- Email: [email protected]
New Ridat pneumatically activated blister packing machine
Vacuum
News
‘We believe that our tissue embedding centre design overcomes the problems encountered with existing equipment, as well as offering some additional features that will be welcomed by histologists., said Mr McLean. The use of stainless steel throughout safety of operators has been ensured
all
has eliminated fire risk and the by the use of a 24 V system.
All working surfaces are on the same level and there is a large capacity wax reservoir. Wax is dispensed either with a hand control or a foot switch. There is a large shallow wax bath into which 150 processed cassettes can be loaded-eliminating the need for a separate wax pot-and there is a heated, dry compartment for storing stainless steel moulds. The adoption of advanced technology heat pumps in place of a conventional refrigeration system allows the cold area to be increased at any time by simply fitting additional modules to the end of the embedding centre. The cold plate on the standard unit accommodates 24 blocks, which is sufficient for typical hospital use ‘We have been engaged for some time in the production of specially designed items of equipment for laboratory use, including wax embedding centres. Now we are expanding with the manufacture of this tissue embedding unit that fully meets the needs of busy histology laboratories using standard plastic cassettes’, continued Mr McLean. ‘There are two prime reasons why we are able to produce steel unit a competitive price. Firstly we specialise in the manufacture of high quality stainless steel items. Secondly produced a unique design, which, due to the small cooling is exceptionally compact’. Whitehill
SWAK
anaerobic
House,
pipe thread
Weobley,
a stainless we have devices,
Klane-Staff, Herefordshire. UK
sealant
SWAK, an anearobic pipe thread sealant with TFE, which lubricates to prevent galling and seizing during make-up and seals threaded components, is now available from Manchester Valve & Fitting Company. The new sealant provides a seal in hydraulic and pneumatic systems. In the absence of air, it normally cures to a hardened bond in 24 h. but allows adjustment up to f of a turn during the first 6 h without breaking the seal. The sealant has high chemical resistance, will not crack under vibration or shock, and will not blow out under maximum working pressures. It maintains its seal over a temperature range of -65-F to + 35o’F ( - 53°C to + 18O’C). and in temperature cycling applications. Breakaway torque is low, even after full cure. No special tools are needed. Threads are easily cleaned, and components can be used in other applications. Supplied as a semi-liquid in 50 cm3 plastic tubes, SWAK is a single component sealant. No mixing is required. It is easily applied with a ribbon applicator. Manchester Valve & Fitting Co Ltd. 12 Rufford Court, Hardwick Grange, Warrington, Cheshire WA1 4RF. UK
Universal welding machine utilises weld chair assembly in 42 s
pneumatics
to
A newly completed machine built by Universal Welding Machines uses Schrader Bellows pneumatics to provide clamping and linear control in the Mig welding of chair assemblies. The machine is built in a duplex format and takes the layout of a shallow ‘V’. By using this design, a skilled operator may load one station of the machine
222
whilst the other is performing its welding cycle. Eight welds are carried out in two movements by four GKN Mig welding sets, which provide power to both stations of the machine. The welds, which are performed on both sides of the components at once, produce distortion-free work. The use of a Schrader Bellows Hydrocheck unit enables the main cylinder to skip from one weld position to the next, whilst carefully monitoring the speed at which the components pass the Mig welding heads. The Hydrocheck is of the HD 28 type, with a bore of 65 mm and a stroke of 715 mm, and the cylinder from the Schrader Bellows range produced to CETOP RP43P. The machine has been designed with interlocking circuits, which enable four welding sets to handle the eight welding heads fitted. When one station is being loaded, the other is operating and the loading station is ‘dead’, thus providing optimum operator safety. The life of this machinery is expected to be well in excess of three years-three-shift working-without major service. Schrader Bellows, Walkmill Lane, Bridgtown, Cannock WSll 3LR. UK
New Ridat machine
pneumatically
activated
blister
packing
