Compact vision products

Cognex Corp. released two new products — the Advantage 100 vision system and the AE2 Advantage engine — designed for integration into original equipment manufacturer (OEM) devices and equipment. The Advantage 100 vision system is a compact (23 mm by 44 mm by 54 mm) enclosed vision system with customizable optics, lighting and Ethernet communications suitable for integration into large, automated clinical diagnostic systems, it says. The AE2 Advantage vision engine provides a smaller (14.5 mm by 29.1 mm by 20.5 mm) form factor designed for tight integration inside the enclosure of OEM devices, it says. Both systems offer Cognex vision, alignment and code reading technologies in a product that can be held on the tip of a finger, it adds.

• Cognex Corp., 1 Vision Drive, Natick, Mass. 01760; 855/426-4639; cognex.com. 

Measuring mass flow

Spirax Sarco launched its MTI10 Insertion and MTL10 Inline Mass Thermal Flowmeter for measurement of gases and air. The MTI10/MTL10 provides accurate mass flow measurement of clean, dry gases and air using constant temperature sensing for fast response and low-flow accuracy without the need for additional transmitters or flow computers, the company says. It also is virtually immune to changes in temperature and pressure over a wide flow range, it says. In addition, users can install the MTI10/MTL10 View software for quick setup, monitoring and data logging of the flowmeter using a personal computer.

• Spirax Sarco USA, 1150 Northpoint Blvd., Blythewood, S.C. 29016; 800/575-0394; spiraxsarco.com.

End measurement station

CMC-Kuhnke’s EMS-2153 End Measurement Station provides automatic measurements for every characteristic of the can-end, which can save time compared with using manual gauges, the company says.  At the touch of a button, the EMS-2153 can automatically measure curl diameter, curl height, countersink height, curl opening, curl width, curl length, inside curl diameter, chuck fit, and first bead height. Featuring automatic end rotation, the EMS eliminates operator error, thereby maximizing accuracy, it says.

• CMC-Kuhnke Inc., 1060 Broadway, Albany, N.Y. 12204; 800/689-0661; cmc-kuhnke.com.

Conveyor drive system

Hytrol Conveyor Co. Inc. now offers its Unified Drive System with standard lead times. This quiet system, which is available in various models and drive configurations, requires little to no maintenance and features a compact drive that assists with lower elevations and obstacles, the company says. In addition, the system eliminates the need for drive chains, sprockets, chain guards, vent plugs, lubrication, alignment and tensioning, it adds.

• Hytrol Conveyor Co. Inc., 2020 Hytrol St., Jonesboro, Ark. 72401; 870/935-3700; hytrol.com.

JPro updates

Noregon Systems released driver and firmware updates for its JPro DLA+ adapters. The new drivers provide support for the ISO 15765 protocol through RP1210C on JPro DLA+ and JPro DLA+ wireless adapters and are available for download at jprofleetproducts.com. Support for ISO 15765 on the DLA+ PLC Adapter will be available soon. Installation of the new driver and firmware is required for the latest versions of Cummins Insite, Cummins PowerSpec and 2013 Volvo Trucks with Volvo Engines, the company says. As a new feature, the adapter firmware now automatically updates following the first diagnostic connection to the vehicle, it says. Automatic firmware updates are not supported when connecting to the Volvo Premium Tech Tool, it notes. Noregon also released JPro commercial fleet diagnostics software 2013, version 2, for the JPro Heavy Duty software module. The new version offers users the ability to capture repair order numbers, customer information and vehicle state using a checklist; automatically adds inspection information to the JPro Vehicle Diagnostics Report; and includes a vehicle health reports search feature to access playback files in a vehicle history as well as 2012 model year support in the JPro GM Module, among other features.

• Noregon Systems Inc., 7009 Albert Pick Road, Greensboro, N.C. 27409; 336/615-8555; noregon.com.

