See-Through Plastics Plus

Plastic Bender

Little known in the industry is the WEGENER BV 305 which is a PLC controlled bending machine for up to ½” sheet material thickness. In its standard version, the machine is capable of bending PE, PP and PVDF. For these semi-crystalline materials, a V-shaped top heating bar is used to achieve a permanent corner. Equipped with a flat bar, the machine easily handles PVC and CPVC.

The heating element travel limitation, which is offered as an option for the upper and the lower bar, allows the bending of see-through materials without leaving any markings. So even in heavier gauges, a cosmetically pleasing bend is achieved economically with accuracy at full repeatability. The heating times, bending times and the temperatures are PLC controlled as are the heating and bending cycle. Once the parameters are set, the operator can insert or relocate the sheet and let the machine do its job.

For more information, contact Leah Dockter, Wegener Welding LLC. 16W301 S. Frontage Rd, Burr Ridge, IL 60527, 630-789-0990, Fax 630-789-1380, E-mail: info@wegenerwelding.com, Web: www.wegenerwelding.com.

Clear, Rigid Polyurethane

Recognized as a worldwide leader in plastics processing technology and application development, Ensinger has the ability to combine the optimum material solution with the most suitable manufacturing method, and thus provides industry with the most innovative and costeffective engineering solutions available today. Ensinger designs and manufactures semi-finished and finished products tailored exactly to the customer’s individual requirements. Your projects can benefit from Ensinger’s vast knowledge base and many years of experience in finding the best solutions for problems involving engineering thermoplastic materials.

Ensinger offers a broader array of engineering materials than any other plastics processor. From commodity materials such a polypropylene, polyethylene, acetal and nylon to high performance resins such as TECAPEEK® polyetheretherketone and TECATRON® polyphenylene sulfide, Ensinger has the ability to provide shapes and parts for even the most difficult and challenging applications and environments.

In addition to this wide range of engineering material choices, Ensinger also provides a staff of extremely knowledgeable plastics professionals to help their customers make informed material choices and process decisions. From their experienced customer service staff to their industry specific market specialists, Ensinger’s ability to guide customers toward the right engineering solution is unsurpassed.

For more information, contact Bruce Dickenson, Ensinger, 365 Meadowlands Avenue, Washington, PA 15301-8984, 724- 746-6050, 800-243-3221, Fax: 724-746-9209, E-mail: sales@ensinger-ind.com, Web: www.ensinger-ind.com.

CNC Edge Polishing

Eliminate the finishing of edges by hand with the latest in CNC polishing technology. The EURACRYL ABP 310 Edge Polisher can produce flat edges from a matte finish to high gloss polish on acrylics, polycarbonates, and visual plastics, and also chamfer edges.

Stiles Machinery’s EURACRYL ABP 310 machines are CNCcontrolled edge polishers for manufacturing components made of plastics, including acrylic. It’s designed to eliminate manual labor; the machine brings value as a standalone machine or a component of a work cell.

The EURACRYL ABP 310 frame is integrated with patented SorbTech mineral composite material. This “steel of tomorrow” is capable of withstanding the increased demand on machine dynamics while providing a low vibration, stable machine construction – resulting in higher quality finished parts, longer tool life, and less manual labor.

The machine features a 10' working field. The openended table design of the ABP 310 allows for machining of parts longer than 10' (in 2 cycles). Parts can be stacked up to the maximum processing height of the machine, further enhancing the efficiency and throughput of the machine.

For more information, contact James Swanson, Stiles Machinery, 3965 44th St. SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49512, 616.698.7500, E-mail: jswanson@stilesmachinery.com, Web: www.stilesmachinery.com.

Polycarbonate Shapes

Trident Plastics Inc. offers compression-molded polycarbonate plate from .250” up to 5.00” thick in a wide range of formulations. Trizod® OP is an optically clear polished, ultraviolet-stabilized polycarbonate sheet specially engineered for superior optical performance. It is also available in FDA compliant and static-dissipative grades. Trizod GP-P is a general purpose polished polycarbonate and Trizod MG Clear & Black is a machine grade polycarbonate that is an un-polished, ultraviolet-stabilized polycarbonate with excellent dimensional stability and good strength and stiffness over a wide range of temperatures.

