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www.psi-polymersystems.com SCREEN CHANGERS • MELT PUMPS • MIXERS • PACKAGED SYSTEMS What more can you get from your process? • Precise dimensional control • Better melt integrity • Stabilized output • Increased yield • Higher use of regrind Industry's most reliable Melt Pu mp From through-hardened gears to high-wear bearings to leak-free, anti-galling seals, PSI melt pumps provide you consistent, trouble- free performance, year after year. Join the ranks of processors turning to PSI and put us to the test. Discover how much more you can get from your process! Call today to ask for a no-risk trial! 1-828-468-2600 Don't forget to ask about our Pump Exchange program! FROM THE EXTRUDER TO THE DIE - PERFORMANCE GUARANTEED! • www.psi-polymersystems.com • sales@psi-polymersystems.com Cobot Adds a Seventh Axis Adding a seventh axis to its "human-friendly" robots, Universal Robots USA, Inc. (UR), showcased one of its six-axis articulated robot arms mounted to a Festo linear actuator at the recent Plastec West show in Anaheim, Calif. The Danish maker of collaborative robots (cobots), with U.S. headquarters in Ann Arbor, Mich., collaborated with German automation technology supplier Festo, (Hauppauge, N.Y.; festo.com) and German safeguard detection supplier Sick Sensor Intelligence (Minne- apolis; sick.com) to create a mock-up of a system whereby a single cobot could traverse between two molding machines. In a conven- tional automation system, UR sources said a seven- axis setup of this style would require caging and communica- tion of hard safety lines, including a lot of "hand- shakes" between the disparate pieces of equipment. But in this setup, a Sick area scanner detects the presence of people and slows down the robot's movements at a preset distance, with the ability to completely stop the traversing automa- tion if people get too close. The entire system was mounted on casters, enabling it to be wheeled to different cells in a plant. At the show, UR also displayed a glue-dispensing application from systems integrator SP Manufacturing Solutions, Valencia, Calif. In addition, UR discussed the creation of its online "Academy" as a free open-source development space where UR users can create and share software for the cobots. 844-462-6268 • universal-robots.com MATERIALS Bio-Based Blends for Home-Compostable Films Six new Bio-Flex blends from FKuR, Lexington, Tex., developed for fruit and vegetable bags, are said to be home-compostable and up to 40% biobased. Vincotte, the Belgian inspection and certification organization, has already issued "OK Compost HOME" certificates for these grades. Pilot tests with customers show that bags can be downgauged to 8 µm with these new grades. Most FKuR compounds are blends of PLA and a biodegradable copolyester. The new product range is comprised of translucent and opaque grades: • Bio-Flex FX 1803 (30% biobased), as well as F 1804 and F 1814 (both 40% biobased) grades are translucent. F 1814 also boasts increased tear strength. These grades are suitable for visually attractive printed packaging and packaging with printed IR codes. • Bio-Flex FX 1821 (10% biobased), FX 1823 (30% biobased) and FX 1824 (40% biobased) grades are all opaque. They boast very good tear resistance and toughness. 512-986-8478 • fkur.com ROBOTS @plastechmag 75 Plastics Technology N E W P R O D U C T S F O R P L A S T I C S P R O C E S S I N G