprojects—received the first patent ever awarded for ultrasonic metal welding. Over the interveningyears, Sonobond has built and maintained a well-earned reputation for its pioneeringwork and quality-engineered products. Today Sonobond manufactures a complete line ofultrasonic welding and bonding equipment. Among the company’s many customers areleading firms in the electrical, automotive, appliance, solar, aerospace, filtration, medical, and apparel industries.

Ultrasonic Welding Viability Test:
Sonobond is firmly committed to providing top-quality service. As part of thiscommitment, it provides a free, no-obligation Ultrasonic Welding Viability Test to help assure customers that Sonobond equipment is right for their specific application. Once acompany decides to incorporate a Sonobond unit into its manufacturing process, every effort is made to assure that the installation is as seamless as possible. In commenting onthis dedication to service, Vice President Alleman says, “We understand that each installation is unique. So our personnel work very closely with customers to make sure everything goes smoothly. Anyone choosing Sonobond equipment can count on us for reliable, in-depth technical support before, during, and after installation.”

Additional Information:
Those attending the Electrical Wire Processing Technology Expo in Milwaukee,May 18-19, are invited to visit the Sonobond booth (#1441) to see the Single Point Ground Welder SPG 2600 in action.

Need further information ? contact us here.

Techspan supports Jump Start Charity event

Wed, 16 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Techspan have supported this unique event for teenagers from CanTeen & Project K since the events inception in 2007. Techspan Director Tim Fastnedge, and event organizer, will lose his hair in this coming weekend (20th March 2011) in support of the Jump Start program.

Jump Start consists of a Tandem Skydive for 50 selected teenagers from CanTeen & Project K, from the ramp of the mighty C130 Hercules. The RNZAF supply the C130 as 'jump-ship' for the event. "I've never been a fan of short hair" explains Tim, "but I will lose it ALL for charity". A few others are also intending on doing the same, all in favour of the cause.

To support Tim and the Jump Start event, donations will be greatfully received.
http://www.fundraiseonline.co.nz/TimFastnedge2011/

All surplus funds are dontated to the benificiaries, CanTeen & Project K" says Tim.

     BEFORE                 AFTER

The premise of Jump Start is that the experience of being alvie transforms.

The elements in the program are:
Facing fear:   Discovering inner strength
Placing trust in others:   Finding mutual support and team identity
Elation:   Skydiving is an intense experience of being alive
Confidence:   Gained from accomplishing the goal
Acknowledgement:   Applause as they receive a certificate of accomplishment Belonging:   Being part of a group of first-time jumpers

To support Tim & the Jump Start program, please make a dontation here.

Further information about Jump Start

Techspan Sponsor Down Syndrome Buddy Walk

Fri, 11 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Techspan prides itself in supporting local community darity organisations. One of these is the Down Syndrome Association. The Auckland Down Syndrome Association is a not-for-profit, membership-based association, seeking to prepresent the needs and views of people with Down Syndrome and their families. Their mission is to promote the participation of people with Down Syndrome in the community, and Techspan support this event every year.

What is Buddy Walk ?
Buddy Walk is a 3.5 km walk followed by a fun fair day with entertainment galore. The event provides a great day out for the family to help promote the acceptance and inclusion of all people with Down Syndrome. It also helps to raise awareness for the Auckland Down syndrome Association.

When is Buddy Walk ?
Buddy Walk will take place on sunday 20th march 2011, at the Tahaki Reserve, Mt Eden, Auckland.

Need more information ? contact us here.

ENGEL - Rubber moulding machine for customer trials

Tue, 01 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT

ENGEL, a world leader in the design and manufacture of injection molding machines and part-handling automation systems, has equipped their Technical Center in York, PA with an ENGEL elast 1500/285 VC US rubber injection molding machine, capable of processing either strip feed rubber material or solid silicone, for use in customer mold trials and customer training. The ENGEL elast 1500/285 VC US is a horizontal tiebarless machine, with all the features and benefits of this tried-and-tested design concept, including minimum retooling times (even for bulky molds), unrestricted use of the platen surface, and platen parallelism for exacting precision requirements. The machine’s 1500cc FIFO (first-in-first-out) injection unit utilizes a 6 liter hydraulic stuffing device for solid silicone material feeding. The injection unit is also equipped with an automatic strip feeder with strip break detection for feeding rubber strips. With ENGEL’s short design injection nozzle there is very little pressure loss during the injection process. This allows the molder to have the maximum available injection pressure when required. The 285 ton clamping unit is equipped with 550mm x 650mm heating platens on both the fixed and moving machine platens, with 12 auxiliary heating zones for mold heating. These multi-zone heating platens, with self-adjusting temperature controls, guarantee extremely reliable processing and high quality molded parts The machine’s hydraulically operated side ejectors, located on the fixed and moving platens, allow the shuttling of multiple plates for complex parting lines and easier part demolding. Additionally, the machine has an extremely rigid brushing device, using a double beam brush system equipped with two brush modules for brushing parting lines or part demolding. The system is set up with 2 pressurized Piovan water temperature control units which are capable of maximum temperatures of 140 degrees C. These temperature control units are fully integrated into the machine heating control, providing consistent temperature control of the injection chamber and cold runner system. The ENGEL elast 285 utilizes the standard Engel CC200 controller, which provides superior flexibility of process set-up and machine sequencing, with 4 freely programmable DI/O for increased molding flexibility. The CC 200 controller uses a touch screen for input, with the option of either functional graphs or keyboard pop ups, and offers free programming of cycle sequence via graphical icons.

In New Zealand, ENGEL is represented by TECHSPAN GROUP, since 1979.

Need further information ? contact us here.

Earthquake hits Christchurch, New Zealand

Fri, 25 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Source: NZ Herald - 8.00am Friday Feb 25, 2011

At a media conference in Wellington this morning, Mr Carter said the death toll had risen to 102 overnight with the recovery of five more bodies from the Christchurch CBD. Soon after, Superintendent Russell Gibson told TV3 that another body had been found and the toll had reached 103. Mr Carter said he understood the last "live rescue" of a survivor had been about 3pm on Wednesday. That was the miracle rescue of Ann Bodkin, who was discovered in the collapsed Pyne Gould building 26 hours after the earthquake struck. "We are still hopeful there will still be people rescued but it is becoming unlikely," Mr Carter said. Mr Carter said rescuers would "just continue on with the search until we are satisfied there are no more bodies to recover". "It is not until you are down in Christchurch that you have an appreciation of the devastation - it is unbelievable." Rescuers' energies were currently focused on where they know the bodies were, he said. But Mr Carter said the teams would today begin conducting grid searches of places such as alleyways where they suspected people might have been trapped by falling rubble as they went to and from lunch on Tuesday. Mr Carter said search and rescue workers in Christchurch were doing an "amazing, outstanding job" and were releasing information as quickly as they could. "One of things we do need to understand is the teams of people working down there are doing an outstanding job. They are doing everything they can working day in day out. "These people - a lot of them have their own family and personal issues to deal with. "They are heroes."

THE NUMBERS (as of 8.00am Friday Feb 25, 2011)

103 confirmed fatalities - four names released
228 missing
70 live rescues
10 international teams on the ground
559 rescuers on the ground
594 seen by emergency departments - 164 of those admitted to hospital
2000 people have had treatment for injuries
11 patients in intensive care
452 people in welfare centres (John Carter said this number was down on the September quake as more people were self-evacuating the city)
20,131 calls to the Government's help-line
5 active welfare centres

Ultrasonic Wire Splicing

Fri, 18 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Sonobond Ultrasonics continues to be the leader in ultrasonic welding technology for wire harness assembly. In discussing the popularity of Sonobond equipment for such applications, the company’s vice president, Melissa Alleman, said, “We have two ultrasonic wire splicers—the SpliceRite™ andthe Dual Head SpliceRite™—that are ideal for assembling the wire harnesses used in the automotive, aircraft, computer, and consumer electronics industries. Both units are fast, reliable, and environmentally-friendly. So it is not surprising that this equipment is in such high demand. Sonobond’s technological leadership is especially evident in the way our Dual Head SpliceRite™ is able to ultrasonically weld large wire bundles with cross-sectional areas of up to 100 square millimeters. No other ultrasonic metal welder can do this in a single pulse.

The Sonobond SpliceRite™ and Dual Head SpliceRite™ use controlled pressure to consistently create strong solid-state metallurgical bonds. This process does not melt wires or produce arcs, sparks, of fumes. High-quality, high-strength wire connections are made without clipping, soldering, crimping, or dipping. Like all Sonobond ultrasonic metal welders, the two units have heat-treated, tool steel taper lock tips that can last for as many as 100,000 welds. These tips are designed for quick tooling changes and fail-safe placement. Both ultrasonic wire splicers feature a microprocessor controller that is able to store and recall up to 250 weld protocols. These jobs can be locked out from operator adjustment. Welds can be controlled by height, energy, or time. The microprocessor can also interface with a computer via RS232 port.The SpliceRite™ Ultrasonic Wire Splicer is available with either a 1,500- or 2,500-watt power supply. It produces 1mm² to 50mm² of final weld area, depending on the wattage. The Dual Head model comes with a 3,500-watt power supply. As the name indicates, the unit features two ultrasonic welding heads, one on either side of the welding area. This givesit the capacity to weld wire bundles with cross-sectional areas of up to 100 square millimeters. No other ultrasonic metal welder can accomplish this with a single hit. The Dual Head SpliceRite™ is especially suited for assembling heavy-duty cables, such as those used in cars, trucks, and industrial machinery. Both units can even accommodate lightly tinned or oxidized wires.

