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Issue link: https://pf.epubxp.com/i/213540
NEW PRODUCTS "If the brakes failed when the line was running, we'd have to shut down production, then go get a scissor lif and the necessary tools and materials," says Linetec Maintenance Supervisor Jon Brubacher. "It was quite time-consuming, and the line is down throughout the entire process." With downtime calculated at $1,500 per hour, these costs escalated to uncomfortable levels very quickly. The Linetec team put a single MagnaShear MSB6 motor brake with oil shear technology into service as a trial. Afer six months with virtually no maintenance and no failures, they were convinced of the viability of the oil shear design, and began formulating a plan for a capital expenditure to replace all of their dry brakes. Dry clutch brakes employ a sacrifcial brake disc or pad to engage the load and absorb heat—heat that will eventually degrade the friction material. As the friction surface wears away and begins to glaze, the spring force is also reduced, causing torque fade and positioning errors that require adjustment or replacement of the friction surface. Oil-shear technology now plays a major role in ensuring that the cranes at Linetec operate continuously. Since a fuid flm fows between the friction surfaces, as the brake is engaged, the fuid is compressed. The automatic transmission fuid particles in shear transmit torque to the other side, causing the station- Cutaway of a MagnaShear MSB6 motor brake with oil shear technology. ary surface to turn and bringing it up to the same relative speed as the moving surface. By the time the surfaces actually meet, wear is virtually eliminated. In addition to transmitting torque, a fuid recirculation system helps dissipate heat, while the fuid also continually lubricates the components, thus extending their service life. Oil shear technology has helped Linetec eliminate brake failures as well as dramatically reduce crane brake maintenance. And that allows the anodizing plant to run with virtually no crane downtime. In addition to increased production, the plant has shaved nearly two hours per week plus another eight hours per quarter from maintenance, cut $8,000 in annual parts expenditures and put an end to $1,500 per hour downtime. "We're very pleased with the performance of the Force Control brakes," says Brubacher. "We have not had a single issue with them since they were installed." For information on Force Control, please visit their website at Forcecontrol.com Sofware Enables Faster Paint Color Matching Short-Run Production Kit Blackens Parts Quickly EPi ofers a short-run production kit featuring its Kool-Blak 225 mid-temperature black oxide for in-house blackening. Kool-Blak is formulated to deliver a deep, smut-free black fnish without boiling caustic fumes. The short-run kit enables users to blacken parts in less than one hour, the company says. EPi, Electrochemical Products Inc. / 262-786-9330 / epi.com Datacolor has released Match Pigment 2.2.2, an upgraded version of its intelligent color formula sofware for paint, plastic, ink and cosmetic industries. The sofware's new and improved algorithms enable faster matching speeds for standalone systems and terminal-servers, especially those with large colorant sets. Each pigment combination is analyzed prior to matching, eliminating unfeasible matches and therefore improving process eficiency and saving time. In addition to faster matching speeds, the sofware's SmartMatch technology can quickly identify interaction between pigments and substrates, and enables multi-dimensional interpolation on palette point for faster, accurate frst-shot matches. Match Pigment also features stain matching for wood substrates, fexible color correction options, a Smart Calibrator function that evaluates pigment formulas and a contrast ratio matching function. Datacolor / 609-924-2189 / datacolor.com PRODUCTS FINISHING — pfonline.com 39