Synthetic lubricants

Ultrachem Inc. developed a new line of high-performance synthetic lubricants — the Chemlube Plus Series, which is designed for use in a wide variety of rotary screw and rotary vane compressors. As universal lubricants, the Chemlube Plus Series is fully compatible with most original equipment manufacturer rotary screw compressor oils and can be used to top off and replace existing fluids, the company says. The lubricants are made with a very thermally and oxidatively stable polyol ester blend, which was designed to take advantage of the lubricating properties inherent in polyol esters but also be economical by combining them with less expensive synthetics, it says. In addition, these fully synthetic lubricants are formulated to form less varnish under high-temperature applications and to be more resistant to acidic intake air than the polyalkylene glycol (PAG) coolants, it notes. Under normal operating conditions, users of the Chemlube Plus Series can expect to obtain up to 11,000 hours of lubricant service life in rotary screw compressors, it adds. The line is available in International Standards Organization grades 32, 46 and 68.

• Ultrachem Inc., 900 Centerpoint Blvd., New Castle, Del. 19720; 302/325-9880; ultracheminc.com.

Solid-liquid mixing

For high-volume solid-liquid mixing requirements, Charles Ross & Son Co. offers specially engineered powder induction systems coupled with an agitated recirculation tank. The Solids/Liquid Injection Manifold (SLIM) technology is based on a modified rotor/stator mixer designed to generate a powerful vacuum, the motive force for injecting powders directly into a fast-moving liquid stream under high shear conditions, the company says. The mixer is driven by a 25 horse-power explosion-proof motor and is equipped with a double mechanical seal. Its four-blade rotor turns at a maximum speed of 3,600 rotations a minute within a slotted stator head, simultaneously pumping liquid and drawing solids from the 2-cubic-foot feed hopper, it says. The mixture exiting the SLIM rotor/stator returns to a connected jacketed vessel through a 2-inch recirculation line, it explains. Two top-entering agitators keep the product uniformly suspended and heated within the tank, while Teflon scrapers attached to the anchor agitator wipe the dish-shaped bottom and sidewall surfaces of the jacketed vessel, it adds.

• Charles Ross & Son Co., 710 Old Willets Path, Hauppauge, N.Y. 11788; 800/243-7677; mixers.com.

Customer contact

Roadnet Technologies launched Roadnet Active Alert, a customer-driven add-on solution to Roadnet’s MobileCast vehicle GPS tracking software that delivers a proactive push notification regarding delivery status.  After signing up for an alert through a website application or smartphone application, the customer is proactively and automatically notified via text message, email or phone call of an impending item or arrival of a mobile worker. Six standard text message, email or telephone message options can be programmed with the Active Alert system for communication of the initial estimated time of arrival (ETA) before the delivery is dispatched, an updated ETA as the route progresses, an alert that indicates that the delivery is a few minutes away, a message indicating a successful delivery, an indication that the delivery was canceled, and an undeliverable message.

• Roadnet Technologies, 849 Fairmount Ave., Suite 500, Towson, Md. 21286; 410/847-1900; roadnet.com.

Cooling tower solutions

GEA Heat Exchangers GmbH’s new GEA 2H Cleandek KV619 cooling tower fill packs were designed for application in counterflow wet cooling towers. As a result of their open structures with vertical channels, these fill packs offer very little resistance to air flow, which enhances the efficiency of the entire recooling process, the company says. In addition, the microstructure of the surface assures an optimal water film and thereby supports effective heat transfer, it says. The fill packs also offer improved solids discharge at a low pressure drop, ensure minimal deposition and clogging, and reduce the risk of rotting and growth of fungi and bacteria, it adds.  The fill packs are available in various polypropylene qualities — including a flame-retardant version — in lengths of up to approximately 10 feet.

• GEA Heat Exchangers GmbH, Dorstener St. 484, D-44809 Bochum, Germany; 011/ 49-234-980-0; gea-heatexchangers.com.

Sustainability dashboards

The Kenco Group is helping its customers lighten both their energy costs and environmental footprint with new sustainability dashboards. The dashboards bring together an array of data to display progress on key facility sustainability metrics, including usage of electricity, natural gas and water; labor costs; and output of both landfill waste and recyclable materials. Baseline data on each metric is monitored to set goals toward lowering costs, reducing energy use, and producing less waste, the company says.

