Contact:
Steve MaxsonVP Extrusion Systems
American Kuhne, Inc.
smaxson@americankuhne.com
(828) 304 8222
When
Wednesday September 15, 2010 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM with breakfast and lunch included
And
Thursday September 16, 2010 8:00 AM to 2:00 PM with breakfast and lunch included
This seminar will be held at the Porto Vista Hotel in San Diego's historic Little Italy neighborhood. One mile from the airport and just minutes from many area attractions. A free shuttle is available between 8:00am and 4:30pm which can transport you to and from the airport and area attractions. (619) 544-0164
The seminar registration fee is $395. Breakfast and lunch for both days are included with your registration. Accommodations are not included with your registration and attendees are required to make their own arrangements. Porto Vista hotel has extended a special $99 per night rate for registered attendees. Please contact Porto Vista Hotel to book your accommodations and mention the Medical Extrusion Seminar when making your reservation.
The Presenters
William Kramer
William Kramer is a co-founder and President of American Kuhne Corporation in Ashaway, RI., a manufacturer specializing in extruders, equipment, and controls for profile, sheet, and general extrusion. He has over 35 years of experience in the plastics and rubber extrusion industries, with positions in engineering, R&D, sales, and management. He was formerly Technical Director of the Davis-Standard Corporation.
Mr. Kramer has a Mechanical Engineer's Degree from Mitchell College in New London, Conn. He has presented many papers and published various articles on extrusion subjects. He received the "Best Paper Award" at the 1985 ANTEC for his paper on gearpump applications, co-authored the extrusion chapter in the latest version of SPI's Plastics Engineering Handbook, and wrote the chapter on Single Screw Extruders for the SPE’s Extruder Technician’s Toolbox.
Ed Steward
Ed is a co-founder of American Kuhne and is the Director of Process Technology. Prior to that he was employed at the Davis Standard Corporation for 24 years as the chief process consultant. His responsibilities include screw design and application along with processing related tasks that insure extrusion systems will meet the designated performance goals.
Bob Bessemer
Bob Bessemer has worked for several downstream plastics extrusion equipment manufacturers over the past 28 years both with engineering and sales. With major focus on developing sizing and cutting equipment specific to medical and Pharma applications, Bob has 6 patents. He has a degree from Penn State University in business administration, but maintains a focus on Engineering and development. Bob has written many papers and delivered seminars to the industry to help advance technology.
Keith Donahue
Keith Donahue is vice president sales and marketing for Zumbach Electronic Corp. He joined the company in 1987 as a field service engineer which started his over 20-year career of traveling extensively in the wire/cable, steel/metal, and extrusion industries to troubleshoot problems and to later consult for new applications. He has a BS degree in electrical engineering from Union College in Schenectady, New York, and an MBA degree from Villanova University.
Peter Neville
Peter Neville is president of B&H Tool Company, a leading manufacturer of thermoplastic and fluoropolymer extrusion tooling. He has owned B&H Tool for 17 years, directing the company's growth in industrial markets that include medical tubing, wire and cable, irrigation tubing, and industrial tube, hose and pipe.
Mr. Neville received a B.S. degree from the University of California Berkeley and an MBA from Claremont Graduate School. He serves as president of the National Tooling and Machining Association, San Diego Chapter.
Kevin Weaver
Kevin Weaver has twelve years experience with Zumbach Electronics Corporation and is currently Vice President Application and Sales Engineering. Zumbach is a leading manufacturer of precision measurement and control systems for Wire and Cable, Plastic Tube, Pipe and Profile, Rubber, Glass, Textile, and Steel and Metal application. Kevin’s background with the Company includes 6 years as Service Manager, 3 years as an Area Sales Manager, and now is responsible for directing projects and defining solutions for our customers through our sales network. Kevin came to Zumbach after working in the manufacturing industry with Georgia Pacific for ten years holding various positions from automation engineering to plant management. Kevin received his degree from Delhi University in Electrical Technology.