This machine has been designed specifically for the blister packing of small toys, The machine consists of two blister forming heads and a conveyor in the layout of a ‘T’. The body of the ‘T’ comprises a double-sided conveyor which carries aluminium sealing jigs into which the blister packs are automatically placed. The fully automatic blister-forming units manufacture the blisters, cut them out, and transfer them into the webs of the conveyors. Product loading is done manually, because several different types and shapes of toys are packed. The backing card is placed automatically on top of the filled blister and the packs move under a heated platen, where pressure and heat are applied to seal the pack. The final stage of the machine is the automatic transfer from the conveyor onto conveyors taking the packs into the final order packing area. The machine offers the many benefits directly associated with an increased scale of production, is safe and simple to operate and requires a minimum of operator training. All linear and pressure movements on this machine are provided by Schrader Bellows pneumatics and pneumatic control equipment. The guarding system utilises the vacuum system present on the machine to provide a simple but foolproof system. Each protective door on the machine is linked by a vacuum pipe, and if this pipe circuit is broken at all, the machine cycle is immediately interrupted, cutting both air and electric power supplies. Sensors located on the conveyor section utilise low pressure interrupted air jets to sense the presence of blisters and the cards located on top of the blisters, and confirm that the pack is ready for sealing. If any of these constituents are missing, the particular pack will pass straight through without being sealed; thus the machine is protected against the possibility of a blister coming into contact with the sealing press without a card position and thus sticking to the heated platen. Each blister-forming unit has its own control panel, thus production through the machine can be controlled to give production on one side of the conveyor only, should this be required. The entire machine is guarded to the recommendation of Section 6 of the Health and Safety Act. Each removeable bracket-hinged guard is interlinked into the vacuum guarding system, which will stop the machine as previously mentioned. Each blister-forming minute, and with
station a capacity
is designed to give 22 cycles per of three moulds, can deliver 66 blister
Vacuum
News
packs per minute onto the conveyor. Utilizing both blister forming units will give a total output of 132 blisters per minute. Incorporated into the design are quick-change forming tools, which mean that individual blister formats can be changed easily, quickly and simply, so that several different products may be loaded on either side of the conveyor. The extensive pneumatic control system is totally Schrader Bellows and comprises cylinders, spool valves, airline service units etc., all of which are standard components giving ease of service and off-the-shelf delivery for any spares requirements. The cylinders incorporated in this machine range from 75 mm to 300 mm strokes, and the entire machine is electro-pneumatically controlled using Schrader Bellows control equipment. The Schrader Bellows multi-module system of constructing pneumatic circuits is now standard on most Ridat packing machines, thus reducing the overall assembly time. Valve location and pipework is simplified and the machines are now far easier to service. The use of modules has resulted in pipe-fitting time reduced by 50%, 4-5 h being saved on each single machine build, whichis now beginning to show through on production costs. The extra cost of modules compared to individual components is obliviated in the reduction of fitting and labour time. Considerable savings are also made in administration through not having to order and stock individual valves for each machine. Stocking is thus simplified and modules result in considerably increased security in that they are leakproof and the circuits cannot be tampered with. A very valid side effect of modules is that the health and safety aspects as regards guarding incorporated in machines cannot be changed. John Dumbleton, Works Engineer at Ridat stated that he has never yet had to service a module, and is enthusiastic in their use in that it is now possible to carry a range of standard spare kits. Schrader Bellows Ltd. Walkmill Land, Bridgtown, Cannock WSll 3LR. UK
Comark’s
new
air probe
measures
Air probes are supplied complete with a metre of extending cable and a compatible material plug. Typical of the Comark thermometers with which they can be used are those from the 3000 Series. The Model 3002, for example, is a hand-held pocket digital with a 10 mm high easily-read green fluorescent display offering a resolution of O.l’C. Powered by dry batteries or rechargeable cells, its compactness and versatility, coupled with clear display, make the combination of 3002 and Air Probe easy to use, even in the most restricted and badly lit spaces. Comark Electronics Ltd, Rustington, Littlehampton, West Sussex BN16 3DZ, UK
continuous
writing
chart
The recorder cases are compact and cleanly styled, dimensioned to DIN sizes. Controls include power ‘On/Off’, chart ‘On/Off’, pen prime and chart speed selection. One-, two- and three-pen versions can be supplied; the two- and three-pin models are fully overlapping in operation, each pen being able to move independently across the full 100 mm chart width. Comark Electronics Ltd. Rustington, Littlehampton, West Sussex BN16 302. UK
Brey
pumping
system
claimed
to be smallest
available
The Brey G-Series range of miniature vacuum/compressor pumps now available with a complete range of accessories from which miniature systems can be built for a wide variety of purposes, including OEM applications, general laboratory use and gas sampling.