Advantages of Ultrasonic Metal Welding:
Wire harness assemblers, like other manufacturers, have found ultrasonic metal welding to be a fast, cost-effective, and environmentally-friendly process for creating solid-state metallurgical bonds with the lowest possible voltage drop. All Sonobond metal spot welders — including the SpliceRite™ and Dual Head SpliceRite™ — utilize the patented Wedge-Reed system. This system combines high vibratory force with low amplitude coupling. During the welding process, high frequency ultrasonic energy is directed via a welding tip to the surface between the metals that are to be bonded. The vibratory energy disperses the oxides and surface films and a true metallurgical weld is created. No waste is produced and minimal energy is consumed. More Information Available at the WHMA Conference in March Sonobond Ultrasonics will be exhibiting at the WHMA 2011 Annual WireHarness Conference in San Diego, March 2-4. In referring to this event, Vice President Alleman says, “I encourage those attending the conference to visit us at Booth #2 in the San Diego Westin Hotel. We’ll be happy to discuss the ways our SpliceRite™ or our Dual HeadPage 4 – Sonobond’s Ultrasonic Wire Splicing Capabilities SpliceRite™ may be applicable to their company’s specific situation. We will also have examples of ultrasonic welds done by these two units on hand for people to inspect. “Of course, Sonobond recognizes that each application is unique. So we offer an Ultrasonic Welding Viability Test to give manufacturers an opportunity to determine whether our ultrasonic equipment is a match for their specific metal welding needs. There is no cost or obligation for this service. We will be very glad to arrange a Viability Test for anyone requesting it, either by visiting our booth at the WHMA conference or by contacting our office. “Once a company makes the decision to incorporate our ultrasonic welding technology into their manufacturing line, they can count on us to work with them to make the installation process as seamless as possible. Both the SpliceRite™ Wire Splicer and the Dual Head SpliceRite™ Ultrasonic Wire Splicer—like other Sonobond units—are easy to operate and require only minimal training. This gives manufacturers yet another good reason to specify our equipment.” More Than a Half-Century of Leadership for over 50 years, Sonobond Ultrasonics has been a worldwide leader in the development and application of ultrasonic welding and bonding technology. In 1960, the company — then known as Aeroprojects — received the first patent ever awarded for ultrasonic metal welding. Over the intervening years, Sonobond has continued to earn an outstanding reputation for its pioneering work and quality-engineered products.

Sonobond currently manufactures a complete line of ultrasonic bonding and welding equipment for companies across a wide spectrum of industries. These industries include the electrical, automotive, appliance, HVAC, aerospace, filtration, medical, and apparel fields. Sonobond’s technical expertise is backed by its strong commitment to providing excellent technical and administrative support before, during, and after installation.

Need further information ? contact us here.

ENGEL Think Thin

Wed, 16 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT

"Think Thin" – this is the motto of the specialist symposium in Shanghai to which ENGEL is inviting decision makers from the laptop industry and their suppliers. On 8 and 9 March this year, the injection moulding machine manufacturer and automation expert will be demonstrating, in cooperation with partners, how additional laptop lid size and weight savings can be achieved. "In future, our injection moulding machines will be capable of producing laptop lids with wall thicknesses of just about one millimetre," promises Heinz Rasinger, Head of the ENGEL Teletronics Business Unit. The typical wall thicknesses today are between 1.7 and 2.3 mm. With the weight and overall thickness of a laptop playing an increasingly important role, the challenge for the decorated plastic packaging is to undercut these values. Extremely thin wall thicknesses are relevant in particular to laptop lids, which need to be manufactured with a UV hardened label including scratch-proof coating using a technique that reduces torsion to the maximum extent.

Above: Minimum wall thicknesses - laptop lid with label and UV hardened, scratch-proof coating

During the event in Shanghai, the new technology developed by ENGEL in collaboration with partners will be demonstrated live on an ENGEL duo machine with a clamping force of 500 tonnes. The machine is equipped with a compression package and in-mould labelling. The label is insert-placed and the finished parts are taken off by an ENGEL viper 40 type robot from the machine manufacturer's own linear robot programme. The injection-compression mould was supplied by In-mold Technology in Suzhou. Further development partners of ENGEL in this project include Bayer Material Science, Pröll, Böhler Edelstahl and Mold-Masters.

The symposium will be taking place at the ENGEL MACHINERY premises at Shanghai's Xinzhuang Industrial Park. All keynotes will be presented in English with simultaneous translation into Chinese. Besides decision makers from the laptop industry, representatives of other industries that require decorated thin-walled parts with quality surfaces are also invited to attend.

Registration and further details click here.

Techspan Social Media - Follow us today !

Tue, 08 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT

TECHSPAN has joined the online social media zone with their inclusion on Facebook and You Tube - As of January 2011, Facebook has more than 600 million active users, and in May 2010, it was reported that YouTube was serving more than two billion videos a day, which it described as "nearly double the prime-time audience of all three major US television networks combined.

Online social networks allow individuals to share information and keep themselves abreast of developments within their social circle, which may be a social circle dedicated purely to family and friends, or may be a circle of contacts which have a common interest or may be a network of business and professional connections.

Techspan now has its own facebook page & You Tube channel - where you will find news & information about the latest Plastics & Printing technologies. Image galleries, Videos and news stories are all featured. Join us online today ! Techspan - supplying "solutions that work" .

Follow us on Facebook

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Need further information ? contact us here.

ENGEL - 'Flomo' intergrated cooling & temperature control

Fri, 04 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT

True greatness comes in a small package - Schwertberg/Austria – January 2011. ENGEL flomo is one of the smallest manually configurable temperature control and water distribution devices with electronic monitoring on the market, and this is precisely what makes it so impressive. The distributor can be mounted in close proximity to the mould, thus minimising heat loss thanks to short hose runs. The ENGEL flomo has seen injection moulding machine manufacturer ENGEL add a temperature control and water distribution unit to its manufacturing programme since K 2010. The system, with its name based on flow monitoring, is suitable for permanent monitoring of all cooling and temperature control circuits on injection moulding machines and moulds. As it works electronically, it is an extremely economic alternative to legacy, maintenance-intensive cooling water batteries with inspection glasses. Water is fed in from the water supply through a central inlet or from a temperature control device on the manifold, where the feed pressure and temperature are measured. The temperature measurement serves to check that the temperature control device and/or cooling system are working properly. The flow lines are equipped with shut-off valves to allow individual circuits to be deactivated as needed. The flow rate and temperature of the water exiting the mould directly are measured in the system's return channels. The flow rates on any circuit can be set manually using the fine-adjustment regulating valves. The pressure, temperature and flow rate signals are transferred via an interface to the injection moulding machine's control unit where they are displayed graphically and numerically, evaluated and stored for complete documentation. ENGEL flomo is integrated with the CC 200 control unit on the ENGEL injection moulding machine. In other words, the users keep their accustomed control environment rather than needing to learn how to operate the device. In addition to this, integration ensures a high level of process safety, as all quality-related parameters, including information directly from the mould, are visible at a glance.

Considerable reductions in maintenance overhead:
Set values can be defined for the flow rate on the control unit. If the actual values change, e.g. due to soiling of the cooling bores in the mould, the system triggers an alarm. Leakage monitoring with automatic feed and return line cut-off is available as an option. Compared with legacy water distributors, this also means considerable reductions in maintenance overhead. Two factors contribute to this. For one thing, the system no longer has inspection glasses, which would need to be cleaned at regular intervals; for another, the new distributors use vortex sensors that have no moving parts or water filters. This sensor type relies on an impediment in the measuring line to artificially create a vortex. Depending on the water flow volume, this creates pressure impulses which are converted by the sensor into a measuring signal proportional to the flow. Vortex sensors are more resilient to soiling than legacy turbine flow meters and this removes the need for water filters. This results in lower pressure loss on the system.

Standardization for optimum price/performance figures:
The ENGEL flomo is currently available as a 4x and 6x module; if needed, multiple modules can be fitted in parallel. The modules are suitable for temperatures up to 95 °C and flow rates of between 1 and 15 l/min or 2 to 40 l/min. Measuring just 280 x 240 x 134 mm or 380 x 240 x 134 mm, these distributors are among the most compact in their class, and they can be mounted directly on the mould mounting platen next to the mould. This reduces the piping overhead and thus the heat loss. Thanks to its standardised design, the ENGEL flomo offers a very attractive price/performance ratio. Integrated shut-off valves on the flow line and fine-adjustment regulating valves on the return line are included as standard equipment. Mobile displays are optionally available for the distributor systems thus boosting efficiency in larger machine farms. The display helps the machine operator during manual adjustment of the distributor on site, as it can be located at any position on the injection moulding machine.

Need further information ? contact us here.

Ultrasonic Metal Welding - Solar Panel Industry

Mon, 24 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Ultrasonic Metal Welding Technology for the Solar Panel Industry is helping to support Energy Independence. The Ultrasonic PV Modular System is fast, efficient, and cost-effective. It is ideal for welding aluminum strips onto the photovoltaic cells that constitute solar panels — creating arrays with excellent conductivity.

WEST CHESTER, Pennsylvania, January 21, 2011— The search for greater energy independence is receiving a helping hand from Sonobond Ultrasonics. Sonobond’s MS-5010PV Ultrasonic Photovoltaic (PV) Modular System, is playing a vital role in the growth of the solar panel industry. The Ultrasonic (PV) Modular System is perfect for welding aluminum foil to the metallized glass on the photovoltaic cells that comprise solar panels. Our equipment creates an ultra-reliable, solid-state metallurgical bond. The resulting interconnects between the PV cells generate an array with excellent conductivity. More and more manufacturers are relying on Sonobond equipment because it is fast, efficient, and cost-effective. They are especially impressed by the fact that our high-frequency (50kHz), low amplitude Ultrasonic Photovoltaic Modular System does not distort materials or crack the glass panels in thePV cells. It is easy to operate with only minimal training. In short, manufacturers of solar panels enjoy significant savings in terms of time, resources, and production costs.

Designed for Easy Integration:
The MS-5010PV Ultrasonic Photovoltaic (PV) Modular system is designed for easy integration into the production lines of solar panel manufacturers.The unit consists of an ultrasonic head with a rotatable welding disk and a power supply. The head has a keyed shaft which can be used to rotate the welding disk at the same speed as the advancing photovoltaic panel. In addition, the system’s power supply features a solid state frequency converter and automatic tuning control. This eliminates the need to manually adjust the frequency. Sonobond modules are typically placed at each side of the traversing panel. Manufacturers can choose either 110-volt system or a 220-volt system. Power consumption is only 100 watts.

