Business News
Meech Exhibits Pioneering Products at K 2010
Tuesday 02. November 2010 - Visitors to the Meech International stand at K 2010 will be able to hear about pioneering developments in the fields of electrostatic control, web cleaning and air technology. The UK manufacturer is a global player in all three areas and has launched several industry-leading products in the lead up to the exhibition. The company is using K 2010 as the venue for the worldwide launch of the 994 IML in-mould labelling system.
Hall 11, Stand B-60
Visitors to the Meech International stand at K 2010 will be able to hear about pioneering developments in the fields of electrostatic control, web cleaning and air technology. The UK manufacturer is a global player in all three areas and has launched several industry-leading products in the lead up to the exhibition. The company is using K 2010 as the venue for the worldwide launch of the 994 IML in-mould labelling system.
994 IML high voltage generator
A major addition to the world of in-mould labelling technology is the 994 IML high voltage generator, which is light enough to be mounted on the end of arm tool. The new generator works in conjunction with the recently introduced Meech Hydra, a miniaturised in-mould labelling pinning system designed to improve pinning performance, especially on smaller labels.
“The 994 Hydra overcomes many of the issues encountered with other commonly used in-mould labelling technologies and because of this the purchase and running costs are reduced significantly,” says David Rogers, business unit director for static control. “The 994 Hydra provides powerful, repeatable pinning with no degradation. OEMs are free to make their own label carriers, which can be produced at a greatly reduced cost compared to some other IML technologies.
“The components are easy to mount, as well as being straightforward to connect and disconnect during mould tool changes. The design eliminates the chance of sparking and the possibility of expensive damage to the mould tool and removes the risk of contamination of the container, a problem sometimes encountered with conductive foam based IML systems. We expect the new 994 Hydra to create a great deal of interest at K 2010 and look forward to explaining the benefits in more detail to visitors to our stand.”
IonRinse System
Meechs recently launched IonRinse system presents a major leap forward in terms of energy saving and sustainability in the field of cleaning blown containers, bottles, cans, jars and pre-forms for use in the food and beverage industries.
“The design, features and benefits offered by the IonRinse system are the direct result of feedback from our customers in the food and beverage sectors,” says Adam Battrick, business unit director, cleaning systems. “Like most other industries, the biggest demands are for energy saving and sustainability and so we have tailored this new system to meet those requirements head-on, allowing organisations to more easily meet their corporate and social responsibility targets.
“We believe IonRinse represents the next step in ionised air cleaning technology, which is increasingly replacing traditional pre-fill water rinse systems. IonRinse is extremely compact and provides exceptional cleaning functionality. There are no costs for water, compressed air, chemicals or effluent and no need to handle water or chemical residues.”
New 977CM Pulsed DC Controller
Meech has pioneered the industrial use of Pulsed DC technology for static control for more than 15 years and now has over 4,500 systems in use in the plastics, converting, printing and packaging industries. Recently launched products include the 977CM Pulsed DC controller and the 977HL Pulsed DC Controller for hazardous area ionisers.
“The ionising bar is a key component in any static control system,” says David Rogers, business unit director for static control. “However, bars become contaminated during use and have to be cleaned to remain efficient. The new 977CM continuously monitors output and automatically adjusts the input voltage to compensate for the adverse effects of contamination. When this has increased to a preset level (typically +25%), further deterioration in performance will alert the operator, via local audible and visible warnings and remote alarm signals, to the need to clean the bars.”
The 977CM also features a fully automated closed-loop feedback system. A sensor, positioned after the ionising bar, detects residual voltages on the material and instructs the 977CM unit to alter the negative/positive balance, resulting in the most effective neutralisation for the current running speed, stock, ambient conditions etc.
“Optimising static control at all times makes it possible to improve finished product quality, whether this is on an unwind/rewind or slitting unit, a packaging line or printing press. The closed loop facility allows information relating to the residual electrostatic charge in the material to be available on the clear LCD display. This data can be transmitted to allow remote monitoring and logging for quality assurance purposes.”
New 977HL Pulsed DC Controller For Hazardous Area Ionisers
Controlling static in hazardous areas of the factory is crucial to safety and the launch of the 977HL Pulsed DC Controller for hazardous area ionisers brings to the market a unique method of monitoring performance and controlling static levels in these potentially dangerous environments, while ensuring maximum productivity of the production line.
“Eliminating sparks caused by the build up of static is vital in processes where chemicals such as solvents are used,” says David Rogers. “There is a risk that the vapours produced could be ignited. A significant proportion of fires and explosions encountered across various industries are the result of sparks caused by static electricity.”
The new 977HL controller is straightforward to install and connect to existing Meech ionising bars. It provides accurate monitoring of the performance of the bars, alerting the operator immediately when the bars need to be cleaned. The performance level at which an alarm is activated can be set by the customer to suit individual requirements.
New ShearClean web cleaner
Meech already manufactures contact web cleaners and the new ShearClean adds a non-contact version, which is suitable for applications including coating, converting, laminating and specialty plastics. ShearClean opens a whole new range of applications where contact cleaning systems are not feasible. This could include substrates with surfaces that are prone to scratching as well as those featuring special coatings.
ShearClean can be supplied for use with reel widths up to 1.8 metres and web speeds of up to 450 metres per minute as standard. Faster speeds may be achieved by adjusting factory settings. ShearClean can be tailored to suit customers requirements, not just in terms of size but also in sophistication. For instance, Meech can provide different upgrades to create a fully programmable unit. The company has also deployed its longstanding expertise in static control to incorporate static control facilities into ShearClean, which significantly improves the effectiveness of the cleaning process and greatly reduces the risk of re-attraction of contaminants to the cleaned web surfaces.
904CM Monitoring Unit for AC Static Control Systems
Also on stand is the 904CM simple but highly effective monitoring unit for AC ionising systems, of which many thousands are in use around Europe in the graphic arts, packaging, converting, plastic and pharmaceutical industries. The 904CM system is straightforward to fit and provides accurate monitoring of the performance of the emitter pins incorporated within the ionising bars.
“The front panel of the 904CM contains status indicator LEDs and a numerical display,” says business unit director for static control, David Rogers. “A green LED indicates that the bars are operating effectively, while amber informs the operator that the bars are reaching a point where they need to be cleaned to remain effective. A red LED warns that urgent action is required to remove the contamination that builds up naturally on all ionising bars during use.
“Companies increasingly want to monitor the performance of their static control systems so that cleaning can be carried out when needed, but without incurring unnecessary stoppages to the production line or press. Its difficult to tell visually that bars need dirt and paper dust removed and normally the first indication are problems in quality or throughput levels because static levels have become too high.