Extrusion International 1-2025-USA

29 Extrusion International 1/2025 Provisional Patent for New Drivetrain for Reciprocating BlowMolders Filed Velocity Equipment Solutions, a leading supplier of packaging machinery, has led a U.S. provisional pat - ent application for an alternative drivetrain technology that will provide major productivity enhancements for reciprocating-screw blow molding machines. The new drivetrain technology is expected to replace tradition- al technology in current machines dating back to the 1960s, delivering a minimum of 15% energy savings over systems currently employed. “We believe this is a game-changing innovation that will provide major operational ef ciencies for blow molders,” said Tom Blaszkow, President of Velocity Equipment Solutions. “Energy represents the Number 2 cost for processors so this new technology will signi - cantly improve the industry’s bottom-line results.” Today’s more costly and inef cient drivetrain systems consist of some combination of hydraulic cylinders, hy- draulic motors, gear reducers, v-belts, and ball spline thrust bearings. In addition, this new simpler drivetrain will replace these components, yielding dramatically lower maintenance costs over the life of the blow mold- ing machine. A new reciprocating blowmolding machine equipped with the new drivetrain would cost less than a machine with today’s existing drivetrain technology, according to Blaszkow. Similarly, an existing machine retro tted with the new drivetrain would be equivalent in cost to a standard replacement. Velocity has completed the design of its rst machine equipped with the new drivetrain. It is slated for com- pletion by early second quarter of 2025 and has already drawn interest from potential buyers. The new drive- train will also be available as a retro t kit for existing machines. Velocity also announced plans to le a non-provision - al patent in February. Velocity Equipment Solutions LLC www.velocityes.com Medical Tubing Expertise on Display at MD&MWest Davis-Standard showcased in-house medical tubing capabilities with Maillefer (a Davis-Standard Company) and its longtime technical partnership with Conair and Zumbach during MD&M West in Anaheim, Calif.. Ma- chinery at the booth included a static silicone tubing line and a running four-lumen PEBAX line, and a run- ning three-lumen TPE bump tubing line and static Da- vis-Standard 2.5" 24:1 extruder. This machinery range promotes innovation that addresses market demand for tubing used in minimally invasive procedures, home healthcare applications, and wearable medical devices. The four-lumen PEBAX® tubing line merges the ro- bust in-house medical tubing technologies of Davis- Standard and Maillefer. The lightweight and elasto- meric properties of PEBAX® have made it a prevalent material choice for medical applications involving uid transfer, catheters, and balloon tubing. This running line included Davis-Standard’s widely used HPE extruder along with a Maillefer die, vacuum tank, puller/cutter, and conveyor. A Zumbach gauge system and servo air controllers, along with a Conair chiller and drying sys- tem, completed the line. Advantages include a coni- cal helically grooved die with ow divider for uniform distribution; precision vacuum tank control (below 0.5 mbar); closed-loop water system with an option to maintain temperatures up to 104 degrees Fahrenheit (40 degrees Celsius); and a compact puller/cutter with an intuitive HMI. DS-eVUE process control will provide intuitive feedback and control for showgoers to moni- tor line performance. Davis-Standard exhibited with technology partners Conair Group and Zumbach to run precision multi-lumen taper tubing used in cardiology applications. A Davis- Standard HPE extruder with XEL drive and control sys- temwas paired with Conair downstream equipment and Zumbach gauge controls to model this intricate process for producing three-lumen tubing for heart catheters used inminimally invasive therapies suchas pressuremea- surement, imaging, angioplasty, and stent placement. This process requires meticulous dimensional control of a changing taper tubing pro le as well as the pro les for each internal lumen. Customers had an opportunity to see how the multi-faceted technical features of each line component, from the extruder to the gauging system to the drying and loading system, make this possible. Davis-Standard www.davis-standard.com .