In speaking of Sonobond’s hands-on approach to helping its customers, VicePresident Alleman says, “We understand that each installation is unique. So we workclosely with manufacturers by providing in-depth technical support before, during, andafter installation. Our commitment to customer service is second to none. It’s an important aspect of providing first-class products that set the pace for our industry.

Ultrasonic Metal Welding offers Important Advantages:
The Sonobond MS-5010PV Ultrasonic Photovoltaic Modular System produces seam welds by applying mechanical vibratory energy under pressure. The process takes just seconds, while using no fluxes, tapes, solder, or other consumables. Solar panel manufacturers find that this ultrasonic bonding process offers substantial advantages in the production of the solar cells used to make up solar panels. In addition to its speed, the process is environmentally-friendly, economical, and does not produce excessive heat. Worldwide Leaders in Ultrasonic Technology for over 50 years, Sonobond Ultrasonics has been a recognized leader in the application of ultrasonic metal welding and bonding technology. The company—then known as Aeroprojects — received the first patent ever awarded for ultrasonic metal welding in1960. Over the intervening years, Sonobond has earned an outstanding reputation for itspioneering work, engineering excellence, and top-quality products. Sonobond now manufactures a complete line of ultrasonic bonding and welding equipment for a wide variety of customers. Among the company’s many customers are leading firms in the solar, electrical, automotive, appliance, aerospace, filtration, medical, and apparel industries.

Need further information ? contact us here.

ENGEL "joinmelt" achieves new savings

Thu, 20 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Welding directly in the mould with ENGEL Schwertberg/Austria – January 2011. In collaboration with partners Hummel-Formenand KVT Bielefeld, ENGEL blazes the trail for a new dimension in process integration. The ENGEL joinmelt process supports hot gas welding directly in the mould. This solution, for which a patent is pending, promises considerable potential savings, especially in the automotive supplies industry. "This removes the need for additional welding equipment. Part take-off and re-insertion are no longer needed, as the finished product can simply be taken off directly out of the mould." as Franz Füreder, the Head of ENGEL's Business Unit Automotive emphasises. To allow this to happen, both halves of the component are injected simultaneously into asingle mould. After the cooling phase, the mould is opened; one half of the part stays in the left half and the other in the right half of the mould. The movable left half of the mould is now positioned so that both parts are opposite each other in welding position. The heating element is positioned between the cavities and the edges of the component halves are heated. When the mould closes, the two parts are bonded so that the finished part can be taken off when the mould re-opens.

Improving quality and functional safety:
Besides the enormous savings potential thanks to the integration of two manufacturing steps which were previously performed in sequence, ENGEL joinmelt also helps to improve the quality and functional safety of the parts. The fact that both product halves remain fixed in the mould during the welding process avoids issues with warping and considerably reduces the time to market. The process creates a clean and thin weld which is particularly strong and achieves a superior quality to welds created by legacy techniques with respect to bursting pressure. This new technology is suitable for all thermoplastics. The process developers see huge potential in processing of glass fibre reinforced polyamides as media-bearing parts for deployment in engine compartments. Thus far these components have always had a visible bulge at the joint, making them prone to friction and reducing the service life of other functional parts, such as the valve tappets. As the ENGEL joinmelt process avoids the bulge, the process additionally saves material and weight.

Another benefit becomes apparent as early as the development phase of new products:
there is no need to take a specific welding direction into account, and this means freedom of choice with respect to part geometry. Teamwork with proven specialists:ENGEL developed the new technology in cooperation with two partner companies with the injection moulding machine manufacturer taking responsibility for developing both the machine technology and the software for controlling the integrated process workflow.Hummel-Formen in Lenningen applied for a patent for hot gas welding in the injection mould and has contributed its mould technology know-how to the collaborative project. The company with its staff of 250 at two works specialises in injection and compression moulds for plastics with weights of up to 100 tonnes. Its service portfolio covers everything from product development through to sample making under serial production conditions. KVT Bielefeld is responsible for the welding technology in ENGEL's joinmelt project and holds a patent for hot gas welding in a protective atmosphere to ensure a particle-free and highly stable weld. The company specialises in the development and production of plastics welding machines for use in various industries from automotive and domestic appliances through to telecommunications and medical technology. www.kvt-bielefeld.de

ENGEL AUSTRIA GmbH
ENGEL is one of the global leaders in the manufacture of plastics processing machines. Today, the ENGEL Group offers a full range of technology modules for plastics processing as a single source supplier: Injection moulding machines for thermoplastics and elastomers, and automation, with the assurance that individual components are also competitive and successful in the world markets. With eight production plants in Europe, North America and Asia (China, Korea), subsidiaries and representatives in over 85 countries, ENGEL offers its customers the optimal global support they need to compete and succeed with new technologies and leading-edge production systems.

ENGEL at Interplastica 2011 in Moscow: Hall Forum, Stand FB56

Tue, 18 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT

ENGEL at Interplastica 2011 in Moscow:
At the trade fair stand of injection moulding machine and automation expert ENGEL at Interplastica 2011 from 25 to 28 January in Moscow, the focus will be placed on innovative technologies for higher productivity. Pipe fittings will be produced by a fully electrical and automatic process on an ENGEL e-victory.

The manufacture of plastic pipe fittings places special demands on production engineering. It calls for large moulds with projecting cores, requiring a relatively low clamping force of the injection moulding machine. Hardly any other machine on the market meets this requirement profile as perfectly as the ENGEL victory or its electric version ENGEL e-victory, whose clamping units function without tie-bars. The tie-bar-less machine concept enables full utilisation of the mould fixing platens and maximum space for moulds. This means that large moulds can be mounted on relatively small machines, saving not only space, but also costs for acquisition and operation.

Trend towards tie-bar-less machines and automation:
"Machines of the ENGEL victory series continue to be a huge success in Russia," Olaf Kassek, Manager of OOO ENGEL in Moscow, describes the trend to tie-bar-less machine technology. The lion's share of all orders, about 80 percent, are ENGEL victory machines. Besides fittings production, they are also used in the automotive industry, where high demands are placed on reliability, and in the toy industry, where moulds must be frequently changed. An example of an ENGEL e-victory 740/160 will be on display at the trade fair stand. ENGEL's partner in this application is ifw. The international technology leader in high-tech mould-making for pipe fittings will be equipping the ENGEL e-victory with its new Xpress Cooling System (XCS). The cooling concept, for which a patent is pending, helps to reduce cycle times and thus production costs. Even temperature distribution is achieved by homogenous cooling, reducing tension and misshaping in the component. ENGEL tie-bar-less machine technology combined with the innovative mould technology of ifw is thus a guarantee for increased productivity, shorter cycle times, optimised production processes and improved component properties. At the fair the machine will be operating with an ENGEL viper 20 robot from the linear robots range. "Automation is fast gaining importance in Russia," Olaf Kassek names a further trend. One in three machines delivered by ENGEL Russia includes automation.

2010 record year for ENGEL in Russia:
Since 2006 ENGEL has had its own sales and service subsidiary in Russia. Eleven service engineers provide support to local customers and the company's own spare parts depot and hotline ensure prompt service. Despite the serious economic slump in Russia in 2008 und 2009, ENGEL Russia has continued to gain additional market shares and in 2010 it posted an order intake of 100 machines and record sales of about € 20 million.

The huge success of the Austrian injection moulding machine builder in this growth region is to a large part attributable to the broad product range, featuring fully electric, hydraulic and hybrid machines including automation. The requirements of the Russian plastics manufacturers are more complex than in other regions. With its high level of system competence and user orientation, ENGEL is able to attune itself to individual needs.

ENGEL at Interplastica 2011 in Moscow: Hall Forum, Stand FB56

Seasons Greetings - Holiday closure dates

Mon, 29 Nov 2010 00:00:00 GMT

From the Team at Techspan - we wish you all a very Merry Christmas, safe & happy holidays. We take this opportunity in thanking you all for your continued business throughout 2010, and we wish everyone a prosperous New Year.
This year Techspan offices will close at 4.00pm on the 23rd December , Re-opening on the 5th January 2011. During these closure dates, orders can still be accepted as usual via fax or email or via the website online shop. For urgent matters, please find a number of mobile phone contacts listed below.

Urgent contact cell numbers:

Dave Fastnedge 0275 701701 (Int dial) +64 275 701701
Tim Fastnedge 0275 701702 (Int dial) +64 275 701702
Jon Fastnedge 0275 701703 (Int dial) +64 275 701703

Thermal Transfer Ribbon - Save Money Now !

Mon, 29 Nov 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Techspan are now offering a wide range of label and barcode printers - including Zebra, TSC Printers, Datamax and Toshiba TEC. Your 'one stop shop' for the latest technology in thermal transfer and direct thermal printing systems.

Save money now !
Save money on your label and barcode printing - Techspan also produce Thermal Transfer Ribbons, and can convert ribbons to exact size requirements. The economic environment has meant a slow year for many companies and, as purchasing managers will know, finding savings on consumables is not easy where the “do it yourself” attitude has produced one of the most competitive markets in the world. Ask someone if they know what Thermal Transfer Ribbon is, and 9 times out of 10 they have no idea. Tell them it is the roll of black ribbon used to print labels and bar codes in their label and barcode printer, the answer may be a vague ‘ok.’ This niche market, because of its obscure nature, is an area where cost is often overlooked. Consequently many companies continue to pay more than necessary for this consumable, and it is one area where significant cost savings can be made. With some companies, spending tens of thousands of dollars a year on this product, these savings can be substantial. In these hard economic times, Techspan’s sales of TTR continue to increase. Techspan’s 2000 investment in new high speed slitting machinery to convert Thermal Transfer Ribbon, is now paying dividends. Techspan imports jumbo rolls direct from the manufacturers and slits to customer requirements "in-house". From short runs to tens of thousands of label prints, Techspan ribbons can provide a cost effective solution for all your label and barcode print requirements. Some companies using the highest quality ribbons and labels on their shipping cartons; have saved thousands of dollars by simply switching to less expensive labels and ribbons. Others are using larger widths of ribbon than required, whereas Techspan are able to ‘slit to order’ more economic sizes. Another option for companies is to overprint a standard label with variable information as required, rather than ordering in thousands of unique labels that may end up sitting in stock for months. Techspan Group stocks a huge colour range of ribbons, in all grades, for all label and barcode printer in all configurations. Eliminate the middle man and in many cases the middle men, reducing labelling costs with Techspan.

