High-Heat
Options for Conair TrueBlend™ Blenders Allow
Processing of Pre-Dried Materials
Processors
running engineering plastics like ABS, nylon,
polycarbonate and PET, can now blend these resins
after they are dried, thanks to new high-temperature
models available for TrueBlend 100, 250, 500 and
900 Series blenders, which offer throughputs as
high as 3500 lbs/hr. High-heat versions of the
1800 Series and 2500 Series, with throughputs
as high as 10,000 lbs/hr will be introduced in
the near future.
Until
now, processors had to blend the material before
drying, but doing so meant they ran the risk that
some ingredients could separate out of the mix
during the drying and conveying process.
There
are several different high-temperature packages
available, depending on the application, but they
all include high-temperature components like load-cells,
level sensors and air cylinders, specified for
their ability to stand up to temperatures of 375°F
and higher. Electronic components are isolated
from elevated temperatures. This prevents premature
failure or generation of erroneous data that results
in diminished mixing accuracy. Access doors and
sightglasses are stainless steel and Plexiglas.
The blenders can also be equipped to blanket the
material compartments and mixing chamber with
dry air to prevent moisture regain during blending.
Like
all TrueBlend blenders, the new high-heat
models feature the fully enclosed weighing and
mixing section that makes the TrueBlend
unique in the industry. When the full-length access
door is closed, all pellets are contained. With
all ingredients contained and accounted for, the
Conair blenders can be accurate to within ±0.5%
of setpoint on colorant and additive weights.
No blender is more accurate. The standard microprocessor
control adjusts after every dispense cycle, compensating
automatically on the next weighed batch for normal
variations in dispensing, as well as for resin
bulk density and particle geometry. After ingredients
are dispensed and weighed, they are dumped into
a mixing chamber, which holds multiple batches
of material. These individual batches are mixed
for a set time, averaging out any specific batch-to-batch
differences before the blend finds its way to
the machine feed throat.
All
TrueBlend units come with an ultra-simple
control system that features a user interface
with an easy-to-read, 5.7-inch LCD touch-screen
panel with full color graphics. All setpoints
are displayed simultaneously, so setup is quick
and easy. The user enters the percentages of the
blend on the touchscreen display and the blender
does the rest, automatically weighing the recipe
ingredients in the proper sequence and maintaining
the correct blend relationship. For very critical
low-volume materials, where variations of a pellet
or two can affect the accuracy of the blend, the
controls can be set to the Precision Additive™
mode, which gives priority to the weight of that
minor component. Then, dispense weights of natural
resin and all other ingredients are adjusted accordingly.
Up
to 50 recipes can be entered and stored in the
control for instant recall. Options include an
integrated blender/loader control feature.
