Page 50 - Plastics News June 2018

produCt news

Barnes shows new Synventive Eastman unveils disinfectant-

products resistant resin to Chinese market

he Molding Solutions units of Barnes Group Inc., astman Chemical Co. is squarely targeting Chinese
Texhibited new hot runner products and demonstrations Esuperbugs with a disinfectant-ready copolyester
how its technologies work together to do precise injection for medical equipment. To aid medical device makers,
molding. NPE 2018 marked the NPE introduction of Eastman has developed a non-proprietary four-step
test protocol based on ASTM International standards.
The protocol can help designers predict the reliability
of a plastic component after exposure to disinfectants,
drugs, lipids or drug-carrier solvents.

"Many times in life when we try to solve a problem,
there are unintended consequences," said Tammy
Trivette, medical global marketing director for
Kingsport, Tennslyvannia -based Eastman's Specialty
Plastics, Advanced Materials division.
Liberal use of disinfectants may squash germs but
Synventive's Synflow3, the third generation of the hot takes a toll on medical equipment.Compounded
runner unit's Synflow technology that controls sequential
valve gate filling into the mold. Synflow3 gives much more in Kingsport, the
control, since instead of just opening and closing the pin, company's MXF221
molders can now slow the opening of the pin for a set is a flame-retardant
distance, and hold the desired position or make multiple copolyest er
pin movements within a cycle, said Dan Ward, technical that can resist
sales manager. "It's a whole new level of control," Ward cracking, crazing,
said at Barnes' booth during NPE2018. Benefits of Synflow discoloration and
sequential valve gating include no weld lines or warping, hazing in electronic
balance control, faster mold startups and a constant flow m edic al -dev ice
front across the part, according to the company. Synventive h ou sin gs a n d
valve-gated hot runners come with standard SVG+, which hardware, Eastman
includes position sensors that allow for a simple upgrade to said. "You have to
Synflow. Synventive also showed the electronic valve gate, make sure your
the eGate for closed-loop control. The eGate has larger equipment can hold up to [different] disinfectants,"
bore size now up to 22 millimeters inches. The prior top Trivette said. "Alternative materials have a hit-and-
size was 12 mm. Ward said Synventive's controller is much miss performance." The 98-year-old company wants to
easier to use now, showing a graphic image of the part. work with Chinese companies on the design, regulatory
Manner showed new Slimline hot runner nozzles for caps and marketing challenges of implementing the flame
and closures, designed for polyolefin closures with limited retardant in medical equipment, Trivette said.
space. The diameter is just 6.5 mm. Thermoplay showed
new mini valve gate nozzles for special applications of "Eastman is positioned to help Chinese OEMs," she
cosmetic, medical and packaging markets. The nozzle said. "We never just send a pellet to the medical
features a small pitch. During NPE2018, Barnes Group used market." Eastman announced MXF221 earlier this
the former Gammaflux space across the trade show aisle year at the UBM Advanced Manufacturing Expo in
to demonstrate its Gammaflux hot runner temperature Anaheim, California. The pre-Chinaplas announcement
controls, Manner hot runners and Priamus in-mold sensing marked the product's formal Chinese rollout. Eastman
systems, all work together, on a Sumitomo Demag injection posted 2017 global sales of $9.5 billion. It has about
molding machine. 14,500 employees.

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