Need more information ? contact us here.

NEW 'ENGEL viper' - intelligent robot

Thu, 25 Nov 2010 00:00:00 GMT

New ENGEL viper robots - for the injection moulding machine.

The strategic goal of the viper series of robots is to further consolidate ENGEL's system integration capabilities. Today an ENGEL robot is sold with every thrid new ENGEL machine.

The new ENGEL viper uses intelligent software known as "vibration control" - no vibrations are good vibrations.

The new powerful linear robot ENGEL viper provides:
    - Powerful performance
    - Impressive design
    - Lightweight construction

Suitable for use on all makes of injection moulding machine.

With load bearing capacities: 6kg, 12kg, 20kg, 40kg, 60kg. To suit machines from 25-1500 tonne clamp force.

Brochure - ENGEL viper

Need further information ? contact us here.

NEW Pad Printer released

Wed, 17 Nov 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Techspan introduce their new hand operated Pad Printer model MM-01.

The 'inkprint' MM-01 is a single colour Pad Printer complete with hermetically sealed ink cup (90mm dia) and is equipped with a independant adjustment of X,Y, Z axis for easy set up of fixtures. The MM-01 is ideal for small production runs and promotional printers. The cliche (print plate) is a generous 210mm x 100mm. Max print area is 80mm diameter, horizontal pad stroke 125mm and vertical pad movement of 60mm. The sealed ink cup is designed for quick, easy change out for fast ink and cliche changeouts. The fixture table is equipped with "T" slots for easy fixture mounting and is fabricated in Stainless steel. The fixture table is also height adjustable. The MM-01 is extremely compact 200mm (W) x 500mm (H) x 400mm (D) and weighs 20 kgs. This is the ideal solution for low throughput applications.

Buy the MM-01 online now

Need further information ? contact us here.

ENGEL large machine capacity expansion

Tue, 16 Nov 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Production capacity for large-scale machines expanded

ENGEL Schwertberg/Austria – October 2010.
ENGEL capacities for the production of duo twoplateninjection moulding machines with between 350 and 5500 tonnes clamping forceare to be further extended. Following the 6,000 sqm extension to the St Valentin plantto a total of 68,000 sqm in June 2009, production capacities in Shanghai are now being expanded.The fast revival of the Chinese market after the economic crisis and rapid growth of the Asian large-scale machine market relevant to ENGEL and the growing market share of ENGEL large-scale machines have this year resulted in an extremely high utilisation rate of the Chinese facility. Currently two large-scale machines are being manufactured weekly in Shanghai for delivery to Asian customers. By summer 2011 the plant capacity in Shanghai isto be increased to 200 machines. This expansion is driven by the need to satisfy in particular the growing demand for ENGEL duo large-scale machines in South-East Asia and India. "Production in Shanghai is meanwhile close to capacity limits," says Dr. Peter Neumann, CEO of ENGEL Holdings. "Our goal is to manufacture two hundred large-scale machines annually in Shanghai. The rapidly growing demand for our ENGEL duo machines is encouraging because we are competing daily with Asian manufacturers and in the past few months were able to win over a large number of new customers with our ENGEL duo machines 'Made in China'. "Specifically, we are now planning to expand the Shanghai plant by 9,000 sqm to a total of 17,500 sqm. This will double our production area. Besides doubling the floor space, our plans include the optimisation of existing processes. For example, a separate dispatch area will be built to guarantee efficient packaging and shipping of the large-scale machines. This will boost the efficiency of the final assembly stations.

Need further information ? contact us here.

ENGEL lower energy consumption or money back !

Fri, 05 Nov 2010 00:00:00 GMT

According to the motto "Facts not promises", ENGEL has invited customers to participate in a spectacular energy bet with a "moneyback guarantee".

ENGEL's wager: Each customer who purchases a suitable energy-package with a tie-bar-less ENGEL victory or ENGEL duo large-scale machine, receives a guarantee that energy consumption will be lower than for a comparable hydraulic machine from the competition. Proof will be provided by-way of energy measurement. In the event that the measurements at the customer's premises show a higher energy consumption for the ENGEL machine with energy-package than for the competitor's machine, ENGEL will refund the costs of the energy-package.

Energy-package: ecodrive, injection cylinder insulation and ecograph

The promotion is scheduled to run from the K 2010 fair until 31 December 2010. There is hardly an issue that is more emotionally rated and yet somehow evades objective criteria than energy consumption. EUROMAP 60 provides a fair, drive-independent method of comparing the energy consumption of injection moulding machines from different suppliers. Until now these figures were only published by ENGEL and displayed at fair exhibits. Many injection moulding machine manufacturers promote would-be energy-saving solutions with strong advertising claims which they often fail to bear upon objective examination – for example energy measurements.

ENGEL is countering this with a strong argument according to the motto "Facts not promises". With every purchase of a machine together with a suitable energy-package, ENGEL guarantees that the customer's energy consumption will be reduced.

The energy-package consists of the servo-hydraulic ecodrive, an injection cylinder insulation and ecograph – the analysis tool on the ENGEL control unit which enables the user to always keep track of current energy consumption.

"We are convinced of the efficiency of our energy saving measures and can provide proof of it. However, should the measurements on the customer's machine show a higher energy consumption for the ENGEL machine with energy-package than for the competitor's machine, ENGEL will refund the cost of the energy-package," assures Christian Pum, ENGEL Sales Manager.

The promotion applies to the ENGEL victory and ENGEL duo machines from the start of the K Fair until 31 December 2010. One in three ENGEL hydraulic machines is already equipped with the energy-saving servo-hydraulic ENGEL ecodrive. "Due to our outstanding market success, this proportion is bound to increase substantially in future," concludes Christian Pum.

Need further information, contact us here.

ENGEL Injection Moulding Machinery 60% growth in sales

Thu, 04 Nov 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Schwertberg/Austria, October 2010. With a 60% growth in sales this financial year the ENGEL-Group will almost match the record level of the boom year 2008/2009. This year the facilities in Dietach/Austria, China and Korea have achieved the highest capacity utilisation in their history. Meanwhile the plants at Schwertberg and St Valentin are also working again to capacity. The continuous growth of market shares in all clamping force classes is based on the launch of new products and product lines, together with the continued expansion and reinforcement of the sales network. The introduction of the new viper robot, manufactured in Dietach, has enabled ENGEL to secure a further market share in automation. In the meantime almost every second automated manufacturing cell sold by a European injection moulding machine manufacturer is supplied by ENGEL. ENGEL is clearly the global leader in injection moulding machine automation. Today one in four robots sold to the European injection moulding industry was manufactured by ENGEL. Since the launch of the viper robot series – now being finalised at the K Fair – a growing number of robots is being sold on machines of other manufacturers. With the extension of the ENGEL duo pico series from 350 to 700 tonnes clamping force ENGEL has substantially increased its global market share. In the past five years the market share of large-scale machines of over 400 tonnes clamping force in Europe has nearly doubled from 20% to almost 40%. In USA this market share rose from 10% in 2005 to almost 20%. The largest increase was achieved in the relevant Asian market without Chinese competition. Thanks to the strong presence and continuous expansion of production capacities in Shanghai and the Chinese sales network, our market share increased from 1% in 2005 to almost 10% in the first half of 2010. In the past few years ENGEL has fully committed itself to the subject of energy efficiency, thereby significantly boosting the success and competitive edge of its customers. With numerous concepts and solutions for energy-saving and efficient production, the comparatively best efficiency levels can currently be achieved for virtually all applications. ENGEL is thus energy saver No. 1 on the market. A special focus at ENGEL is being placed upon the launch of the ecodrive for the victory and duo series. The ecodrive enables energy consumption of a hydraulic injection moulding machine to be cut by up to 70%. Today one in three tie-bar-less ENGEL victory and one in four ENGEL duo machines is delivered with ecodrive. The new servo-hydraulic ecodrive keeps the speed down to actual requirements. In other words, the drive is only active during movements, with energy consumption dropping to virtually zero when the machine is idle. New ENGEL subsidiaries in Russia, Belgium, Turkey and Romania and new distributors in Serbia and Croatia, Iran and Pakistan have assumed the market development work in these countries over the past three years and significantly increased regional market shares. Our market presence in Mexico is presently being intensified by a new subsidiarybuilding and marketing activities in Taiwan are being promoted by the establishment of a separate ENGEL office managed by ENGEL China. Customers receive comprehensive advice from the industry-oriented business units and the best possible, competent support for the implementation of their projects. Based on the introduction of the ENGEL viper robot series and the clear focus on custom automation solutions, we have also been able to substantially strengthen our system provider competency in the field of automation. ENGEL AUSTRIA GmbHENGEL is one of the global leaders in the manufacture of plastics processing machines. Today, the ENGEL Group offers a full range of technology modules for plastics processing as a single source supplier: Injection moulding machines for thermoplastics and elastomers, and automation, with the assurance that individual components are also competitive and successful in the world markets. With eight production plants in Europe, North America and Asia (China, Korea) as well as subsidiaries and representatives in over 85 countries, ENGEL offers its customers the optimal global support they need to compete and succeed with new technologies and leading-edge production systems. In New Zealand, ENGEL is represented by Techspan Group (since 1979).

Need further information, see ENGEL injection moulding machinery here.
or contact us here.

free phone: 0800 603 603 or Visit us online at www.techspanonline.com

TECHSPAN donates plastic welding kits to Flooring School

Thu, 14 Oct 2010 00:00:00 GMT

At the recent Apprentice of the Year Awards, Techspan Group not only provided the Supreme Award for the winner of this years Apprentice of the year awards, they also announced the donation of Plastic Welding equipment (thermo welding kits) to the National Flooring School. Techspan is committed to supporting local industry, and in particular the area of education in Plastics Technology. Total value of equipment donated to the Flooring ITO awards and National Flooring school $10,000.00 The new Techspan Plastic Welding tools are manufactured in Switzerland and meet CE compliance and Worldwide welding standards (DVS).

