Under the theme, “Make Every Pellet Count,” Conair is introducing several products never before seen at Plastimagen 2023, including the Smart FLX conveying system control, wireless radio-frequency identification (RFID) line-proofing conveying technology, Moisture Minder™ resin moisture sensor, and the premium TW-T Thermolator® temperature control unit. All of these, along with other Conair equipment, will be on display in Booth 806 at Plastimagen, which takes place November 7-10 at the Centro Citibanamex in Mexico City.

“Conair Mexicana is excited to participate in Plastimagen 2023, at a time when Mexico’s plastics industry is thriving thanks to continuous investment and growing demand from the automotive industry and other key sectors”, said Sam Rajkovich, VP Sales & Marketing for Conair. “Our theme for Plastimagen, ‘Make Every Pellet Count,’ and the products we are displaying, reflect Conair’s commitment to helping processors make the best use of every pellet, whether virgin material or in-house or post-consumer regrind.”

Product Highlights

Making its first appearance at Plastimagen, Conair’s SmartFLX conveying control introduces a new system architecture with a more powerful PLC processor, faster communications, and cost-saving features including an intelligent configurator that simplifies system design and installation, expansion, and remote diagnostics. A 10-inch high-resolution color monitor displays the new SmartFLX user interface, which shares Conair’s “common control” platform to simplify operator training. A key cost-saving feature of the SmartFLX architecture is the “universal” system I/O panels. These allow any SmartFLX system panel to accept and operate any type of I/O in any available panel slot, boosting the control’s capacity to 40+ pumps, 256+ receivers, and 500+ controlled sources.

Conair’s wireless RFID line-proofing technology simplifies and error-proofs resin distribution in the conveying system. It translates resin source/destination connections from the Smart FLX conveying control into operator instructions, seen in lights on the top of a resin selection table, and enables resin movement only after the correct connections are made. Other key features of this easy-to-use system include a light-guided line purging option and full compatibility with Conair’s evolving Wave Conveying™ technology.

Available in two models, the Conair Moisture Minder™ sensor detects residual moisture levels as low as 10 ppm in a broad range of polymers at throughput rates of 20 to 5000 lb/hr. The Moisture Minder can be installed anywhere in the material distribution system, and is often installed at the outlet of a drying hopper. This real-time monitor measures material moisture continually, and set points can be configured so that an alert is issued when the specified moisture level drifts outside prescribed limits. All readings are stored for historical trending so that managers can recognize when conditions begin to shift in the wrong direction and make dryer-control changes. Stored readings can also be used for process validation to confirm that parts were manufactured under acceptable conditions.

The Thermolator® TW-T Series is Conair’s premium temperature-control unit (TCU), equipped with Conair’s common control and a 4.3-inch color touch-screen HMI. TW-T Series units sized at 3 hp and under also require 15% less floor space than earlier TCU designs. All sizes (from 0.75 to 10 hp) have an open-back cabinet that allows for beneficial air flow around pumps and other internal components and enables visual maintenance inspection without having to remove cabinet panels. Other premium features include automatic phase detection to validate proper installation, a modulating cooling valve to ensure consistent temperature control without valve changes or deadheading, and a maintenance-free heater.

Rounding out Conair’s offerings at Plastimagen 2023 are a number of other recently introduced products:

  • A demonstration of patented Wave Conveying™ technology dominates the back wall of the Conair booth. Using intelligence from the Smart FLX control, special Wave control valves, and a deep-vacuum conveying pump, Wave Conveying offers multiple, controlled conveying speeds from 300 to 2,800 fpm that gently move high resin volumes in two speed-controlled modes: Wave Stream or Wave Pulse. By carefully managing both conveying speeds and phases, Wave Conveying prevents loss of softer materials due to angel hair or snakeskins and wastage of hard or abrasive materials due to shattering and dust. Slower conveying speeds also reduce conveying system component wear and maintenance requirements.
  • Carousel Plus dX 15-100 and Carousel Plus dX 150-200 mobile desiccant dryers. These compact, cart-based units share Conair’s DC-B common control platform, displayed on a color, touchscreen HMI that provides the same look and feel across all major Conair auxiliaries to simplify operator training. The energy-efficient units also feature closed-loop drying, automatic dewpoint control, water- or air-cooled aftercoolers, and an optional blower to enable material conveying.
  • Viper 6 beside-the-press granulator. The most compact in the Viper line of granulators from Conair, this model features tangential feed, hardened cutting chambers and screens; soundproofed hoppers; and solid-core rotors with replaceable knives.

The Conair Group (www.conairgroup.com) offers innovative auxiliary equipment solutions to plastics processors around the world. With 32 degreed engineers, including 16 senior team members with an average of over 23 years of experience, Conair brings unparalleled technical expertise and support to its customers, guaranteeing its products will deliver maximum productive uptime. Twenty parts and service team members respond to tens of thousands of calls each year, answering in an average of about 15 seconds. Over 450 individual products include resin drying systems, blenders, feeders and material-conveying systems, temperature-control equipment, and granulators. Extrusion solutions include line-control systems, film, and sheet scrap-reclaim systems, and downstream equipment for pipe and profile extrusion. Conair also has specialized expertise in every major end market – such as packaging, medical, transportation, building and construction, and many others – and strives to ensure plastics processors succeed in today’s competitive global marketplace.

 

Built into a Resin Selection System (RSS) tabletop, Conair’s wireless RFID line-proofing technology uses color-coded LEDs to guide operator selection.
Each flex tube handle contains an RFID chip (white rectangle, lower right). When inserted into the slot of any correct resin source (indicated with blue LEDs), the RFID chip aligns with the concealed RFID antenna at that port and the connection is proofed by the SmartFLX conveying control.
A green LED indicates a “good” connection and enables conveying from that resin source. Wrong connections are signaled with a red LED, preventing conveying.