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].
A weekly look at new products, innovations
Lanxess A.G.'s Rhein Chemie Additives business unit is expanding its product range of hydrolysis stabilizers for plastics and polyurethanes with the addition of Stabaxol P 110, which the company said is the first product in a new line of low-emission polymeric carbodiimides based on alternative raw materials.
Lanxess said Stabaxol P 110, as with the other new carbodiimides, addresses the trend toward customized antihydrolysis agents tailor-made for use in individual applications. It said they improve stabilization performance, toxicology, emissions and handling.
According to the firm, Stabaxol P 110 shows outstanding performance when used in the thermoplastics PET and PBT and in thermoplastic elastomers. Lanxess claimed that using it in bioplastic polylactide extends the service life of the final article under moist and warm operating conditions.
Stabaxol P 110 comes in pellet form or as a powder, the company said, and it can be processed as it does not have to be pre-heated in the production process, with a high softening point of 80 degrees Celsius.
Applications include monofilaments for paper machine screens, cable sheathing, engineering injection moldings and electronic housings.
For more information, click here.
Comau's Rebel-S, four-axis SCARA robot.
Automatic systems manufacturer Comau L.L.C. has introduced Rebel-S, a four-axis SCARA robot that has five models with a payload of six kilograms and three different reaches.
All models are controlled by the R1C rack-mounted controller, which can be integrated into a single cabinet to control an entire line, the company said. The robots are available in the openROBOTICS version, where the robot is directly integrated into the existing machine/line automation, the company claimed.
Comau said the robots are considered “rebels” in the sense that they are not being articulated, they offer a variety of mounting positions, and they utilize spacers.
Rebel-S is available with reaches of 450, 600 and 750mm. All three versions can be floor- or wall-mounted, while the versions with 600 and 750mm reach can be configured for ceiling mounting, Comau said.
According to the firm, the difference in reach is provided by spacers, modules that enable the robot to extend its radius of action, and with an extension kit composed of spacers and cables, all models are interchangeable.
Comau claimed modularity opens the opportunity to a last-second robot configuration. The company said it offers a range of add-ons, including conveyor tracking and a plug and play vision system.
For more details go to www.comau.com.
Shin-Etsu's KE-2062-70 LIMS material was utilized to mold magnifying glasses.
Shin-Etsu Silicones of America recently introduced its KE-2062 Series, 70-Shore A optically clear silicone LIMS material at Lightfair International 2016 in San Diego.
Shin-Etsu said the optically clear KE-2062-70 LIMS material was utilized to mold the entire magnifying glass including two surfaces: the textured, embossed handle and bezel, and the diamond polished lens. The company claimed that the differing surface textures gave the appearance of a two-component part with the simplicity of a single material.
According to the firm, the material was designed to meet the increasing thermal requirements for high-brightness LED optical lenses. As LEDs become brighter, their operating temperatures are rising beyond the capability of typical thermoplastics such as acrylic and polycarbonate for automotive, architectural and display lighting applications, the company said.
In addition, the inherent elasticity of silicone allows for geometries with undercuts to be successfully molded that would be impossible with a rigid thermoplastic, Shin-Etsu claimed, and its lower viscosity enables silicone to fill and replicate intricate mold surfaces to improve optical efficiency.
The product was launched in conjunction with manufacturing equipment partners M.R. Mold & Engineering; Arburg Inc.; and Graco Inc.
Go to www.shinetsusilicones.com/shindex.html for more information.
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