Techspan Group Est. 1979 - Techspan supply a large range of Plastic Welding Tools & associated euipment. A full range of accessory nozzles, spare parts & plastic welding rods - From 'hand-held' hot air plastic welders for plastic repair & fabricaiton, to automatic tarpaulin & plastic sheet welders for banner & signage fabrication - We stock them all ! Our comprehensive range of spare parts, elements & welding rods, make us the perfect 'one stop' shop. Techspan also stock Plastic welding equipment for welding of civil engineering geomembranes - Extruder welders are supplied for both thick wall section plastic fabrication and flexible liners, and Wedge Welders are supplied for overlap welding of geomembranes, and for fabrication of Tarps, Banners and flexible liners. For packaging applications, we offer a wide range of Ultrasonic Plastic Welders for a variety of plastic packaging & assembly applications to suit high speeds & high volume outputs. We also offer Ultrasonic Sewing machinery and Ultrasonic Cutting machinery.

Techspan supply & service all major brands including : TECHSPAN, BAK, DOHLE, HERZ, LEISTER - we carry a full range of spare parts & heating elements ex-stock.

ENGEL at K 2010

Fri, 17 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT

On a floor space of 1,272 qm², ENGEL is showing eleven exhibits that clearly demonstrate its industry competence in the Automotive, Technical Moulding, Packaging, Teletronics and Medical fields. The use of energy saving systems in particular is the highlight of ENGEL's presentation at K 2010 in Düsseldorf this year. ENGEL will once again be demonstrating our reliability as a partner with efficient technology and innovative solutions for our customers. There will be a total of 20 ENGEL machines on show at the K fair: 11 at our own booth in Hall 15 (B42 and C58), and 9 at ENGEL partner booths. All told, the K Fair again hosts an impressive demonstration of performance centering on ENGEL's system competence in injection moulding machine manufacturing.

ENGEL automotive:
In the Automotive field, for example, the manufacturing of an injection moulded structured component, reinforced with organic sheet, will be shown on an ENGEL duo 2050/500 pico. ENGEL will be demonstrating this method by producing a steering column made of PA in a complete manufacturing cell featuring sophisticated automation with three robots. This application revolutionises lightweight design in particular as it allows steel and aluminium sheets to be replaced by thin organic sheets. They comprise a special fabric of glass or carbon fibres embedded in defined orientation in a thermoplastic matrix of PA or PP. Our project partners for this exhibit are Siebenwurst/Germany for mould making, and Bond Laminates/Germany as the material supplier. On top of this, ENGEL will also be demonstrating flow-coating of an injected part with polyurethane on a fully electric ENGEL e-motion 280 T using the ENGEL clearmelt process. This involves back injecting a wood design foil with a thermoplastic carrier and then covering the part with a transparent layer of PUR. The process is characterised in particular by a visually impressive 3D effect and excellent scratch resilience. Compared to legacy approaches – such as multiple layer coating – excellent productivity and thin layer thickness are the major benefits. The advantage of the clearmelt process is that both back injection of the decor foil and flow-coating with PU occur in a single mould without interrupting the process. Fully automated insert placing, take-off and stacking of the manufactured parts is handled by an ENGEL viper 40. Our partners for this project are Schöfer (product idea and mould), Hennecke (PUR machine). In addition to this, processing of solid silicon to create gaskets will be demonstrated on an ENGEL victory 330/90 tech. Production of the parts with a diameter of approx. 6 mm is fully automatic and post-processing free using a 64-cavity mould including cold runner technology. The machine is also equipped with the new ENGEL roto feeder. This new rotary conveyor ensures maximum process stability by feeding the material continuously to the plasticising cylinder, avoiding inclusions and maintaining constant pressure .

ENGEL teletronics:
One of ENGEL's exhibits in the Teletronics field will feature first showing of the newly developed ENGEL e-insert – an electrified version of the ENGEL insert machine with a servoelectric rotary table and a fully electric injection unit – the clamping process and ejection use the new ENGEL ecodrive servohydraulics. An ENGEL e-insert 310V/100 will be producing a sensor housing made of fibreglass reinforced PA with metal inserts for control electronics on a 4-cavity mould. The process involves over-moulding of insert parts with maximum precision by the electrical injection unit and maximum rotation speeds with maximum positioning accuracy of the servo-electrically driven rotary table. This concept reduces the cycle time and both improves cost-efficiency, and ensures considerable energy savings thanks to electrification, in the production of high-precision moulded parts. Automation is handled by an ENGEL viper 20.Another ENGEL highlight is the production of an electronics component on a fully electric ENGEL e-max 200/100. The ENGEL e-max's benefits in particular are the small space requirements along with fast and precise injection thanks to the fully electric injection unit. This qualifies the e-max series in particular for manufacturing of complex parts for the electronics industry.

ENGEL packaging:
Two further innovations will be on show for the Packaging field. The new, fully electric ENGEL e-cap series successfully delivers the market requirements in cap production with respect to short cycle times, a high level of flexibility and low energy consumption. Fully electric and with a cycle time of less than three seconds. Compared to all the other machines on the market, the e-cap has by far the lowest energy consumption. This is made possible by a new premium quality injection unit, increased ejector force and a reinforced clamping drive. At the K Fair, ENGEL will be exhibiting an ENGEL e-cap 3940/420 T featuring a 96-cavity mould by Schöttli / Switzerland for the production of HDPE caps with a cycle time of less than 3 s. In addition, quality control is integrated in the form of a Q-Vision system. An ENGEL e-motion 740H/440M/280 WP will be demonstrating the production of a tube including a PP cab with a 4-cavity mould. Production relies on a rotary cube and a second moving unit on the moving mould fixing platen. The tubes are produced in the first cycle with the cap injected in the second - all in a single step. The trade fair machine also features an in-mould labelling system.

ENGEL technical moulding:
Our Technical Moulding division will be presenting the new Multitube mould system. Multitube supports the production of hollow, complex (labyrinthine) parts in a single step. This is achieved by means of a two or multiple stage injection process that integrates picking & placing and over-moulding in a single cycle. The major advantage is that this removes the need for finishing, such as bonding multiple components. Compared with legacy gas injection technology the good interior surfaces and consistent wall thicknesses impress. This mould technology will be demonstrated using a 2-component part with an inserted threaded bushing on a compact, tie-bar-less ENGEL victory 1050H/500W/220 combi machine with a piggyback unit and fully automated take-off implemented via a six armed robot within the safety gate. The second exhibit in technical moulding – an ENGEL e-victory 200/50 - will be demonstrating the production of an LED lens made of PMMA for architectural illumination. The production cell is optimised for the manufacturing of thick-walled optical parts and includes online quality control. Parts handling is effected by an ENGEL viper 6 – the smallest version of the new ENGEL viper robot series.

ENGEL medical:
Our competency in the medical technology field will be demonstrated on an ENGEL e-motion 1340/280 T using the production of a petri dish as an example. ENGEL will be demonstrating fully automatic, fully electric production of a polystyrene petri dish with a cycle time of less than 4.5 seconds using an 8 + 8-cavity mould by Plastisud/France. The automation is provided by Hekuma / Germany. The system supports fully automated take-off, quality assurance, corona treatment in the gripper, stacking and foil wrapping of the parts. An ENGEL victory 330H/120 combi will be demonstrating the production of a 2-component valve for the medical industry. Production uses an 8+8-cavity mould and is designed for clean room conditions. Take-off is effected by a six-arm robot by Stäubli, which uses a camera to inspect the parts and deposits them sorted by cavity. The machine is equipped with a laminar flow box with the ability for "safe" evacuation of the parts out of the clean room.To demonstrate our system competency at the K fair, the complete ENGEL viper robot series will not just be exhibited with the machines but also in a special exhibition. The focus here is on presenting mass identification and vibration control; fields in which the viper robot series have made their mark with respect to precision and low vibrations.

ENGEL at K 2010 in Düsseldorf: Hall 15 Booths C58 and B42

Download the ENGEL Exhibits at K 2010 here

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ENGEL World Champion in Silicone

Fri, 10 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Schwertberg/Austria – September 2010

Starlim/Sterner in Marchtrenk, Austria, A producer of solid and liquid silicone parts took delivery of its 250th ENGEL injection moulding machine. The machine was handed over to the Managing Director of Starlim/Sterner, Thomas Bründl, by ENGEL Managing Director Christian Pum. Dummies, mobile phone keypads, car seals, shower heads – these and similar items are produced by family-owned Starlim/Sterner, which has been on a steady course of expansion for many years. The owners' confidence is clearly reflected by their current investments. Intensive expansion of the facilities in Germany and Italy is in progress with double-figure million Euro investments. Technology and market leader Starlim/Sterner uses tie-bar-less ENGEL machines at its production facilities in Austria, Canada, Italy and Germany. The company is increasingly deploying tie-bar-less ENGEL victory machines with dual servo-hydraulics. "This generation of machines has helped us achieve energy savings of around 40 percent compared with conventional, hydraulic machines. These kind of cost savings mean that investments in these new machines will quickly pay dividends", says Thomas Bründl, Managing Director of the Starlim/Sterner Group. Besides the flexibility that the tie-bar-less ENGEL machines guarantee, the long-term partnership between Starlim/Sterner and ENGEL is founded on consistent quality orientation in the production of silicone parts.

Focus on growth markets:
The innovative solutions for productive manufacturing of these parts, developed in close cooperation, help Starlim/Sterner to keep production costs down and develop nove lproducts that reinforce the company's technology leadership in the silicone market sector. The focus of this aspiring enterprise is increasingly on new growth sectors. In a single clean room, Starlim/Sterner manufactures silicone parts to exacting requirements formedical applications. Ongoing growth of the company is preprogrammed. The combination of innovation and investment that links the family-owned companies, Starlim/Sterner and ENGEL, from a strategy point of view, always has driven growth at "Silicone World Champion" Starlim/Sterner and will continue to do so in future.