is
Accessories in the miniature system, claimed to be the smallest of its type available, include a stainless steel needle valve, an 8 pm filter, a male/female coupling, flow meter, voltage regulator, and barbed connectors to provide straight, ‘tee’, or right-angle pipe couplings. The connectors are made in a range of materials including PTFE, PVDF and stainless steel; thus systems can be tailored to withstand almost any aggressive gas. G-Series pumps, which are of the oil-free rotary-vane type with direct-coupled motors, are available in a range of models covering flow rates from 1 to 15 I min-’ and pressures from 80 to 700 mbar. The smallest model is 55 mm long and weighs only 40 grammes. Brey (Compressors and Vacuum Pumps) Ltd. Stockholm Road, Sutton Fields Industrial Estate, Hull HU8 OXW, UK
to 150°C
Specially developed for measuring the temperature of air and gases, Comark’s new air probe features a unique radiation shield design. One of a group of fast response general purpose exposed junction thermocouple probes, design of the shield is such that air and gas flow across the junction is virtually unrestricted. Type K thermocouple material is used for the junction. The maximum operating temperature is 15o’C.
Compact
Type 4801 recorder incorporates a low-speed gear box making available 10 chart speeds of 1 cm in 10 s to 1 cm in 60 min; Type 4802 uses a high speed gear box providing 10 speeds of 10 cm in lOstolOcmin60min.
recorders
from
Comark
Models 4801 and 4802 are compact, multi-speed, continuous writing chart recorders from Comark, specially suitable for use with the Company’s range of temperature measuring instruments fitted with an analogue output option, for example the ‘5000 Series’ of electronic thermometers. The writing system, which features a disposable micro-cellular tip and leak proof ink supply, moves horizontally across a vertically moving roll chart with a 100 mm calibrated width. The record takes the form of a continuous line. The
Megatech
introduce
turbomolecular
vacuum
pumps
The new Elettrorava turbomolecular vacuum pumps from Megatech Limited are offered in a range of nine models with pumping speeds from 50 to 9000 I s-‘. The design and construction ensure that very high compression ratios can be achieved, even with hydrogen, and the foreline pressure tolerance is 0.5 torr. The standards of accuracy to which Elettrorava pumps are made ensure that free vibration displacement does not exceed 0.3 pm on any model in the range. Furthermore, the rotor inertia and low friction bearings mean that, in the event of power failure, pumping will continue for 5 to 20 min according to model. Megatech also offer a complementary range of Elettrorava static and rotary frequency converters to supply the pump motors and there is a range of accessories including a cooler, a heating sleeve, a zeolite trap, a safety pressure switch and an inlet screen. Complete systems are also offered, comprising the turbomolecular pump mounted in a steel cabinet with the power supply, controls and accessories. Applications for Elettrorava turbomolecular pumps include mass spectrometry, particle accelerators, sputtering and evaporation systems, in fact wherever clean, oil-free high vacuum is required. Megatech Ltd. 2a Waterloo Road, Havant, Hants PO9 1 BH, UK
New E306A vacuum for special chamber
coater
accessories
eliminate
A new range of accessories for TEM and SEM electron microscopy specimen preparation makes Edwards E306A
need
vacuum 223
News
‘We believe that our tissue embedding centre design overcomes the problems encountered with existing equipment, as well as offering some additional features that will be welcomed by histologists., said Mr McLean. The use of stainless steel throughout safety of operators has been ensured
all
has eliminated fire risk and the by the use of a 24 V system.