They also offer 10%, 20%, 30% and 40% glass-reinforced polycarbonate that is effective in designs where metals, particularly die-cast aluminum and zinc, are commonly used. The addition of glass fibers to polycarbonate increases tensile strength, stiffness, compressive strength, and lower the thermal expansion coefficient. The greater the amount of glass fiber added to the polycarbonate, the greater the effect on each property will be. For example, compared to standard un-filled grades, Lexan® 3414R 40% glass-reinforced polycarbonate has as much as five times the tensile modulus, more than double the flexural and tensile strength, and up to 65% more compressive strength.

Since, 1977, Trident Plastics Inc. has been supplying industry with quality materials, competitor prices, and an unsurpassed level of service. Their customer base is nationwide with a primary focus on machinists and fabricators. They are a full service distributer offering plastic shapes, resins and a wide range of services including compression- molding, thermoforming, vacuum forming, thermoplastic welding, surface planning & grinding and laser and water jet cutting.

For more information, contact Dead Cadic, Trident Plastics Inc., 1029 Pulinski Rd., Ivyland, PA 18974, 215-672-5225, Fax: 215-672-5582, E-mail: sales@tridentplastics.com, Web: www.tridentplastics.com.

Profiles & Tubing

Petro Extrusion Tech., Inc. (PET) offers both custom and stock clear extruded tubing and profiles, in a variety of thermoplastic materials.

With over 50 years experience in the extrusion business, Petro Extrusion Tech offers clear tubing in acrylic, polycarbonate, and other clear materials, in a range of sizes from 1/8” up to 8” OD.

PET offers a line of stock PC tubing, in various wall thicknesses and sizes, including several heavy wall tube sizes.

PET also offers stock items such as their polycarbonate angles and channels, all in clear, available from stock in various stock lengths.

PET has a stock line of acrylic profile shapes for the P.O.P. industry, including Z-Bar shapes and U-Channel profiles, all in clear, and available from stock.

For more information, contact Julie Hanan, Petro Extrusion Technologies, Inc., P.O. Box 99, Garwood, NJ 07027, 800-229-3338/908-789-3338, Fax: 908-789-0434, E-mail: sales@petroextrusions.com, Web: www.petroextrusions.com.

Cutting & Milling Tools

Hufschmied offers a range of tooling specifically designed for milling plastics. With plastic materials it is crucial to keep the milling temperature as low as possible. This can be achieved with tools from their Universal-Line and Sharp-Line. Depending on your requirements and your machinery, the solution to your processing problem offers you a choice of one, two or three-flute cutters.

Hufschmied tools are designed to minimize burr formation and provide a quality edge finish at high feed rates minimizing secondary operations.

For the processing of PMMA, cast or extruded, the Frasen Per Plex product range of single-fluted milling cutters produce a mirror-like surface finish without the need for additional polishing tools or any other polishing action. When working acrylics, milling cutters and drills need to produce sharply defined cutting edges. For this approach, Hufschmied supplies the FPE tool system with a single-step roughing and finishing cycle producing these very sharply defined edges. For polycarbonate and PET their Sharp-Line will provide a smooth finish with long tool life.

When it comes to cutting thermoset the avoidance of burr formation is critical to a high quality edge finish. Their Universal-Line and Proto-Line are well suited for this category of materials.

For more information, contact Erin Marciniak, Hufschmied USA, 42 Ozick Drive, Unit 6, Durham, CT 06422, 239-220-6602, E-mail: sales@hufschmiedusa.com, Web: www.hufschmied.net.

10’ Free-Standing Heater

FTM of Placerville, CA has just released their new 10’ Free-Standing Heater for thermal plastic bending (Model FS-120). With a heated length of 10’ and width of ó” it is ideal for sheet thicknesses from 3mm up to 12mm and can bend sheets up to 10 feet in length. With a total length of 131” the steel gauge of the tray has been increased to insure stability and help limit expansion. FTM’s new FS-120 has a proprietary design with a powder coated steel tray, PTFE working surface, an ultra hi-temperature insulation, and an operating temperature of 650ºF. The heater creates consistent professional bends while working with all types of thermoplastic materials such as Stylelite®, acrylic, PVC, CPVC, polypropylene, polycarbonate, and more. With a heated length of 10’ it’s perfect for bending Stylelite® products, shower wall surrounds, synthetic granite, and other large sheets of thermoplastic materials.