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NEW Dyna-Purge K purging compound

Fri, 03 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT

It's a big promise but the supplier says it has customers' firsthand experience to back it up. This new and improved purging agent combines non-melting but softening thermoplastic scrubbing granules with an expanding proprietary additive. This combination removes color and contamination without leaving behind residue due to the combined power of the thermoplastic's scrubbing action and the expansion of the additive. It scrubs, it expands, and soon all of the residue is gone. Dyna-Purge's K purging compound will be officially introduced at the K show. The purging compound is called Dyna-Purge K and is supplied by the Dyna-Purge Division of Shuman Plastics Inc (Depew, NY). Nancy Mitchell, the supplier's technical product manager, explains, "Dyna-Purge K expands even more than previous formulations to clean hard to reach areas on the first purge. It cleans faster and reduces scrap and reject rates, while only a small amount of the compound is required." The company reports that processors who have switched from the established K grade to the improved one have seen savings up to 15%. Dyna-Purge K is to be used for purging low-temperature thermoplastics ranging from 143°C to 287°C (290°F to 550°F); this would include PP, PE, EVA, TPO, and TPE.
The Dyna-Purge product is available in New Zealand and Australia from TECHSPAN GROUP. In fact you can now buy Dyna-Purge via TECHSPAN's new Plastics Technology online shop ! Existing account customers can process purchases through their accounts with the company, and new purchasers can pay via the 3D secure credit card payment area. While online, you can also watch a video demonstration of the Dyna-Purge products.

Visit the Dyna-Purge online shop here.

Plastic Welding Rod - buy online

Fri, 13 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT

A full range of plastic welding rods are now available from Techspan "online". Manufactured from high quality virgin thermoplastic resins, Techspan plastic welding rods are specially selected for weldability and compatibility of a wide range of plastics. UV stabilisers are used where applicable. No reprocessed materials are used. Techspan supplies a large range of welding rod shapes and profiles to meet many requirements. A full range of standard colours are also available. Techspan supplies a comprehensive range of thermo plastic welding rods in the following materials : ABS - ABS//PC - ABS//PC/A - ABS/PBT - AES - ASA - HDPE - HMWPE - LDPE - MDPE -PA - PA/PPE - PC - PC/PBT - PC/PET - POM - PP - PP/EPDM - PPE - PPE/PA - PPO - PUR - PVC - PS - TPR – UHMWPE. Techspan also supplies soft PVC rods for vinyl floor welding and for extrusion welding tools and also offers larger coils for long run welding applications.

Plastic Welding Rods - Buy online now

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Techspan Plastic Welders on show at EMEX 2010

Wed, 30 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Techspan on show at EMEX 2010

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Techspan at OFPANZ / IFAI expo 25th-26th June

Thu, 24 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Techspan will demostrate its full range of equipment for welding of Industrial films & fabrics. The range includes, Wedge Welders (for Geosynthetics), Overlap Welders (for Tarps & Covers), and the full range of Hand-Tools and accessories.

The NEW Seon Wedge welder demonstrated at OFPANZ -
The Techspan Seon is the fastest Wedge Welder in the world. Welding speed is adjustable from 0.5 to 30m/minute. Precise temperature control (20 – 425 deg.C) and patented ceramic heating wedge enable continuous welding of seams on a variety of thermoplastic films and fabrics, including PVC coated fabrics, PE and PP coated woven fabrics, reinforced and non-reinforced PVC, PE, PP and PU materials. The Techspan® Seon wedge welder has a very low profile (540 x 330 x 280mm), and is very easy to operate. The Seon is available for seam welding widths of 30, 40, or 50mm. Software automatically adjusts the weld to compensate for temperature variations. Techspan Group supply a huge range of Techspan® plastic welding systems in Australia and New Zealand. The range includes hand-held welders, overlap welders, wedge welders, and extruder welders. The heavy duty welders are designed for optimal performance and reliability under extreme working conditions. A number of technically advanced innovative features are incorporated into the welders, including ultra-reliable plug-in ceramic heating technology and very high performance materials.

VENUE:
The OFPANZ / IFIA Expo takes place at - The spencer on Byron Hotel Byron Avenue Takapuna Auckland NZL

DATES & TIMES:
Day 1 - 26th June 2010 - 8.30am - 5.30pm
Day 2 - 27th June 2010 - 8.30am - 2.00pm

OFPANZ Hot Deals:
Visit the OFPANZ / IFIA Expo to take advantage of some very hot special deals on the Techspan 'Hand-Held' Welders and the Techspan Overlap Welders 'TarpOn'. These Hot Deals are only available during the Expo, and only available via our Online Shop. See these specials here.

See you at the show... Enjoy !

Visit the OFPANZ HOT DEALS online shop page here.

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NEW Label & Barcode Printers

Mon, 14 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Techspan are now offering a wide range of label and barcode printers - including TSC, ZEBRA, Datamax and Toshiba TEC. Latest technology in thermal transfer and direct thermal printing applications. The TSC brand offers incredible functionality, high speeds, high label throughputs, and all at a very competitive price. The NEW TSC Thermal Transfer printer model TSC TTP-2410M - This label printer offers a host of impressive spec's. Ideal for the most demanding barcode and identification needs, without breaking your budget. The TSC TTP-2410M offers the fastest print speed (up to 12" per second) and the fastest label throughput of any similar printer. Print speed 304.8mm per second (12"/sec) Resolution 203 dpi/8 dots per mm Memory 32 MB SDRAM / 8 MB flash / SD card slot Connectivity Serial RS-232, Centronics, USB 2, PS/2, Intermal ethernet print server Programming language TSPL-EZ Max print area W: 104mm (4.09"), L: 4064mm (160") Media spec's - Label & linear width: 25.4mm - 118mm

Visit our Online Shop - Label & Barcode Printer here

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NEW High speed Floor Welder

Sat, 12 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT

The Techspan® Flooron is an automatic welder for welding thermoplastic and linoleum flooring. The automatic welder has an automatic drive start system, and an optical device to stop the machine at the wall and prevent burning the floor material. Speed, temperature, and airflow are infinitely adjustable via LCD screen, and an integrated, fully adjustable welding rod reel holder is included. High welding speeds (up to 12m/min.) are achievable due to the high airflow (up to 500m/min.). For cutting grooves prior to welding, the Techspan® Roton power grooving machine cuts welding grooves in all types of floor coverings. The machine has 2 cutting speeds (14,800 and 18,500 rpm), easily changeable blade, and integrated dust extraction fan and dust bag.

Visit the Plastic Welding tools online shop here.

Need more information ? contact us here.

NEW Wedge Welder - Fastest in the world

Thu, 01 Apr 2010 00:00:00 GMT

The Techspan® Seon is the fastest wedge welder in the world. Welding speed is adjustable from 0.5 to 30m/minute. Precise temperature control (20 – 425 deg.C) and patented ceramic heating wedge enable continuous welding of seams on a variety of thermoplastic films and fabrics, including PVC coated fabrics, PE and PP coated woven fabrics, reinforced and non-reinforced PVC, PE, PP and PU materials. The Techspan® Seon wedge welder has a very low profile (540 x 330 x 280mm), and is very easy to operate. The Seon is available for seam welding widths of 30, 40, or 50mm. Software automatically adjusts the weld to compensate for temperature variations. Techspan Group supply a huge range of Techspan® plastic welding systems in Australia and New Zealand. The range includes hand-held welders, overlap welders, wedge welders, and extruder welders. The heavy duty welders are designed for optimal performance and reliability under extreme working conditions. A number of technically advanced innovative features are incorporated into the welders, including ultra-reliable plug-in ceramic heating technology and very high performance materials.

Visit the Plastic Welding tools online shop here.

Need more information ? contact us here.

NEW Digital Hot Air Tool

Tue, 30 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT

The all new Techspan® Rion digital plastic welder incorporates digital display of set and actual temperature values. The in-line design provides an ergonomic shape for operator comfort. The Techspan® digital plastic welder is a very heavy duty robust tool, designed to withstand the most adverse working conditions. Welding temperature is infinitely adjustable up to 650 deg.C. Improved ceramic plug-in element technology provides superior performance and reliability. Airflow is approx 250 l/min. Power consumption 1600W. Voltage 230V 50Hz.
Tool size is 100mm dia x 340mm long (handle 56mm dia).
Tool weight is 1.3 kg (including 3m cable & plug)

Defining features include -
• Made in Switzerland
• High quality, heavy duty 'hand-held' Plastic Welder
• Extended 2 year limited warranty
• Optimal high speed performance
• Compact ergonomic design
• Digital display of set & actual temperature
• Superior plug-in ceramic element technology
• Full range of nozzles and accessories
• Full range of plastic welding rods

Visit the Plastic Welding Tools Online Shop here.

Need more information ? click here

Dyna-Purge saves you purging costs and downtime

Mon, 29 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT

The Situation:
Mitcham Canada, Ltd, of Calgary, Alberta, operates three 30-ton injection moulding machines, processing polyurethane rubber at barrel temperatures ranging from 193˚C to 204˚C (380˚F to 400˚F). With the growing popularity of consumer products combining hard and soft polymers, Mitcham specializes in overmoulding to fill that need. Purging to change colours - often once a day - Mitcham would run virgin polyethylene through their machines. Continuous extrusion purging was not possible due to attached shut-off nozzles. In addition, the design of the equipment led to a significant amount of material hang-up, while long periods of running black colour made purging very time-consuming. Consequently, Mitcham would spend, on average, 1-1/4 hours to purge at a labor and material cost of *C$85.22 (canadian dollars*) per purge.

The Solution:
Purging compound Dyna-Purge "K" , a grade specifically designed to purge ‘soft-touch’ polymers from the barrel and screw at processing temperatures between 143˚C to 260˚C (290˚F to 500˚F).

The overall cost per purge is now only C$40.88 - a 52% improvement ! Since Dyna-Purge cleans thoroughly and effectively on the first pass, Mitcham is experiencing faster, cleaner transitions between coloured products. Dyna-Purge solved the problem of black specks occurring after purging too.

Visit the Dyna-Purge online shop here.

