WCA January 2024

Technology News

Colour detection technology In automotive wire production, one small granule of a different colour can cause the contamination of approximately 200m of wire product. assured colour

Both the United States and the European Union have strict performance requirements for materials used in and around food and drug processing facilities. As a PA66 producer, Ascend ensures the consistent dispersion of the metal additive within the polymer matrix so that even small metal particles are clearly visible and identified with standard detection equipment. In tests with varying-sized cable tie fragments added to cereal flakes, even the smallest fragment was reliably detected using X-ray imaging with a micro-focus tube at 60kV and 0.3mA. Metal-detectable Vydyne materials are globally available and offered in two blue-coloured grades with high and low impact strength. In addition to cable ties and fasteners, both grades target safety-critical applications in other sensitive market segments, such as machined plastic stock shapes, and any consumables that require HACCP-managed food safety. Ascend Performance Materials www.ascendmaterials.com reliability prevents colour claims and faulty production. In addition, waste and scrap rates can be reduced at start-up, colour change and during production phase due to automated production sequences. The results of intense testing and customer experience revealed that recipes with 2.5 per cent masterbatch can be decreased to 1.5 per cent, while maintaining the colour shade and product quality – a saving of 40 per cent of the expensive colour batch material. Rosendahl has also developed a new colour detection module for its line control, to support operators throughout the whole production process. Rosendahl Nextrom https://rosendahlnextrom.com

At a speed of 1,800m/min it would takes only around six seconds for these 200m to disappear in a reel. Rosendahl Nextrom has developed the VS SK-400-C sensor system to accurately detect colour variations that the human eye cannot perceive. The precise system measures the main colour, stripe colour and stripe width in accordance with the previously defined product tolerances. The main component is a PC-based evaluation unit with 360° camera surveillance. Users can continuously monitor the colour quality over the entire production and log it, for example in the reel report. The immediately

Metal-detectable cable tie compounds to streamline supply chain Ascend Performance Materials has launched pre-coloured, metal

detectable Vydyne® PA66 compounds for cable ties and fasteners, for industries where foreign object contamination causes health concerns and reputational damage, such as in pharmaceutical and food processing facilities. The new products meet stringent performance standards and simplify the supply chain for cable tie and fastener producers. “We constantly look for ways to better serve our customers,” said Tim Goossens, cable tie segment leader for Ascend. “This new metal-detectable Vydyne reduces the need for additional tolling or masterbatch steps and ensures the material performs as intended right out of the box.”

The new compounds provide safety against contamination in cable tie applications

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January 2024