Extrusion International 5-2024

28 Extrusion International 5/2024 EXTRUSION TOOLING NEW 500 Series Rubber/Silicone Extrusion Crosshead  Guill Tool introduces the NEW 500 Series crosshead with MAGS gum space adjustment. The 500 Se - ries is designed specifically for the flow characteristics and unique pro - cessing challenges of elastomeric compounds. One of the key features engineered by Guill on this new crosshead design is the mechani - cally assisted gum space (MAGS) ad - justment system. This new method of gum space adjustment allows the operator to make an effortless ad- justment from a single point using a common socket wrench. No more need to struggle with multiple nuts and bolts in order to adjust gum space, which leads to faster adjust - ments. The visual indicator on the core tube allows the operator to see how far the gum space has been moved, making those adjustments much more accurate and repeat- able. The hardware-free and patented cam lock design of the new 500 Series from Guill means no time is wasted unbolting and re-securing fasteners for disassembly and re- assembly. Only half of a rotation of the cam nut is required to loosen and automatically extract the de- flector from the head body, which is another time saver. Also, with no undercuts on the deflector, there are no material hang-ups when extracting the deflector, allowing for faster and easier cleaning and changeover. The new 500 Series also features the latest Center-Stage concentricity adjustment system that significantly reduces pressure on the tooling, allowing easier and more precise concentricity adjustments without loosening the face bolts. Easy-Out inserts for the adjusting bolts also al - low simple replacement of locked or damaged adjusting bolts, which fur - ther saves on repair and downtime. Another innovative feature of this new rubber/silicone crosshead is a cast aluminum liquid-fed cooling sleeve that allows the user to switch out the cooling jacket in the event of a line obstruction, again reducing downtime compared to traditional integrated cooling systems. The new 500 Series crosshead with MAGS gum space adjustment is a drop-in replacement on most exist- ing NRM lines, however this cross - head design can also be adapted to fit any extruder design or line layout. The addition of a newly designed flow inlet channel reduces the shear and heat that is generated as the materials are being processed. This leads to lower head pressures allow- ing the material to move through the head in a much more balanced and even flow. All crossheads supplied by Guill are furnished with a tool kit for as- sembly and disassembly as well as a detailed operator’s instruction manual. The engineering team at Guill will gladly assist users in the implementation and operation of the new 500 series crosshead. For a video of the new Guill 500 Series crosshead with MAGS gum space adjustment: https://youtu.be/jeNovmMtcBs Guill Tool & Engineering Tom Baldock, www.guill.com Standardized OPC UA Data Exchange for Peripheral Devices  The connection of production machines and peripherals within the production cell is of central im- portance for production efficiency and quality. Standardized data ex - change offers optimal conditions for this through manufacturer-in - dependent communication. For this reason, the Joint Working Group "Plastics and Rubber Machinery" is developing the EUROMAP 82 speci - fication series for peripheral devices based on the global production lan - guage OPC UA. Two more parts of this series have now been published as drafts: • Part 4: Dosing systems • Part 5: Moulds As with the existing parts of the se - ries, communication from peripheral devices to the production machine as well as to higher-level control sys - tems is standardized. The specifica - tions cover parameters for identifi - cation and configuration, automatic login of the machine user to the pe - ripheral devices as well as the moni- toring and control of process values. In addition, the draft version 1.02 of Part 3: Liquid Silicone Dosing has been published. This version in- cludes additional parameters to op- timize standardized data exchange. The Joint Working Group has also started work on Part 6: Granulate Dryer Devices. Interested compa- nies are invited to actively partici- pate in the working group. The draft is available for public in- spection as a free download at www.euromap.org Guill Series 500 crosshead with Mechanically Assisted Gum Space (MAGS) adjustment… specially designed for the flow characteristics of elastomeric compounds