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].

Alpha Technologies Inc. has launched a universal, table-top tensile tester for rubber, plastics and other materials.

Alpha said the device, called the AT10, has a maximum load capacity of 10kN and performs multiple tests for quality control and research and development applications. Alpha claims that the AT10 is fully CE compliant, meeting the stringent health, safety and environmental requirements of its global market.

According to the company, the AT10 tensile tester's key features include a computer controlled testing with a full range of user features; basic license for tension, tear, compression, peel, adhesion and O-ring; data point selector and custom data point calculator; reanalysis and recalculation of results; and the ability to export to Excel, Word or SQL database.

Alpha said the product is backed by its field service engineers and customer-focused aftermarket support team, servicing the instrument wherever it is.

This instrument has a selection of load cells available, along with options such as an automatic thickness gauge, Alpha said, and the data collected can be stored on the instrument's computer and integrated with Alpha Technologies' Enterprise software.

For more information, click here.

Mahr Federal Inc. said its wireless data transmission capability is now integrated within its families of MarCal digital calipers and MarCator digital indicators.

The company said MarCal digital calipers and MarCator digital indicators send data to a small, i-stick receiver, resembling a USB flash drive. MarCom said data acquisition is accomplished by taking a measurement and transmitting measuring data directly into MS Excel or via a keyboard code into any Windows program, without using external transmitters or cables. Mahr Federal said the wireless data collection capabilities can be applied to existing SPC applications.

Low power transmitters in MarCal digital calipers and MarCator digital indicators eliminate add-on transmitters that Mahr Federal says can make gages bulky, interfere with portability and add cost.

Each MarConnect i-stick wireless receiver supports up to eight measuring instruments with a range of up to 12 meters, Mahr Federal said.

Mahr Federal's line of mechanical comparative gages can be upgraded for wireless data transmission with the addition of a MarCator 1086 or 1087 wireless digital indicator, the company said. The line includes snap gages, ID & OD gages, fixed and adjustable bore gages, as well as depth and comparator stands, the firm said.

With MarConnect integrated wireless transmitters, the company claimed MarCator 1086 and 1087 digital indicators can speed up part inspection times, reduce the complexity of data collection and improve the quality control process.

MarCal 16 EWRi digital calipers have a large digital display, and include lapped guideways, a reference system that retains the zero position setting, and a number of product options and accessories, according to the company. MarCal 16 EWRi digital calipers are protected against dust and immersion to class IP67, Mahr Federal said, with the line is available in a wide range of sizes.

The MarConnect integrated wireless interface is active as soon as the i-stick is plugged in, the company said, and each caliper/indicator is identified by signal coding in the MarCom software to prevent confusion with signals.

For more information, click here.

Mars Mineral, a manufacturer of agitation pelletizing equipment and systems, has introduced a new line of pin mixers, known as Pin Mixer Pro.

The company said Pin Mixer Pro enables companies to convert fines, dusts and powders into pellets that are easy to handle, package and transport. The devices have been designed to create pellets directly from fine powdered materials such as recovered carbon black, dried chicken manure and biochar, the company said.

Pin Mixer Pro is available in a series of models capable of processing from 0.03 to 90 tons of powder per hour, according to Mars Mineral, a division of Woodward Inc.

The machines include Pin Mixer Pro-DFP, which converts dusts, fines and powders generated in mineral or metal processing operations into marketable products, the company said. Meanwhile, Mars Mineral said the Pin Mixer Pro-RCB transforms recovered carbon black powder into feedstock for products in a variety of industries, particularly plastics, rubber, inks and caulking.

Another model, the Pin Mixer Pro-CM, converts dried chicken manure from layer or broiler operations into pellets for use as organic fertilizers and soil amendments for agriculture, managed turf, nursery and home gardening applications, the company said, and the Pin Mixer Pro-BOC converts biochar and other biomass into soil amendments that facilitate growth of soil organisms to initiate healthier plants, higher crop yields, and faster germination, the company said.

For more information, contact Craig Vaughan at 724-538-3000 or [email protected] or visit www.marsmineral.com.