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ABSOLUTE ROBOT www.absoluterobot.com FULL SERVO ROBOTS PROVEN. AFFORDABLE. EFFICIENT. Max out productivity with the NEW MaxBW10. Check out our entire line of MaxBW full servo robots for machines from 320 to 1,600 tons. • Full servo 3-axis robot • Option for 5-axis full servo A+C • Suitable for IMM's from 500 to 800 tons • Vertical reach of 1500mm • Traverse length of 2500mm • Aggressively competitive price BLENDING Conair, Cranberry Township, Pa., has updated its TrueBlend line of gravimetric blenders, introducing the new Smart- Blend SB-3 control along with design changes that are said to eliminate material losses, optimize critical blends, and simplify cleanout and maintenance. The SmartBlend SB-3 control, which supports 16 languages, features a larger, 7-in. color touchscreen display, as well as intuitive graphics, easier programming, and more comprehen- sive monitoring and control features. The home screen displays current material levels and target-vs.-actual dosing for each attached TrueBlend feed hopper, as well as informa- tion about mixing-chamber material level and blender blade rotation. Conair notes it can maintain dosing accuracy of 0.025% for the total batch dispensed, thanks to its "feed- forward" dosing algorithm. The SB-3 control also features an expanded memory and can now store 3000 recipes and 4000 resin names. The SB-3 control allows users to produce company-wide reports for inventory, jobs, recipes, and more, using the Microsoft SQL Server over standard Ethernet networks. A virtual network client (VNC) offers user access to the control touchscreen from in-plant computers and Internet-connected devices or by Conair personnel for remote troubleshooting. A passcode-protected USB data port enables software upgrade uploads or downloads of batch statistical data. The touchscreen can be used to set parameters and control up 12 loaders and one pump for conveying to or from the blender, and it supports priority loading. The commonality of blender and loading controls simplifies operator training. In extrusion, TrueBlend blenders equipped with the Trublend EXT option combine gravimetric batch blending with extrusion yield control. Mechanical improvements to the blender include redesigned standard mixing chambers with taller, steeper sides plus all-around chassis seals to eliminate pellet leakage. The blades on the mixing impellers have been redesigned to ensure uniform mixing, and removable impeller assemblies simplify cleaning and maintenance. Flow-control valves, which have manual or automatic configurations, are now bottom mounted. A tapered mixing chamber is available as a new option on the larger True- Blend TB-250 through TB-900 models. Conair recommends it for critical blends that include material percentages less than 1%. The tapered chambers form a conical shape that eliminates any corners or dead spots. 800-654-6661 • conairgroup.com Blender Upgrades Control, Fine Tunes Mixing and Dosing 76 SEPTEMBER 2017 Plastics Technology PTonline.com Keeping Up W it h Technolog y