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ENGEL Medcon conference 2010 success

Fri, 26 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT

More than 500 visitors from 20 countries attended med.con 2010 conference at Engel Austria :
What are the current trends in medical technology? How can intelligent cleanroom logistics make quality into a decisive competitive factor, and which innovative injection moulding solutions can help this happen? These were the focal questions at the ENGEL medical conference, med.con 2010, March 17 and 18 in Schwertberg. More than 500 visitors from famous-name medical corporations from all over Europe took this opportunity to discuss the medical technology challenges of the future. The ENGEL med.con 2010 program included both a versatile mix of interesting keynotes and exciting discussions and a show featuring exhibits from the ENGEL medical product range at the Schwertberg Technology Centre. In cooperation with project partners from the mould-making, automation and cleanroom sectors, five intelligent injection moulding solutions were exhibited under the banner of "Clean, Precise, Efficient". Logistics and quality Keynotes on special-interest medical technology subjects, held by DI Christoph Lhota, Head of medical Division ENGEL, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Thomas Seul from the Technical University of Schmalkalden and ENGEL's Head of Development DI Dr. Georg Steinbichler, gave the audience an overview of the current state of art. In addition to this, well-known experts took part in a panel discussion on the topic of "Quality as a Competitive Factor – A Question of Cleanroom Logistics". Moderated in German by Susanne Zinckgraf from Plastverarbeiter and MedPlast, and in English by David Eldridge from PRW, the discussion panel featured: Prof. Gernod Dittel, CEO, Dittel Cleanroom Engineering Dr. Ing. Oliver Pfannschmidt, Head of Technical Departement, Balder Medical Joachim Köbelin, Technical Sales and Distribution, Zahoransky-Köbelin Christian Boos Head of Engineering, Waldorf Technik DI Detlev Schmidt, Head of Sales Eastern Europe, Motan-Colortronic DI Christoph Lhota, Head of Business Unit medical, ENGEL Austria The participants all came to the conclusion that, although medical technology is a highly regulated field, and technology is at a premium level, human beings are the main factor in achieving clean quality. On top of this, they felt that it was important to look around and identify potential in other industries such as teletronics or automotive. The Exhibits A tie-bar-less ENGEL victory 330 H/80 W/130 combi produced the Perifix® 2-component catheter coupling by B.Braunte on a mould by Raumedic. As the machine has a minimum of individual parts, it offers a huge amount of space for large moulds and best-of-class cleaning. An ENGEL e-victory 80/50 LIM produced hoses for peristaltic pumps made of liquid silicon with long and thin cores to maximum precision, with fully automatic operations, and without needing post-processing. Thanks to the intelligent ENGEL ecodrive servohydraulics, the machine is highly energy-saving; at the same time guide encapsulation ensures maximum product protection. An ENGEL e-motion 310/100 T produced PP pipette tips on a fully integrated and fully electronic line that can inject, camera check and deposit the parts on racks sorted by cavity in just 6 seconds. Project partner: Tanner Formenbau AG and Waldorf Technik GmbH & Co. KG An ENGEL e-motion 740/180 T demonstrated the production of an innovative thin-walled syringe barrel - fully electric and highly precise. Project partner: Schöttli AGand Max Petek Reinraumtechnik. A fully electric ENGEL e-max 200/75 produced needle holders for safety syringes. The benefits: high performance on a minimal footprint. Project partner: Fostag Formenbau AG In addition to this, the ENGEL cleanroom featured an ENGEL e-motion 200/55 with an integrated six-axis robot performing a dry cycle. The ENGEL e-motion medical series combines best-of-class performance and cleanliness. Optimised for clean room applications, the machine has an encapsulated barrel to minimize particle and heat emissions, along with encapsulated injection unit drives and an oil return unit on the toggle lever as standard features."The key to success in medical technology is cooperation in a spirit of partnership", said DI Christoph Lhota. "ENGEL lives this principle in a very successful way. 15 cooperation partners from the fields of mould-making, automation and cleanroom technology demonstrated their know-how against the backdrop of the partner fair, and more than 500 industry stakeholders took this opportunity to network with colleagues from the industry. This once again proves that ENGEL is on the right track with respect to medical technology."

The ENGEL brand denotes the world’s biggest manufacturer of injection moulding machines and, at the same time, one of the world’s leading plastics processing machine manufacturers. Today, the ENGEL Group offers a full range of technology modules for plastics processing as a single source supplier: Injection moulding machines for thermoplastics and elastomers, and automation, with the assurance that individual components are also competitive and successful in the world markets. With eight production plants in Europe, North America and Asia (China, Korea) as well as subsidiaries and representatives in over 85 countries, ENGEL offers its customers the optimal global support they need to compete and succeed with new technologies and leading-edge production systems.

Visit the ENGEL Technical Info page here

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TECHSPAN release new ultrasonic Hand Tacker HT35-2

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

This ergonomic device with automatic triggering is perfectly suitable for the welding of synthetic textiles, non-wovens, plastic foils, coated packaging and many other materials. Both the standardized symmetrical horn and the adjustable flat surface anvil are available with custom-designed knurling and provide a weld surface of approximately 6mm x 9mm. The ultrasonic activation point is adjustable according to specific requirements. The integrated rotatable transducer protects the device against cable damage whereas tool attrition is prevented by an adjustable mechanical stopper. The hand tacker is operable with an SL35-400/600 or an RL35-400/600 ultrasonic generator. A valve box for transducer cooling is available as an option. The low clamping force and the perfect alignment of horn and anvil make the HT35-2 a reliable, easy-to-use device. Techspan© offer the complete range of RINCO ULTRASONICS advanced ultra-reliable microprocessor controlled ultrasonic plastic welding systems, with high level standard specifications. Modular, multipress, and actuator systems are offered, including compact actuators for machine builders. Equipment is modular, enabling systems to be mixed and matched to suit the particular welding application. This modular design concept enables us to specify an ultrasonic welding system perfectly matched to the customers application. This modular design concept also allows quick system upgrades, without the replacement of the entire machine, and easy servicing. Manufactured in Switzerland.

New 70kHz Ultrasonic Plastic Welder

Tue, 19 Jun 2007 00:00:00 GMT

The Standard 50 is the latest product from RINCO ULTRASONICS AG in the 70kHz frequency range. Just as with the larger 20kHz and 35kHz machines from the Standard Series, the new machine is controlled by the ADG generator (Advanced Digital Generator). The Standard 50 is the latest product from RINCO ULTRASONICS AG in the 70kHz frequency range. Just as with the larger 20kHz and 35kHz machines from the Standard Series, the new machine is controlled by the ADG generator (Advanced Digital Generator). This enables user-friendly menu navigation and optimum frequency control. Constant power output is thus guaranteed.The small bench appliance sets new standards particularly in terms of precision. Besides the time and energy modes, the integrated travel measurement also makes it possible to carry out welding operations in travel mode. The special lowspeed cylinder with improved smooth running guarantees operation without jerking and therefore an ultimate build up of force with applications in the microdomain.The Standard 50 is suitable for all types of small welding applications. These can be found in the medical and electrical engineering fields, for example, where the printed circuit boards are fastened by means of riveted joints. The 70kHz appliance is also used for the manufacture of sensors or for welding mono and multifilaments. As with all RINCO products, the Standard 50 also has a modular design and can therefore be integrated in special purpose machines and production systems without problem.

New Ultrasonic Welders

Fri, 08 Jun 2007 00:00:00 GMT

New Ultrasonic Plastic Welders supplied by Techspan Group : The new product line Standard Series from RINCO ULTRASONICS AG replaces the established MP-line which has featured several variants in the frequency range of 20kHz, 35kHz and 70kHz. The new Standard Series with the ultrasonic welding generator ADG (Advanced Digital Generator) features various advantages that enable easy user guidance and a comprehensive quality control. The ADG allows, for instance, to define appropriate windows in all welding modes which contributes decisively to the welding accuracy. 32 parameter data sets as well as the last 25 welding results are stored and all welding data can be exported through the RS232 interface. Various inputs and outputs facilitate the connection to special purpose machines and, moreover, enable to carry out basic automation without additional controllers. The multilingual menu navigation has been simplified considerably and the safety concept has been realized by an integrated safety relay.

NEW Ultrasonic Cleaners xtra "Flex Line"

Thu, 24 May 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Techspan Group has released new X-tra Flex line range of ultrasonic cleaners:The Techspan Group X-tra Flex Line allows an individual assembly to achieve the combination of required tanks for cleaning, rinsing and drying. This flexible modular system even allows an expansion of the system at a later stage to either change the current cleaning configuration, or to improve and advance the cleaning process.For an automatic through-put of parts, the Techspan X-tra Flex line unit can be installed with a single basket transport system or handling transport systems (pick and place).Techspan have been supplying ultrasonic cleaners for over three decades, and have had huge success with their Techspan “S” range of standard ‘bench-top’ units. An extensive range of accessories and peripheral devices such as baskets, lids, agitation, filter-pump units, central control and even DI-water treatment units are available.

Brochure >> FLEX-1_X-tra-line 001.pdf
Brochure >> FLEX-2_X-tra-line 002.pdf

NEW "Therminus" mould temp controller

Fri, 18 May 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Therminus 95 - the economic solution to the most common temperature range 10 to 95° C. Ensures a constantly precise temperature and now specially integrated with the Vac-function - virtually maintenance free. THERMINUS 95 is well suited to processes requiring heating or cooling within the temperature range 10-95°C
• Solid steel base con-struction fitted with robust wheels
• Classical industrial design solution
• The rear cover and main cover is made of powder-painted steel
• ½” BSP cooling water and 3/4” BSP process connection. The unit also is mounted with a CE-plug
• All pipes are made of copper, and all fittings are made of brass
• The Vac-function is perfect as a leakage stopper and for mould draining. The Vac sys-tem has no moveable parts that are exposed to wear and tear, and it is thus maintenance-free
• An integrated protec-tive casing over the display is also coated with a plastic film that is easy to clean and fitted with display and keyboard. This shows active functions via LEDs• User-friendly graphic display with info-center. Important information in XL fonts.