All working surfaces are on the same level and there is a large capacity wax reservoir. Wax is dispensed either with a hand control or a foot switch. There is a large shallow wax bath into which 150 processed cassettes can be loaded-eliminating the need for a separate wax pot-and there is a heated, dry compartment for storing stainless steel moulds. The adoption of advanced technology heat pumps in place of a conventional refrigeration system allows the cold area to be increased at any time by simply fitting additional modules to the end of the embedding centre. The cold plate on the standard unit accommodates 24 blocks, which is sufficient for typical hospital use ‘We have been engaged for some time in the production of specially designed items of equipment for laboratory use, including wax embedding centres. Now we are expanding with the manufacture of this tissue embedding unit that fully meets the needs of busy histology laboratories using standard plastic cassettes’, continued Mr McLean. ‘There are two prime reasons why we are able to produce steel unit a competitive price. Firstly we specialise in the manufacture of high quality stainless steel items. Secondly produced a unique design, which, due to the small cooling is exceptionally compact’. Whitehill
SWAK
anaerobic
House,
pipe thread
Weobley,
a stainless we have devices,
Klane-Staff, Herefordshire. UK
sealant
SWAK, an anearobic pipe thread sealant with TFE, which lubricates to prevent galling and seizing during make-up and seals threaded components, is now available from Manchester Valve & Fitting Company. The new sealant provides a seal in hydraulic and pneumatic systems. In the absence of air, it normally cures to a hardened bond in 24 h. but allows adjustment up to f of a turn during the first 6 h without breaking the seal. The sealant has high chemical resistance, will not crack under vibration or shock, and will not blow out under maximum working pressures. It maintains its seal over a temperature range of -65-F to + 35o’F ( - 53°C to + 18O’C). and in temperature cycling applications. Breakaway torque is low, even after full cure. No special tools are needed. Threads are easily cleaned, and components can be used in other applications. Supplied as a semi-liquid in 50 cm3 plastic tubes, SWAK is a single component sealant. No mixing is required. It is easily applied with a ribbon applicator. Manchester Valve & Fitting Co Ltd. 12 Rufford Court, Hardwick Grange, Warrington, Cheshire WA1 4RF. UK
Universal welding machine utilises weld chair assembly in 42 s
pneumatics
to
A newly completed machine built by Universal Welding Machines uses Schrader Bellows pneumatics to provide clamping and linear control in the Mig welding of chair assemblies. The machine is built in a duplex format and takes the layout of a shallow ‘V’. By using this design, a skilled operator may load one station of the machine
222
whilst the other is performing its welding cycle. Eight welds are carried out in two movements by four GKN Mig welding sets, which provide power to both stations of the machine. The welds, which are performed on both sides of the components at once, produce distortion-free work. The use of a Schrader Bellows Hydrocheck unit enables the main cylinder to skip from one weld position to the next, whilst carefully monitoring the speed at which the components pass the Mig welding heads. The Hydrocheck is of the HD 28 type, with a bore of 65 mm and a stroke of 715 mm, and the cylinder from the Schrader Bellows range produced to CETOP RP43P. The machine has been designed with interlocking circuits, which enable four welding sets to handle the eight welding heads fitted. When one station is being loaded, the other is operating and the loading station is ‘dead’, thus providing optimum operator safety. The life of this machinery is expected to be well in excess of three years-three-shift working-without major service. Schrader Bellows, Walkmill Lane, Bridgtown, Cannock WSll 3LR. UK
New Ridat machine
pneumatically
activated
blister
packing
This machine has been designed specifically for the blister packing of small toys, The machine consists of two blister forming heads and a conveyor in the layout of a ‘T’. The body of the ‘T’ comprises a double-sided conveyor which carries aluminium sealing jigs into which the blister packs are automatically placed. The fully automatic blister-forming units manufacture the blisters, cut them out, and transfer them into the webs of the conveyors. Product loading is done manually, because several different types and shapes of toys are packed. The backing card is placed automatically on top of the filled blister and the packs move under a heated platen, where pressure and heat are applied to seal the pack. The final stage of the machine is the automatic transfer from the conveyor onto conveyors taking the packs into the final order packing area. The machine offers the many benefits directly associated with an increased scale of production, is