• Kenco Group, 2001 Riverside Drive, Chattanooga, Tenn. 37406; 800/758-3289; kencogroup.com.

Measuring taste

C.W. Brabender Instruments Inc., along with Kanagawa, Japan-based Intelligent Sensor Technology Inc. (Insent), offers the Taste Sensing System TS-5000Z for collecting taste data. The system employs the same mechanism as the human tongue through the use of artificial lipid membrane sensors, which imitate the taste reception of food goods and pharmaceuticals and interprets them as numerical data, the company says. The quantification of taste data is handled by original algorithms and can be displayed in various ways through a rich array of graphing tools, it says.  In addition to the evaluation of initial taste, the instrument also measures the richness, sharpness, bitterness and astringency characteristics of aftertastes, it adds.

• C.W. Brabender Instruments Inc., 50 E. Wesley St., South Hackensack, N.J. 07606; 201/343-8425; cwbrabender.com.

Two-stage enclosure coolers

ITW Vortec was recently awarded a patent for its two-stage cooling system Vortex A/C Enclosure Coolers. The newly patented Vortex A/C Enclosure Coolers in models 7770, 7670 and 7570 are large enclosure coolers with a cooling capacity of 5,000 British thermal units an hour, the company says. Their two-stage cooling system is designed to conserve compressed air, it says. During regular usage, the coolers utilize only the first cooling stage; however, when there is increased demand for cooling — whether due to high heat load in the enclosure, high ambient manufacturing facility temperatures, or hot weather conditions — the second cooling stage is activated, it explains. In addition, the Vortex A/C Enclosure Cooler model 7570 is designed for hazardous locations and is Underwriters Laboratories-classified for use in most Class I, Division 2; Class II, Division 2; and Class III areas, it adds. The newly patented products are part of the family of Vortex A/C Enclosure Coolers, which are 70 percent quieter than traditional vortex enclosure coolers, according to ITW Vortec. The company also has a patent pending on features used in all of its HazLoc Vortex A/C models.

• ITW Air Management, 10125 Carver Road, Cincinnati, Ohio 45242; 800/441-7475; vortec.com.

Reusable, rackable pallet

Rehrig Pacific Co. launched its new GMA Rackable Plastic Pallet, a 100 percent recyclable pallet made from a high-density polyethylene resin using high-pressure injection molding that prevents moisture and bacteria absorption, the company says. “We’ve engineered the GMA Pallet as a result of customizing innovative products and solutions that help our customers achieve a lower cost per trip, improve sustainability, and ultimately provide efficiency in every aspect of the supply chain,” said Jerry Koefelda, general manager for Rehrig Pacific Co., in a statement. The GMA Pallet meets current Food Safety Modernization Act and ePedigree traceability standards, providing the ability to track and trace product movement throughout the supply chain, it says. The monitoring system tracks temperature conditions, shock and vibration to lower the risk of liability due to product damage or loss, it adds.

• Rehrig Pacific Co., 4010 E. 26th St., Los Angeles, Calif. 90058; 800/421-6244; rehrigpacific.com.

New shrink labeler features

PDC International Corp. re-introduced its R-250 Evolution shrink labeler with new features that give it added versatility for food, beverage and sanitary environments, the company says. New construction features include a welded stainless steel frame and complete stainless steel construction. Designed for 24/7 operation, it uses PDC’s proprietary blade assembly, which serves as a longer-lived alternative to “spinning knives” and is designed to last for months, it says. Controlled by an Allen-Bradley CompactLogix programmable logic controller, touch screen and servos, the R-250 is able to apply full-sleeve shrink labels and tamper-evident sleeves to full or empty containers at speeds of 50 to 250 containers a minute, it says. Systems also can be built with optional modules for vertical and horizontal perforations; date coding; 1- and 2-D barcode scanning; sensor and verification package enhancements to identify jams downstream, fallen bottles, low air pressure, and other anomalies and provide detailed machine status indication; an articulating splice table for precise roll splicing; conveyors; and shrink tunnels, it adds.

 • PDC International Corp., 8 Sheehan Ave., South Norwalk, Conn. 06854; 203/853-1516; pdc-corp.com.