Brochure >> THERMINUS 95 brochure.pdf

ENGEL wins GOLD with e-trainer

Wed, 18 Apr 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Business is just like sport: If you want to succeed you have to train hard. But it is often difficult to train operating staff properly in the machine construction industry. This is due to a lack of training machines on site in many cases. The ENGEL e-TRAINER provides practical and realistic material that gives companies the ability to train their staff without needing to dedicate a machine. Just like a "flight simulator" for injection moulding machines, machine operating staff take part in virtual PC training sessions, anywhere, interactively and using multimedia material. And integrated online help gives the participants detailed descriptions for any topic. In addition to this, "e-TRAINER live" – an innovation throughout the industry – serves up short, 2-hour intensive training sessions via an Internet platform to train skills and help operators refresh their knowledge live on the Internet with a trainer monitoring the sessions. Now, for the first time, it is possible to provide comprehensive machine and robot training, without having a machine on site. This will help to familiarise trainees and newcomers to the industry with the topic of "operating plastics processing machinery" without any danger. The training program guarantees a positive learning experience and practicability. Both the technical implementation and the whole didactical framework are unique selling points throughout the industry. At the BDVT "International German Training Prize 2007" awards at the DIDACTA trade fair in Cologne, Germany, the ENGEL e-TRAINER approach won GOLD in face of competition from a large number of international training approaches. The BDVT award can be seen as honouring the annual professional seminars, workshops and training sessions which have been held since 1992, fulfilling specific criteria and backed up by evidence of successful application. "Following the "Initiative Prize for Vocational Training" in 2005, this prize can be seen as further confirmation of the excellent approach of the ENGEL training programme", said Carsten Stölting – Head of Training ENGEL Germany, who accepted the prize on behalf of ENGEL in Cologne.

New Label/Barcode Printer B-SX6/B-SX8

Sat, 17 Feb 2007 00:00:00 GMT

New Label & Barcode Printers models B-SX 6 & B-SX 8, offers high speed printing & enhanced processing via an extensive choice of interfaces. Utilising ground breaking CPU tech-nology from Toshiba the B-SX6/8 models offer high-speed printing and enhanced processing via an extensive choice of interfaces – including USB and internal LAN. The options of serial, wireless LAN and RFID interfaces provide additional flexibility and choice, making these printers adaptable to the widest variety of environments and applications. High Print QualityThe B-SX6/8 305 dpi, 170.5 mm / 213.3 mm wide print heads facilitate speedy printing of large format compli-ance labels. A floating print head mechanism guarantees superb print quality with reduced friction and a flat paper path. The ribbon save function conserves the ribbon when it is not required, reducing costs, the amount of down-time required for ribbon changing (available as standard on the B-SX8) and allowing optimal performance for RFID encoding work. Techspan also offer a huge range of Thermal Transfer Ribbons (TTR) in a wide range of grades & colours. Techspan can supply your TTR stock to exact requirements thanks to our in-house high speed slitting conversion plant.

Multi-Component Injection Moulding machine now all electric

Tue, 23 Jan 2007 00:00:00 GMT

The new ENGEL e-motion “Combi” : Multi-component injection moulding – now “all electric” ENGEL has now extended the scope of its all-electric drive concept to include multi-component injection moulding (Engel “Combimelt” technology), thus enabling user of this technology to achieve an even higher standard of product quality. The new ENGEL e-motion Combi series comprises four basic machine sizes with clamping forces of 1,000, 1,500, 1,800 and 2,800 kN. They can each be equipped with up to three injection units.

The “correct” choice of injection moulding machine and/or drive technology for a particular application is of decisive importance for the desired quality of product. The advantagesof servo-electric drives when it comes to the injection moulding of precision partsare meanwhile undisputed. Compared with hydraulic machines, the main advantages are:>> a clear saving of energy through much higher efficiency of the drive system and,more importantly, extremely high reproducibility of all machine movements and negligible temperature dependence through direct and rigid power transmission. A practical comparison with a hydraulic ENGEL VICTORY, for example, has clearly proved the ENGEL E-MOTION’s superiority as regards reproducibility: the servo-electric drive of the ENGEL E-MOTION achieves a metering accuracy of +/- 0.02 mm and a holding pressure accuracy of +/- 0.5 bar.In order to make these advantages available for a much wider range of applications and,by the same token, a much larger circle of users, Engel has now extended its range ofall-electric injection moulding machines to include multi-component technology. Since the middle of this year, the new ENGEL E-MOTION Combi, equipped with a 1,000 kN tiebarless clamping unit, has been available as standard. All its main and secondary movements are servo driven. The E-MOTION series meanwhile covers the entire range of small and medium-sized machines between 550 and 2,800 kN. The lower clamping force range up to 1,500 kN is covered by three tiebarless machines. These machines afford plenty of useful, unrestricted space for complex automation equipment – and the same goes for the new E-MOTION Combi machines with clamping forces of 1,000 and 1,500 kN. The E-MOTION machines in the higher clamping force range (1,800 to 2,800 kN) are equipped with a newly designed tiebar toggle clamping unit. A 3,800 kN machine will be added to this range in the spring of 2007.

All Electric drive concept extended

Wed, 17 Jan 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Engel has now extended the scope of its all-electric drive concept to include multi-component injectionmoulding (Engel “Combimelt” technology), thus enabling user of this technology to achieve aneven higher standard of product quality. The new ENGEL E-MOTION Combi series comprisesfour basic machine sizes with clamping forces of 1,000, 1,500, 1,800 and 2,800 kN.They can each be equipped with up to three injection units. The “correct” choice of injection moulding machine and/or drive technology for a particular application is of decisive importance for the desired quality of product. The advantagesof servo-electric drives when it comes to the injection moulding of precision parts are meanwhile undisputed. Compared with hydraulic machines, the main advantages are: >> a clear saving of energy through much higher efficiency of the drive system and,more importantly, >> extremely high reproducibility of all machine movements and negligible temperature dependence through direct and rigid power transmission. A practical comparison with a hydraulic ENGEL VICTORY, for example, has clearly proved the ENGEL E-MOTION’s superiority asregards reproducibility: the servo-electric drive of the ENGEL E-MOTION achieves a meteringaccuracy of +/- 0.02 mm and a holding pressure accuracy of +/- 0.5 bar. In order to make these advantages available for a much wider range of applications and, by the same token, a much larger circle of users, Engel has now extended its range of all-electric injection moulding machines to include multi-component technology. Since the middle of this year,the new ENGEL E-MOTION Combi,equipped with a 1,000 kN tiebarless clamping unit, hasbeen available as standard. All its main and secondary movements are servo driven.The E-MOTION series meanwhile covers the entire range of small and medium-sized machines between 550 and 2,800 kN. The lower clamping force range up to 1,500 kN is covered by three tiebarless machines, These machines afford plenty of useful, unrestricted space for complex automation equipment – and the same goes for the new E-MOTION Combi machines with clampingforces of 1,000 and 1,500 kN. The E-MOTION machines in the higher clamping force range (1,800 to 2,800 kN) are equipped with a newly designed tiebar toggle clamping unit. A 3,800 kN machine will be added to this range in the spring of 2007.

Techspan Director Wins National Skydive title

Wed, 16 Feb 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Techspan Group company director, Tim Fastnedge, who has spent the last 10 years in the sport, this year won the title of National Skydive Champion, for his efforts with the NZL 4 way Formation Skydiving team “Auckland Method”. During January 2005, the New Zealand National Skydiving championships were held at the Bay ofIslands. Competitors from all around the country converged at the Keri Keri airfield for the New Zealand Parachute Federation National Championhips, which ran over a 4 day period 13th—16th January 2005. Tim is the fifth member of the team, and is responsible for one of the most critical parts of the jump - Video. These events today are all judged by the use of handy cam style digital video cameras, which are fitted to the cameramans helmet during the jump. “Without the video, the team will not score points, so there is a lot of pressure on the video man”, says Tim. “You must keep them in frame during the whole descent”. Tim also explained that the sport today is one of the safest in the world. Statistics show that you are more likely to be injured or killed fishing ! “There is a saying said Tim - “ do you remember when sex was safe and skydiving was dangerous ?” Tim will represent New Zealand at the 2006 World Championships in Germany. The NZL team selected in 2005 - Richard Munro, Laszlo Csizmadia, Paul Martyn, Attila Csizmadia & Tim Fastnedge (videographer).

Frank John Fastnedge 1930 - 2001

Tue, 20 Feb 2001 00:00:00 GMT

Frank Fastnedge, the founder of Techspan, passed away on 17th February 2001, following a stroke. Frank was very well known and respected in the plastics industry, and his passing will be seen by many who knew him and worked with him, as the end of a special era. At the end of the second world war, Frank trained as an aerial photographer with the RAF. Later, he became interested in electronics, and soon after leaving the RAF, he joined Radyne Ltd, in Wokingham, England, where he trained as an electronics engineer. Radyne was a growing company at the time, designing and manufacturing RF induction heating and melting systems, and RF plastic welding equipment. Frank developed a strong interest in RF welding of plastics, and he helped design and develop many of the company’s standard plastic welders. He also helped to design many large turnkey plastic welding systems, frequently travelling throughout Europe to install and commission them. Then, in 1968, with his wife and three young sons, Frank decided to embark on a new adventure in a new land far from his home shores, in search of a special quality of life. Frank left his Technical Manager job at Radyne to emigrate to New Zealand, where he started work with Northern Electronics Ltd as company engineer. Here, he oversaw the local production of RF plastic welders under license to Radyne. In 1979 Frank founded his own company in New Zealand, an importer and distributor of industrial plant and machinery, which he called Techspan. Working from his basement at home, he poured his heart and soul into this endeavor, as he set about to acquire New Zealand agencies for some of Europe’s leading plastics machinery suppliers. Early products included Engel injection moulding machines from Austria, and hot air welding tools from Switzerland, which continue to be major products for the company. Today, all three of Frank’s sons are involved in the running of Techspan. The company has steadily grown, and today Techspan is a very successful and respected supplier of quality plastics machinery, ultrasonics, and industrial printing systems, with leading international brands. Frank was an incredibly practical, hands-on person, with a determination to succeed. He could do anything, make anything, repair anything. After Frank retired several years ago he quickly earned the reputation of “Mr Fixit” from his family and friends. Frank Fastnedge touched the lives of many many people in New Zealand and around the world, earning admiration and respect, both privately and in business. You have given us your unquestioning love. You have shown us the way. We are eternally in your debt. God be with you Frank. Rest at last. Frank is survived by his three sons, Dave, Jon, and Tim, and their wives and children.