safe and simple to operate and requires a minimum of operator training. All linear and pressure movements on this machine are provided by Schrader Bellows pneumatics and pneumatic control equipment. The guarding system utilises the vacuum system present on the machine to provide a simple but foolproof system. Each protective door on the machine is linked by a vacuum pipe, and if this pipe circuit is broken at all, the machine cycle is immediately interrupted, cutting both air and electric power supplies. Sensors located on the conveyor section utilise low pressure interrupted air jets to sense the presence of blisters and the cards located on top of the blisters, and confirm that the pack is ready for sealing. If any of these constituents are missing, the particular pack will pass straight through without being sealed; thus the machine is protected against the possibility of a blister coming into contact with the sealing press without a card position and thus sticking to the heated platen. Each blister-forming unit has its own control panel, thus production through the machine can be controlled to give production on one side of the conveyor only, should this be required. The entire machine is guarded to the recommendation of Section 6 of the Health and Safety Act. Each removeable bracket-hinged guard is interlinked into the vacuum guarding system, which will stop the machine as previously mentioned. Each blister-forming minute, and with
station a capacity
is designed to give 22 cycles per of three moulds, can deliver 66 blister
Vacuum
News
packs per minute onto the conveyor. Utilizing both blister forming units will give a total output of 132 blisters per minute. Incorporated into the design are quick-change forming tools, which mean that individual blister formats can be changed easily, quickly and simply, so that several different products may be loaded on either side of the conveyor. The extensive pneumatic control system is totally Schrader Bellows and comprises cylinders, spool valves, airline service units etc., all of which are standard components giving ease of service and off-the-shelf delivery for any spares requirements. The cylinders incorporated in this machine range from 75 mm to 300 mm strokes, and the entire machine is electro-pneumatically controlled using Schrader Bellows control equipment. The Schrader Bellows multi-module system of constructing pneumatic circuits is now standard on most Ridat packing machines, thus reducing the overall assembly time. Valve location and pipework is simplified and the machines are now far easier to service. The use of modules has resulted in pipe-fitting time reduced by 50%, 4-5 h being saved on each single machine build, whichis now beginning to show through on production costs. The extra cost of modules compared to individual components is obliviated in the reduction of fitting and labour time. Considerable savings are also made in administration through not having to order and stock individual valves for each machine. Stocking is thus simplified and modules result in considerably increased security in that they are leakproof and the circuits cannot be tampered with. A very valid side effect of modules is that the health and safety aspects as regards guarding incorporated in machines cannot be changed. John Dumbleton, Works Engineer at Ridat stated that he has never yet had to service a module, and is enthusiastic in their use in that it is now possible to carry a range of standard spare kits. Schrader Bellows Ltd. Walkmill Land, Bridgtown, Cannock WSll 3LR. UK
Comark’s
new
air probe
measures
Air probes are supplied complete with a metre of extending cable and a compatible material plug. Typical of the Comark thermometers with which they can be used are those from the 3000 Series. The Model 3002, for example, is a hand-held pocket digital with a 10 mm high easily-read green fluorescent display offering a resolution of O.l’C. Powered by dry batteries or rechargeable cells, its compactness and versatility, coupled with clear display, make the combination of 3002 and Air Probe easy to use, even in the most restricted and badly lit spaces. Comark Electronics Ltd, Rustington, Littlehampton, West Sussex BN16 3DZ, UK
continuous
writing
chart
The recorder cases are compact and cleanly styled, dimensioned to DIN sizes. Controls include power ‘On/Off’, chart ‘On/Off’, pen prime and chart speed selection. One-, two- and three-pen versions can be supplied; the two- and three-pin models are fully overlapping in operation, each pen being able to move independently across the full 100 mm chart width. Comark Electronics Ltd. Rustington, Littlehampton, West Sussex BN16 302. UK
Brey
pumping
system
claimed
to be smallest
available
The Brey G-Series range of miniature vacuum/compressor pumps now available with a complete range of accessories from which miniature systems can be built for a wide variety of purposes, including OEM applications, general laboratory use and gas sampling.
