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]

Dow Corning Corp. has introduced its EA-4600 Hot Melt Room-Temperature Vulcanization Black Adhesive for improved assembly of consumer electronics and other demanding high-volume manufacturing operations.

This latest addition to the company's growing portfolio of advanced hot melt adhesives is formulated to dispense easily and achieve instant green strength, Dow Corning said, which allows electronic assemblies to be handled immediately after its application.

Dow Corning EA-4600 Hot Melt Adhesive is a solventless, one-component, moisture-cure silicone material that offers longer open time and pot life, Dow Corning said, as well as lower odor and lower levels of volatility compared to conventional organic-based hot melt adhesives. It is available from Dow Corning distributors worldwide.

EA-4600 Hot Melt Adhesive is a reactive material that can be applied neatly as a liquid melt in very thin,

The material offers extended service temperatures from -40°C to 150°C, the company claimed. It will soften when exposed to high temperatures, but also revert to its typical properties after cooling, it said. Unlike conventional polyurethane-based hot melt solutions, Dow Corning said EA-4600 Silicone Hot Melt Adhesive incorporates ultraviolet markers to support automated UV inspection of finished parts. It can be reworked within 24 hours of application. Once fully cured, EA-4600 Hot Melt Adhesive delivers outstanding, durable protection against chemicals, water and dust to enhance the reliability and performance of high-value electronics assemblies, Dow Corning said.

For more information, go here.

APS Elastomers has developed a thermoplastic vulcanate elastomer extrusion grade for flat conductor network cables. The company's Viprene TPV's produce cables that weigh less, create more space and improve performance and safety compared to standard round conductor cables.

Flat conductor network cables consist of foil-type copper strips of varying widths that are electrically insulated by a plastic layer and bound together into a single unit, APS Elastomers said, protecting the copper strips from external elements. Manufactured using an extrusion process, they can be sheathed without using adhesives that can impact product performance negatively, APS Elastomer said.

Viprene is available in Shore hardness range of 35A-50D, APS Elastomers said, and can be optimized with specific softness needed in industrial, construction, appliance, and electronic applications. Some performance advantages of Viprene extrusion grades for flat conductor network cables include resistance to abrasion, bend and fold stress, chemical and microbial interaction, and weight reduction, APS Elastomers added.

TPVs' thermal insulation properties deliver good voltage strength, enable humid, long-term temperature and wet storage, the company claimed.

For more information on how APS Elastomers can find cost-effective solutions, develop proprietary formulations, and enhance products faster and more efficiently, contact [email protected] or visit http://www.apstpe.com/.

Siemens A.G. has updated its Simotion motion control system to version 4.4, offering users many new functions that Siemens said make the engineering of motion control projects even easier and more efficient.

Siemens said Simotion applications, such as plastics and rubber processing, can be quickly, easily and efficiently engineered, configured and commissioned through the Siemens TIA Portal. In addition, the link between Simatic Human Machine Interface panels and Simotion also has been implemented.

Within TIA Portal, various motion control functionalities can be used through the innovative graphical user interface, Siemens said, and uUsers will benefit from a full graphical configuration of hardware and networks.

In network view, additional automation components, such as the HMI or Sinamics drives, can be connected to Simotion, the company claimed. Simatic HMI panels also can be operated with the Simotion motion control system.

With the new version of Simotion and the integration of the easyProject project generator in Simotion Scout, Siemens said users can configure complex production machines in an easy-to-handle and standardized manner.

Standardized, intuitive user guidance enables modules to be integrated quickly and easily into existing or new projects, the company said, meaning that a large part of the application just needs to be configured, no longer requiring time-consuming programming.

For more information about the Simotion motion control system, visit www.usa.siemens.com/simotion.