A weekly look at new products, innovations

Editor's note: Each week, Rubber & Plastics News will take a look at some of the rubber industry's new products and innovations on www.rubbernews.com. Does your company have a new product or new innovation? To be considered for inclusion in this recurring feature, email [email protected].

Fisnar Inc. has released a new range of Thermadose hot melt production equipment. The improvements include pulse-free temperature-controlled thermoplastic dispensing for industrial applications using pressure-sensitive adhesives, contact adhesives, waxes and sealants.

Fisnar said hot melt systems are suitable for direct-contact, non-woven, ribbon-coating, high-speed jetting and product assembly operations. Tank controllers include independent over-temperature and over-pressure protection for safe operation. Independently controlled heat zones minimize adhesive degradation for precise, uniform patterns.

Thermadose Reservoir tanks are coated with inert Teflon heated by quick-change cartridges for easy maintenance. Fisnar said control settings are input using a touch-pad that provides simple, fast setup. LED indicators monitor operation status and functions.

Pail and Drum melters handle high volume production requirements of hot melt EVA, PSA and PUR, supplied from five-gallon pails or 55 gallon drums. Melters include precision gear-pump technology that provide pulse-free flow of adhesive for precise gluing applications.

For more information, visit www.fisnar.com.

APS Elastomers has developed a new series of overmolding soft-touch thermoplastic elastomers designed for cell phone and other personal electronic devices.

APS said the TPEs are formulated to produce a silky touch and tactile haptic feedback and are stronger than silicone and more flexible than traditional thermoplastic elastomers, making the new grade a cost-effective replacement to current materials.

The TPEs are available in Shore A Hardness of 32A, 40A, 60A and 70A and offer a chemical bond between the soft elastomeric alloy and a rigid thermoplastic substrate. Products are soft as well as slip resistant, APS said, and are microbial and weather resistant, while having good color stability.

For more information, visit www.apstpe.com.

DeWal Industries Inc. is offering a free swatchbook with samples of eight different tapes manufactured specifically for plasma spraying. The swatchbook contains samples of some of DeWal's many single-ply, double-ply and HVOF tapes for thermal spray applications.

The new DeWAL swatchbook includes tapes used by Pratt & Whitney, GE and Rolls Royce, DeWAL said, and includes samples of DeWal's single-ply plasma tapes, including silicone rubber coated glass in numerous colors, foil/glass laminates and single-coated and double-coated glass fabric.

The swatchbook includes samples of double-ply thermal spray tapes, including glass fabric laminate and combinations of silicone, rubber, glass and foil.

HVOF tapes in the swatchbook represent several types of laminates: heavy duty silicone rubber/glass laminate; heavy aluminum foil/glass laminate; silicone rubber with heavy aluminum foil; and silicone rubber with copper foil laminate.

DeWal swatchbooks for downhole, electrical/electronic and mechanical applications are available.

More about its product line, including applications and data sheets, can be found at www.dewal.com.