is
Accessories in the miniature system, claimed to be the smallest of its type available, include a stainless steel needle valve, an 8 pm filter, a male/female coupling, flow meter, voltage regulator, and barbed connectors to provide straight, ‘tee’, or right-angle pipe couplings. The connectors are made in a range of materials including PTFE, PVDF and stainless steel; thus systems can be tailored to withstand almost any aggressive gas. G-Series pumps, which are of the oil-free rotary-vane type with direct-coupled motors, are available in a range of models covering flow rates from 1 to 15 I min-’ and pressures from 80 to 700 mbar. The smallest model is 55 mm long and weighs only 40 grammes. Brey (Compressors and Vacuum Pumps) Ltd. Stockholm Road, Sutton Fields Industrial Estate, Hull HU8 OXW, UK
to 150°C
Specially developed for measuring the temperature of air and gases, Comark’s new air probe features a unique radiation shield design. One of a group of fast response general purpose exposed junction thermocouple probes, design of the shield is such that air and gas flow across the junction is virtually unrestricted. Type K thermocouple material is used for the junction. The maximum operating temperature is 15o’C.
Compact
Type 4801 recorder incorporates a low-speed gear box making available 10 chart speeds of 1 cm in 10 s to 1 cm in 60 min; Type 4802 uses a high speed gear box providing 10 speeds of 10 cm in lOstolOcmin60min.
recorders
from
Comark
Models 4801 and 4802 are compact, multi-speed, continuous writing chart recorders from Comark, specially suitable for use with the Company’s range of temperature measuring instruments fitted with an analogue output option, for example the ‘5000 Series’ of electronic thermometers. The writing system, which features a disposable micro-cellular tip and leak proof ink supply, moves horizontally across a vertically moving roll chart with a 100 mm calibrated width. The record takes the form of a continuous line. The
Megatech
introduce
turbomolecular
vacuum
pumps
The new Elettrorava turbomolecular vacuum pumps from Megatech Limited are offered in a range of nine models with pumping speeds from 50 to 9000 I s-‘. The design and construction ensure that very high compression ratios can be achieved, even with hydrogen, and the foreline pressure tolerance is 0.5 torr. The standards of accuracy to which Elettrorava pumps are made ensure that free vibration displacement does not exceed 0.3 pm on any model in the range. Furthermore, the rotor inertia and low friction bearings mean that, in the event of power failure, pumping will continue for 5 to 20 min according to model. Megatech also offer a complementary range of Elettrorava static and rotary frequency converters to supply the pump motors and there is a range of accessories including a cooler, a heating sleeve, a zeolite trap, a safety pressure switch and an inlet screen. Complete systems are also offered, comprising the turbomolecular pump mounted in a steel cabinet with the power supply, controls and accessories. Applications for Elettrorava turbomolecular pumps include mass spectrometry, particle accelerators, sputtering and evaporation systems, in fact wherever clean, oil-free high vacuum is required. Megatech Ltd. 2a Waterloo Road, Havant, Hants PO9 1 BH, UK
New E306A vacuum for special chamber
coater
accessories
eliminate
A new range of accessories for TEM and SEM electron microscopy specimen preparation makes Edwards E306A
need
vacuum 223