Graham Engineering Corporation to Show Innovative Medical, Blow Molding, and Sheet Systems Powered with Intuitive Controls at K 2019

July 29, 2019

Navigator® Control System Extends to All of the Company’s Brands, including Graham Engineering, Welex, and American Kuhne

On display at Graham Engineering Corporation’s K Show booth will be innovative extrusion-based systems for medical tubing, blow molding, sheet, and other applications, each equipped with a proprietary Navigator® control system for live demonstration of its accuracy and ease of use (Booth 16A71).

“Graham Engineering Corporation’s Navigator® control technology utilizes an industrial PC with a Windows® platform to enable intuitive, integrated extrusion process control,” said Graham CEO David Schroeder.

Real-time graphical display is a hallmark of Navigator control, noted Graham vice president of engineering Justin Kilgore. “High visual correlation between the touchscreen and machine function ensures an intuitive user experience that provides ease of use and a rapid learning curve for both new and experienced operators,” said Mr. Kilgore. “Powered by a friendly, open architecture that allows a high level of flexibility, Navigator control is delivered via hardware designed to withstand harsh industrial conditions such as vibration, electrical interference, high temperature, and humidity. The ease and ability to integrate is boundless. From synchronized supervisory control of a line to its open architecture that supports connectivity for data collection systems to internet for remote support and trouble-shooting, Navigator offers integration without limits.”

Originally developed for Graham Engineering extrusion blow molding systems and then adapted for Welex sheet extrusion lines, Navigator® controls are now available for American Kuhne extrusion systems such as those for medical tubing, profiles, and wire and cable. There are three levels of functionality: XC100 for stand-alone extruders, XC200 for one or more extruders in simultaneous operation, and XC300 for integrated production lines with the extruder and components such as a puller, bath, or winder.

Extrusion systems on display at the Graham Engineering Corp. booth will include:

• American Kuhne medical extrusion systems, including ULTRA MD systems, compact modular extruders, and other systems such as the tri-layer tubing line. This line consists of three compact modular extruders and the XC300 Navigator control with integrated TwinCAT® Scope View high speed data- acquisition system.
• Revolution MVP® rotary wheel blow molder. This system provides the benefit of high output molding with flexibility to produce a range of package sizes and quick mold changes. A key innovation in the Revolution MVP system is that each clamp station is independent of the others, with all forces self contained within the clamp. manifolds through the platens facilitate quick mold change, and individual clamps can be removed for offline maintenance to reduce downtime. This modularity enables the user to vary the number of clamp stations from 12 to 24 on the same platform and configure the wheel based on the application and bottle height.
• Welex Evolution® sheet extrusion system, a complete production line for use in sheeting, winding, and in-line thermoforming applications, equipped with XSL Navigator control. While the equipment on display at K 2019 will be for thin-gauge polypropylene, the Evolution system can be customized for widths from 36 to 90 in. (90 to 230 cm), gauges from 0.008 to 0.125 in. (0.2 to 3.2 mm), and throughputs up to 10,000 lb./hr. (4,535 kg/hr.). Monolayer or co-extrusion systems are available, with up to nine extruders. In addition to a customized stand, the Evolution system can also be equipped with screen changers, melt pumps, mixers, feed blocks, and dies. Additional features of the line on display include a proprietary -skewing mechanism for thin-gauge applications, maintaining quick change and electric gap adjustment under full hydraulic load without interrupting production.