DC Velocity - August 2012

rollouts

Molded foam cushions: Sealed Air’s new Instapak Tractor Mold system can produce up to 30 linear feet of molded foam cushions per minute—a volume that the company says is not possible with any other foam-in-bag molding system on the market.

The cushions the system creates provide good protective packaging for major appliances, furniture, and building products such as windows, doors, and cabinets, according to Sealed Air. The system is especially suitable for high-volume operations.

The Instapak Tractor Mold system can continuously create L-, V-, and U-channel cushions as well as low-profile shapes. It can be used with any of Sealed Air’s 14 Instapak foam formulations.

Instapak foam is created when two components are mixed together and react to create polyurethane foam packaging. The Instapak Tractor Mold system produces a large volume of custom Instapak cushions by feeding foam and film into a continuous mold tunnel, where the foam rises and takes the shape of the finished cushion. As the cushions exit the system, they can be separated with a cutting mechanism and integrated into the packaging line or batched for later use. The solution can be customized to meet a user’s specific needs. (Sealed Air, www.instapak.com)

Dock door: Door manufacturer Rytec Corp. has designed a rubber roll-up industrial door that can withstand constant exposure to dust, rocks, mud, and weather as well as everyday heavy use.

The Powerhouse SD door is made from engineered styrene butadiene rubber, the same material used to manufacture tires. Rytec maintains that the roll-up panel is virtually indestructible. If the door is hit, the Powerhouse SD releases without damage and is restored to full operation with the push of a button.

According to Rytec, the Powerhouse is faster to open and close than conventional metal doors. The roll-up design also requires less maintenance as it is designed without springs, counterbalance systems, and wear parts. (Rytec Corp., rytecdoors.com)

Paper packaging system: Storopack has announced improvements to its Paperplus Chevron paper-padding machine. Paperplus Chevron now produces paper padding at a speed of nearly 100 feet per minute—a 50-percent increase from the previous version of the machine. It also requires less material to fill more volume.

To create the packaging material, the machine unfolds a paper tube and processes it into flexible paper padding and packing filler. The padding strip is then automatically divided into sections. The machine is available as a tabletop model or on a mobile metal stand.

Paperplus Chevron can be integrated into the packaging station and packaging process in a variety of ways. For a standard packaging system, the paper pads are distributed to the packer through plastic tubes placed at an ergonomic working height. The machine can also be used with a conveyor system to supply paper padding to several packaging stations.

Another new feature of Paperplus Chevron is a special setting that reduces paper consumption for applications that do not require a lot of cushioning. This is perfect for packing light products such as medicines that may only need void-fill or top-fill. (Storopack, www.storopack.us)

Forklift battery: The Douglas Legacy Arctic Battery is designed to deliver optimal voltage, capacity, and service life for cold storage and freezer applications. It also protects against undercharging and de-rationing of capacity and charge acceptance, according to the battery manufacturer.

The Legacy battery has been integrated with an Arctic Electrolyte solution, which reduces the loss of capacity that is typically seen when batteries are used in cold storage and freezer applications, according to the manufacturer. As a result, the Douglas Legacy Arctic Battery can run up to 15 percent longer in low temperatures than a standard lift-truck battery, the company says.

The Douglas Legacy Arctic Battery features the newly designed Thermal Tray Insulator, which enables effective capacity and voltage levels, as well as enhanced performance of outer cells, in cold storage and freezer environments. The five-fold plate insulation system provides further protection.

Other features include flip-top vent caps for easy watering and reduced dripping of electrolyte into cell covers; trays protected with electrostatic baked-on epoxy to withstand corrosion and reduce voltage tracking, short circuits, and rust; and optional quick-connect cables that reduce downtime and maintenance. (Douglas Battery, www.douglasbattery.com/)

Mobile computer cradle: CipherLab has rolled out a new 3G cradle for its 8000 Series Mobile Computer. The 8001 3G cradle will allow the computer to connect to cellular networks.

The 8001 3G cradle is needed to connect to current 3G cellular networks. It provides download speeds of up to 14. 4 Mbps (HSPA+) and upload speeds of up to 5.76 Mbps (HSPA+).

The 8000 Series mobile computers combine scanning and data entry in one compact, lightweight handheld. They have been used for applications in the logistics, retail, and healthcare industries. (CipherLab, www.cipherlab.com)

Nestable plastic pallet: Cabka, a supplier of plastic pallets and boxes, has announced a new nestable lightweight plastic pallet. The CPP 100 weighs 12. 5 pounds and can handle dynamic load capacities of up to 2,200 pounds. (Actual load capacities depend on the type of unit load, size of the cases, and how it is secured to the pallet.)

The CPP 100 has a nesting height of 1. 2 inches. This low height saves freight costs and storing capacities as the nesting ratio has been improved by 25 percent. A 53-foot trailer can now hold 2,340 pallets, which is about 10 percent better than other plastic pallets on the market, Cabka says.