Steve Buckley
Steve Buckley, Extrusion Product Manager for The Conair Group, Inc., has more than 17 years of experience in project management within the plastics processing industry. He has held positions in project management and various sales and marketing management positions for auxiliary equipment suppliers for the plastic extrusion processing industry. His experience is with upstream auxiliary equipment including: gravimetric blending, pneumatic conveying and storage, automatic scrap recycling systems, drying equipment and gravimetric extrusion control systems for extrusion processors manufacturing: blown and cast film, sheet, pipe and tubing, profile, fiber, wire and cable and extrusion coating processes.
He holds a BS degree in Mechanical Engineering from New York Institute of Technology and has prior experience in mechanical design and project management.
Medical Extrusion Seminar
This two-day seminar, developed for process engineers as well as extrusion supervisors and technicians, provides an overview of many topics critical to the production of precise medical tubing.
See below for a list of presentations
Day One (9/15) Topics:
Compact and Modular Extruders.
The unique features of the Compact and Modular extruder designs will be discussed, including packaging, footprint, wipe-down features, screw, barrel, and feed liner changeover, and controls. Presented by Bill Kramer - American Kuhne.
How proper dryer maintenance can prevent dryer related material issues.
We will review how a desiccant dryer works and common issues which can prevent optimum performance. With this knowledge you can maintain your dryer and optimize its performance. Presented by Steve Buckley - Conair Group.
How optimizing your tip and die can improve your extrusion process.
We will discuss all of the factors that go into optimizing your tip and die including: area drawdown ratio (ADR), draw ratio balance (DRB), and land lengths. In addition we will discuss how to optimize these factors taking into consideration the polymers that a company is extruding. Presented by Peter Neville - B&H Tool company.
Why use weight and loss systems for medical extrusion?
We will first discuss how a gravimetric extrusion system works, and then discuss how it can enhance processing conditions to optimize weight per foot and thus material savings. Presented by Steve Buckley - Conair Group.
Screen pack and filter options for gels.
Gel and contaminate filtering options will be explained, including standard breaker plates with screen packs, candle filters, and a unique large area filter that fits within a normal sized head adapter. Presented by Bill Kramer - American Kuhne.
What has improved with Ultrasonic Equipment?
Ultrasonic measurement systems have come along way in recent years. Recent improvements in transducer technology, measurement signal processing, automatic calibration capabilities, transducer holder design allowing placement at the hot end of the extrusion line and dramatically simplified menu prompts have allowed these systems to be used more successfully in a wider variety of applications. Presented by Keith Donahue - Zumbach Electronics.
How vacuum can be used as a processing aid to enhance ovality and concentricity, with water temperature control to enhance material properties.
We will discuss why vacuum can enhance processing capabilities of all materials leading to tighter OD, ID, and Wall tolerances and improve ovality. We will also discuss why maintaining a specific water temperature to cool your extrusion is so important, and how it can be used to improve material properties. Presented by Bob Bessemer - Conair Group.
Screw design for high output applications.
Screw design basics will be discussed for high output applications as with FPVC or TPE high speed tubing. Different screw designs and their success with different materials will be included. Presented by Ed Steward - American Kuhne.
Why use a 3-axis OD Gage instead of a 2-axis OD Gage?
In years past, conventional 2-axis laser scanners were the norm for all tubing extrusion applications. However, these systems were at times proven to provide false data for both Mean Diameter and Ovality Measurement. The recent development of a 3-axis laser scanner has greatly improved the reliability and accuracy of Dimensional Measurement and Control for all tubing applications. Presented by Kevin Weaver - Zumbach Electronics.
Pressure control (without melt pump) vs. Melt pumps.
After screw design is optimized, there are still improvements to pumping consistency that can be performed on small extruders. Melt pumps are one device that can be added on to an extruder, but pressure control without pumps is also a viable control tool. Presented by Ed Steward - American Kuhne.
Blade/bushing designs to minimize particulates.
