Maureen Redmond

Recent Posts

Powered Roller Conveyor Systems

Posted by Maureen Redmond on Oct 28, 2020 3:35:13 PM

The Powered Roller Conveyor System from Robotunits is a multi-faceted system that handles product transportation suited to your individual needs. It is designed for immediate use with any orientation or application, and can be combined with all products of the Robotunits Modular Automation System.
Special highlight: The integrated guarding block for Poly-V belts is an integrated part of the roller design and can be assembled without tools.

Facts Benefits
Fully integrated control units Plug & Play installation
Fully compatible in the Modular Automation System Accessible T-slots for attachments
Power transmission with Poly-V belts No additional guarding needed

Watch Video Here

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Topics: Industrial Automation, Aluminum Extrusion, Robotunits, Conveyors

Winders for Carbon Fiber and High-Performance Fibers

Posted by Maureen Redmond on Oct 27, 2020 9:42:12 AM

Winding fibers to produce bobbins or fiber packages is a necessary evil in many composite production processes. Winding is an intermediate step and does not contribute to the production of the final product. If possible, it would be preferred not to wind, and instead take the fibers directly to the final product.

However, composite manufacturing processes come in all shapes, speeds, and sizes, so integrating the composite manufacturing process with the actual fiber production process is impossible. Therefore, we are left with the task of winding the fiber to an easy to handle form to take it to the next process.

When winding carbon fibers in particular, there are three main objectives:

1 – Good build shape of package

2 – No twist in the fiber

3 – Minimal damage of the filaments

The means of achieving these properties vary depending on the type of fiber, number of filaments in the tow, sizing type/content and various other factors. This may require actual test winding, but typically we can assist you based on our decades of experience as well. Optimum winding parameters such as tension or wind ratios are difficult to determine without experience and our team of engineers can help you achieve the winding characteristic desired.

In this article, we would like to go over the different types of winders available and what applications they are the most fit for.

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Topics: Carbon FIbre, Carbon Fiber, Winders

Benefits of Non-Contact Jet Dispensers

Posted by Maureen Redmond on Oct 20, 2020 11:12:30 AM

A relatively new development in the world of fluid dispensers, the non-contact jet dispenser uses a jetting mechanism to drop fluids from a distance on to the substrate, so that the nozzle never touches the surface of the product. Jet dispensing is performed by high speed dot pulsations from the nozzle, therefore dot dispensing as well as connecting these dots to form line dispensing can be achieved.


These jetting solutions are developed by Musashi Engineering. Though relatively new in the U.S. market, Musashi Engineering is a global leader in fluid dispensing systems for industrial automation, and their product developers have fine-tuned their dispensers to provide the highest accuracy and lowest product rejection rates possible.

 

See some applications of the jet dispenser in this video. 

The guide below goes over some of the unique benefits the jetting systems can bring to the table, and also the various jet dispenser models available.

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Topics: Robotunits, Musashi, Jet Dispenser

The Importance of Monitoring the Tension of Fibers

Posted by Maureen Redmond on Sep 28, 2020 3:14:04 PM

In upstream composites production processes, it is often necessary to control a fiber 

or a band of fibers to an optimum tension value. However, identifying the correct tension is often overlooked, and production processes still utilize tensioning systems which were developed decades ago without much consideration.

If the starting tension at the creel is not controlled properly, then the final product may be constructed of fibers with varying tension. As a result, it will not fully utilize the strength of all fibers equally. This can degrade the mechanical properties of the final product.

 

 

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Topics: Carbon FIbre, Tension Control

Robotunits Conveyor Systems for Flexible Conveying

Posted by Maureen Redmond on Aug 21, 2020 1:35:43 PM

The main focus of the Robotunits technology is to offer quicker, more flexible, and more intelligent solutions. This is true in particular for the Robotunits Conveyors. The range includes high performance conveyors with a wide range of belt properties with or without cleats in different shapes and sizes. Accumulating, vacuum or magnetic conveyors and custom conveyors outside of the standard dimensions are also available by special order. The Belt Conveyor System is seamlessly integrated into the Modular Automation System: The extrusions and fasteners used in the conveyors systems are the same as the framework, making integration into equipment framework easy.

Izumi International can also integrate these conveyors into turn-key material handling solutions: for small scale systems which only require a single conveyor to large scale material handling projects requiring several conveyors.

There are a variety of conveyors in the lineup as shown below:

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Topics: Robotunits, Conveyors

The Essentials for Applying Sizing to Carbon Fibers

Posted by Maureen Redmond on Jul 20, 2020 10:29:26 AM

With the increasing variety of resin systems available for carbon fiber and other high-performance fibers, there is a growing need for development of sizing materials which interface well with each resin/fiber combination.

