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]

LMI Technologies Inc. has launched the Gocator 4.0 Firmware, which supports the Gocator 3D Smart Sensor product line including displacement, profile and snapshot sensors.

LMI said the latest Gocator 4.0 firmware is a complete redesign of the web browser user interface experience that improves the efficiency of the inspection process.

According to the company, the features include:

• Part edge filtering improves measurement accuracy: built-in capability removes noise around the perimeter and interior of scanned surfaces or parts.

• Greater ability to handle part variations with flexible anchoring: with flexible anchoring, measurement results can be used as anchoring sources for other measurements.

• Surface generation offers flexibility with various setup options: supports a number of methods to create a surface or a 3D point cloud, which provides greater control and flexibility for supporting common industry scanning methods.

• Improvements to SDK simplify software programming: SDK is updated to provide cleaner API along with built-in support for multi-sensor systems.

• Compact protocol delivers faster processing speed: Gocator Ethernet (TCP/IP) protocol reduces overhead and makes data parsing much easier. Reduced network bandwidth and data processing requirements allow applications to run faster on the same hardware, the company claimed.

Gocator 4.0 Firmware is available as a free download. The firmware files, release notes, SDK files and user manual can be downloaded here. Customers can directly download the firmware in the Gocator interface.

To learn more about the latest Gocator 4.0 Firmware, including videos of the new features, click here.

TLV Corp. has announced its development of the VS3 Air Vent for sanitary applications, which broadens TLV's series of stainless steel products for use with sanitary applications needing an air vent for a liquid line or filter.

Three-point seating and a rubber valve seat allow for tight sealing of TLV's Free Float, TLV said, and the VS3 meets specific requirements for materials, surface treatments, component configuration and industry standards set by the FDA and USP. The VS3 is available with internal and external electro-polished surface finishes as fine as 0.4 µm Ra.

According to the company, benefits include:

• 3-Point Seating for tight shut-off

• Dual function as an Air Vent and Vacuum Breaker

• Compact for installation in confined or tight spaces

• Crevice-free design allows for free drainage of liquids without pooling and easy cleaning after shutdown

• Only one moving part, the Free Float, prevents concentrated wear and provides long service life.

For more information, go to here.

Stratasys Ltd. has introduced the Objet500 Connex1 and Objet500 Connex2 Multi-material 3D Printers featuring the company's triple-jetting technology.

Stratasys said its triple-jetting technology is designed to allow the user to build products with up to three different materials in a single run, or even mix multiple material droplets to form new digital materials such as tough Digital ABS.

Stratasys said these products join the Objet500 Connex3 Color Multi-material 3D Printer that was announced in January. The Objet500 Connex1 and Objet500 Connex2 offer designers and manufacturers superior versatility for materials, functionality and product realism capabilities, the firm said.

The Objet500 Connex1 is equipped with a large build envelope and can produce parts from three diverse materials in a single production run, the company claimed. This allows users to create assemblies with components formed from three different materials, the company said, or it can produce components that contain both rigid and flexible materials, such as rubber-like Tango and rigid Vero material. The 3D printer can build a part up to 19.3 in. x 15.4 in. x 7.9 in. or a mixed tray of small parts. The company said a larger material cabinet contains eight cartridges, resulting in more unattended run time and fewer material changeovers than previous models.

The Objet500 Connex2 Multi-material 3D Printer enables users to combine transparency, durability and flexibility in one part, Stratasys said. While it has all the capabilities of the Objet500 Connex1, it also can combine droplets from two base materials to produce new materials or digital materials. With more than 100 material options, Connex2 users can produce a variety of Shore A values in the same part with rigid or clear components or can combine Digital ABS with pure Tango for strong over-molded handles and grips, Stratasys said, claiming the versatility of the Objet500 Connex2 makes it ideal for creating custom manufacturing tools such as jigs and fixtures.

For more information about the Objet500 Connex1 and Objet500 Connex2, contact a reseller or visit Stratasys' website. Images, video, white papers, a brochure and spec sheets for both 3D printers are available by visiting the Stratasys newsroom.