We will discuss how a blade cuts both flexible and rigid tubing and what effects blade shape, blade thickness, and blade material have on the cut quality. We will also discuss lubrication as a cutting aid and the importance of proper cutter bushings to aid in supporting the tube. And, discuss the use of air feed cutter bushings to aid in feeding/cutting extremely flexible tubing. Presented by Bob Bessemer - Conair Group.
Optimal flow path in the Head Assembly (Crossheads and In-Line Dies).
We will discuss all of the issues that go into an optimal flow path for crossheads and in-line spiders. These will include deflector design, internal volume, finishes, heat profile and land lengths. In addition, we will provide a list of criteria that attendees can take home to evaluate the flow paths of their current head assemblies. Presented by Peter Neville - B&H Tool.
Day Two (9/16) Topics:
Technology improvements with Fault Detection Systems.
Camera technology has been used for fault detection in other applications for many years. Recent advancements in signal processing and camera speed and resolution have enabled surface inspection systems to be successfully used in tubing applications. In addition, the introduction of a 3-axis laser scanner with faster scan rates has allowed these Systems to be used as a solution for fault detection in many applications. Presented by Keith Donahue - Zumbach Electronics.
Direct drive medical extruders.
New technology high torque low speed drives will be discussed and designs shown for medical extruder applications including advantages, features, performance characteristics, efficiency, and packaging. Presented by Bill Kramer - American Kuhne.
Tension control for tubing extrusion, why?
We will first explain how a tension unit works and how it has been used in the wire coating industry. And then explain how it is now being applied to high speed tubing systems to monitor or maintain tube tension to minimize tube shrinkage. Presented by Bob Bessemer - Conair Group.
When to use a belt puller versus a pinch roll and servo drives discussion.
We will discuss belt pullers and belts used for different extrusion applications. We will then discuss why processors sometimes use pinch roll units and why? We will also discuss vector drives and servo drives and why they are used and how they might benefit your process. Presented by Bob Bessemer - Conair Group.
Hot versus cold control for high speed extrusion, why? Test results discussed.
With today's higher production speeds, in-line Measurement and Control systems are required to be more responsive and more stable. The development of an in-line OD/ID/WALL Measurement and Control system to incorporate the proven concept of hot control has enabled manufacturers to achieve tighter tolerances, higher speeds, and higher CPK’s. Presented by Kevin Weaver - Zumbach Electronics.
Screw design for low volume microbore tubing applications.
Many medical applications require low output on a give extruder and the screw design approach to optimizing these situations will be included. Polymers of interest include Pebax, nylon, HDPE, TPE, urethane and fluoropolymers. Presented by Ed Steward - American Kuhne.
Servo Belt or Pinch Roll Gap Control, and why
When discussing variables in the extrusion process, most processors overlook the importance of belt or wheel gap, which can directly affect the puller speed and cut length. We will discuss how this variable affects the process and how eliminating the manual hand wheel and automating this adjustment can lead to a more consistent process. Presented by Bob Bessemer - Conair Group.
Feed section geometry (tangential, smooth, grooved)
Various feed section designs will be shown, geometries compared, and guidelines given for application. Extruder designs that allow for quick and easy changeover of feed liners will be shown. Presented by Bill Kramer - American Kuhne.
USB flash drives will be provided which include copies of all of the Power Point presentations given with the talks. These will provide a tangible reference resource for the future.
Seminar Cancellation Policy: Written cancellations must be received at American Kuhne, Inc at least fifteen (15) days prior to the seminar. American Kuhne will not grant refunds for cancellation requests received within the fifteen days prior to the seminar, or at any time thereafter. Substitutes may be sent in place of the registrant, with prior notification to event registrar. All forms of registration must be paid in full in U.S. Dollars prior to the seminar.
We reserve the right to cancel a seminar or substitute instructors. If American Kuhne should cancel, the attendee will be contacted as soon as possible prior to the seminar. American Kuhne is not responsible for penalty fees or any costs incurred by the attendee as a result of cancellation of the seminar.