For the development of the sizing material, it is often difficult to experiment without obtaining un-sized fiber. Unless you produce the fiber in your own facility, in many cases it would be necessary to de-size the fiber first, and then apply the desired sizing materials.


Any handling process can damage the fibers, and de-sizing / re-sizing can be particularly abrasive to the fiber. Thus, equipment for this process needs to put this factor into consideration, and must be as gentle or even more gentle to the fiber as the in-line sizing process during the production of the fiber.

We can provide turn-key systems for single tow sizing development lines as well as multi-tow sizing lines for production scale output requirements. Single tow lines are scalable and configurable: in many cases they are compact table-top units. Production scale lines incorporate industrial-grade equipment, same as the equipment we provide for fiber production plants.

See below for some considerations for specifying the right equipment for the sizing line you may need.

 

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Topics: Carbon Fiber, Industrial Automation, Speed and Length Calibration, Robotunits, Tension Control

The Importance of Tension Control for Carbon Fiber Processes

Posted by Maureen Redmond on Jul 9, 2018 2:25:53 PM

The importance of the accuracy of the tension coming off of a creel or let-off is forgotten at times.  Extensive design effort is put into the equipment to actually produce the sheet or tube formed from carbon fiber, but in many cases the front end of this process is overlooked.

The accuracy of tension coming off of the creel can influence the mechanical properties of the part, and either enhance or degrade it depending on the tension control. In some cases, it is not the absolute value of tension which is important, but the minimization of deviation of tension between ends. A single tow of fiber with higher tension than the others could degrade a UD sheet or a pultruded part….etc.

We have many success stories from our customers implementing our creels. Uniformity and improved characteristics of a UD sheet or tape, better mechanical properties observed in a pultruded part, stronger filament wound products, and better strength in a woven fabric.

See the details below for further types of creels available.

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Topics: Carbon Fiber, Tension Control

Robotunits Conveyor Systems for Flexible Conveying

Posted by Maureen Redmond on Jun 12, 2018 2:44:17 PM

The main focus of the Robotunits technology is to offer quicker, more flexible and more intelligent solutions. This is true in particular for the Robotunits Conveyors. The range includes high performance conveyors with a wide range of belt properties with or without cleats in different shapes and sizes. Accumulating, vacuum or magnetic conveyors and custom conveyors outside of the standard dimensions are also available by special order. The Belt Conveyor System is seamlessly integrated into the Modular Automation System: The extrusions and fasteners used in the conveyors systems are the same as the framework, making integration into equipment framework easy.

There are a variety of conveyors in the lineup as shown below:

 

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Topics: Industrial Automation, Robotunits, Conveyors

Got ISO 9001 Equipment Calibration Requirements?

Posted by Maureen Redmond on Apr 23, 2018 12:59:55 PM
If speed and length calibration and verification with NIST traceability are a vital part of your ISO program, you need the proper test equipment to validate and maintain the accuracy of your production and process monitoring equipment.

 

A Portable Measuring Solution

At Izumi International, we produce feed rollers, nip rollers, pinch rollers, stretch rollers and driven winding systems designed to maintain a constant driving speed on fibers or web materials.  To calibrate our equipment, we built a portable calibration tool to quickly and accurately measure product length and the line/surface speed of rollers, webs, belts and product.  We realized this tool would also benefit our customers Quality and Maintenance groups that need to validate machine Line Speed/ Length displays or to troubleshoot and maintain their equipment. 

The PLSC-1000 portable counter provides a NIST traceable speed/length calibration system designed to be easily moved around and mounted to production equipment for test, calibration and verification of speeds and lengths shown on the production equipment displays. 

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Topics: ISO 9001, Speed and Length Calibration

G-Code Compatible 3D Dispensing Robot for Bio-Printing

Posted by Maureen Redmond on Jan 5, 2018 4:43:09 PM

The new version of MuCAD (the programmable dispensing software interface for the Musashi desktop robots) now includes a feature to create dispensing profiles from G-Code. This makes it possible to dispense 3D structures from three dimensional CAD data with ease.    

Musashi Engineering has been a leader of industrial dispensing and dispensing robots for over 40 years. Their vast experience with dispensing makes their equipment the perfect fit for bio-printing, which can involve a wide array of liquids with differing mechanical properties and viscosities. The equipment has been proven in the harshest industrial environments such as automotive applications or electronic applications, which not only demand high precision and high output, but required to be economically appealing as well. Refined over decades of industrial applications, Musashi dispensers and dispensing robots will provide the accuracy and affordability for your bio-printing needs.

Below are some further details on the G-Code enabled software for 3D dispensing, and other equipment that will aid in your bio-printing needs.

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