FTM’s trays are made in the USA and are available in lengths from 2’ to 10’. They are ideal for straight line bends or folds and capable of heating material for tight or wide radiuses. Their 4’ model offers a variety of heated widths ranging from ." up to 2", so whether you’re working with 1mm thin or 1" thick material they have your heating needs covered.

All FTM heaters can be plugged directly into the wall with a standard 120v wall plug, or you can use their AEC15 controller to regulate heating temperatures if desired.

For more information, contact David Geer, FTM, Inc., 327 Industrial Drive, Unit 1, Placerville, CA 95667, 530-626-1986, Fax: 530-642-2602, E-mail: info@123ftm.com, Web: www.123ftm.com.

Plastic Polish

Three plastic polishes from NOVUS Inc., the St. Paulbased plastics care specialists, are helping millions win the war against fading, scratching, and dulling of plastics that all too often cause the best products to grow old before their time.

NOVUS Plastic Polishes, which have been used and recommended by manufacturers for over 40 years, have an enviable record of rejuvenating the plastic surfaces in many industrial settings, as well as, in the home.

NOVUS Polish No. 1 is a cleaner, shiner, and protector for all plastics. In one easy application, this highly concentrated formula polishes quickly to an even finish. It leaves a glaze that resists finger marking and dust buildup. It is antistatic and antifogging. NOVUS Polish No. 2 removes fine scratches and haziness from most plastics. It is not just a surface cover-up, but a polishing compound that restores and protects damaged plastics.

NOVUS Polish No. 3 was formulated to remove heavy scratches. After using No. 3 follow up with No. 2 to remove any fine scratches.

Manufacturers of everything from aircraft to appliances use NOVUS Plastic Polishes to cut down on scrap in fabrication. These fabricators have discovered regular use of NOVUS Plastic Polishes keep replacement costs down while maintaining the aesthetic beauty of their products.

NOVUS Plastic Polishes are available in 2-oz. bottles (48/case), 8-oz. bottles (24/case), and 64-oz bottles (12/case).

For more information, contact Dean Trocke, NOVUS Inc., St. Paul, MN 55114, 800-548-6872. E-mail: sales@novuspolish.com, Web: www.novuspolish.com.

Make Your Booth Shine

Spring is around the corner and that means trade show and exhibition season will soon be upon us. Now is the time to start exploring fresh ideas on how acrylic can be used to help capture consumer attention at upcoming shows.

There is little denying that booth design matters. A striking display that is clean and inviting can make the difference in how many attendees take the time to stop at your customer’s booth and engage with your sales team.

Plaskolite’s thermoplastic sheet products are widely used in exhibit and tradeshow booths because they are lightweight, impact-resistant, and easy to fabricate. The material can provide eye-catching colors and textures to wall structures, light fixtures, graphics, furniture, and more. Economical and long-lasting, acrylic and polycarbonate is available in clear, colored, patterned, and mirrored.

For more information, contact Jane Nash, Plaskolite, 400 W. Nationwide Blvd., Suite 400, Columbus, OH 43215, 800-848-9124/662-893-5409, E-mail: jane.nash@plaskolite.com, Web: www.plaskolite.com.

High Performance FEP Film

CS Hyde Company has been a worldwide manufacture and custom converter of high performance tapes, films, fabrics and silicone. CS Hyde has been a custom-converter providing die-cut, die less cut, lamination and sheeting of materials, such as Teflon® fluoropolymer, Kapton®, UHMW, PTFE coated fiberglass, PVDF, Mylar® and 3M® products for many types of industries.

CS Hyde supplies Teflon FEP and PFA which are transparent thermoplastic films. FEP is known for its chemical compatibility, electrical reliability, wide temperature range, abrasion and impact. PFA is available for more demanding applications that have higher working temperature of 500°F and its ability to maintain mechanical strength at high temperatures. For less demanding applications they also supply polycarbonate and PET film which also have high clarity. CS Hyde offers lamination capabilities that apply a clear adhesive to the back of the film, which can help eliminate fastening issues. 3M® adhesives have high temperature properties and strong shear strength that allow the film to be held firmly in place.

For more information, contact Sales, CS Hyde Company, 1351 N. Milwaukee Ave., Lake Villa, IL 60046, 800-461- 4161/847-395-0325, Fax: 847-395-0334, E-mail: sales @cshyde.com, Web: www.cshyde.com.