Introducing, DWM 2004

September 2004

Introducing

MACHINERY AND EQUIPMENT
Arlink Unveils Vertical Assembly Workstation
Info www.arlink.com or call 888/559-4441.
Arlink® of Ontario, Canada, has introduced a new vertical assembly workstation designed for window and door manufacturing. According to the company, the workstation’s ergonomic design and height adjustability allow operators to work within their ergonomically ideal “reach zones,” improving cycle time and the quality of finished work.

Arlink’s vertical assembly workstation is available in single-sided or back-to-back configurations and can accommodate work pieces from 24- by 24-inches to 48- by 48-inches. Larger work pieces can also be used on the workstation, depending upon configuration and weight.

In addition, users can choose either manual or motorized height adjustment, each providing 27 ½ inches of travel. The company claims the back-to-back model saves cost and floor space, allowing operators to work independently with maximum comfort and productivity.

Lockformer Rolls Out the Screen Express
Info www.lockformer.com or call 630/964-8000.
Lockformer Co. of Lisle, Ill., has designed the screen express, a new semiautomatic screen roller for window fabricators. The screen express, with its ability to automatically insert spline into tracks on window and door screens, can produce an average of 90+ screens per hour, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. According to the company, bar code scanning activates automatic frame fixturing for screen sizes ranging from 14- by 12-inches to 76- by 38-inches. Precision-welded 3- by 3-inch steel tubing and a top-quality sealed DC servo motor are used in the construction of the product.

Triple Seal Improves Cutting Storage and Loading System
Info www.tripleseal.net or call 416/798-2345.
Canada’s Triple Seal Ltd. has installed a European cutting storage and loading system in its Toronto manufacturing facility after adapting it for North American production requirements.

According to Triple Seal, the original design had two major flaws. First, the system’s extended arm couldn’t maneuver in the production space due to columns in the middle of the building. Second, the machine’s loaders were designed to pick up glass with suction cups, loading the carriage table from above. Unfortunately, such a process would damage soft-coated glass.

Triple Seal’s modified loaders have telescopic extended arms with the suction table mounted on it, allowing the loader to pass the columns and then extend into the racking system. Since the suction table can pass through the loading table with the rollers, it is possible to pick up soft-coated glass from the clear side and load it on the cutting table with the coating facing up, says the company.

In addition, the loader is now synchronized with automatic glass cutting tables, which can cut shapes with high accuracy and are equipped with edge-deletion systems for soft-coated glass. These cutting tables feature automatic optical laser alignment, causing the machine to check the position of a sheet automatically and cut it without any manual alignment.

IG EQUIPMENT
TruSeal Offers Quik-Dose
Info www.truseal.com or call 888/910-5280
TruSeal Technologies of Beachwood, Ohio, offers Quik-Dose™, a semi-automatic gas-filling machine for IG units designed to reduce gas and labor costs and increase unit throughput.

According to TruSeal, Quik-Dose reduces unit-dosing time during the IG manufacturing process from two minutes to as little as three-and-a-half seconds by injecting liquid gas. The company claims that filling with liquid gas is much faster than filling with conventional compressed gas cylinders because equivalent IG volumes of liquid gas are quickly dosed to the bottom of a unit via gravity, with less waste and turbulence than more
conventional methods.

FDR Design Updates Gasglass
Info www.fdrdesign.com or call 763/682-6096.
FDR Design Inc. of Buffalo, Minn., has updated its GasGlass product and created the Sparklike Gasglass-1002, a device for measuring the argon fill level of IG units. According to the company, the new version can make high precision measurements on site within seconds, giving the user immediate knowledge of the IG unit’s quality.
FDR claims the Gasglass-1002 can measure every IG unit ever produced, and can be measured several times over a period of time. In addition, each measurement can be logged with the supplied software.

Bromer Introduces IG Unit Rack
Info www.bromerinc.com or call 450/477-6682.
Quebec-based Bromer Inc. has constructed the I.S.S. (Insulated Sorter Skid), a returnable rack that can carry 20-50 pairs of lites or IG units.

The company says that since each piece is held vertically, loads are protected during transportation while remaining untouched. The base, vertical board and holding block of the rack are made of a special high-resistant nylon, further maximizing protection. In addition, a special arm system allows individual access to each piece on the rack.

The I.S.S. is equipped with a special pole system that secures glass and can be customized to hold glass of any dimension or thickness, according to the company.

ADHESIVES/TAPES
Q’SO Offers Instalam Sealant
Info www.qso-inc.com or call 866/232-2026.
Q’SO Inc. of Saginaw, Texas, says its Instalam sealants can make your window production operations run more efficiently. The product, which has a curing time of 30 seconds, has a fully automated application and requires no spacers, shims or secondary sealants, according to the company. The product adheres to polypropylene, fiberglass and vinyl, and can be tested within 24 hours.

Increase Throughput with Venture’s Security Glazing Tapes
Info www.venturetape.com or call 978/887-5419.
Venture Tape of Rockland, Mass., offers its VG1000 Series security glazing tapes, which the company says increases throughput and reduces work for window manufacturers. Inherent to the product is a differentially coated adhesive system which allows companies to stock window sub-assemblies for longer durations without the tape peeling away from the frame.

The tape is a 100-percent closed cell polyolefin foam tape with a glass-bonding adhesive on the liner side and an adhesive on the application side which bonds to PVC-U, aluminum and wood sashes. The VG1000 also includes a red filmic release liner which does not tear on removal as paper.

DISPENSING EQUIPMENT
Nordson Introduces DuraBlue 100 Adhesive Melters
Info www.nordson.com or call 800/683-2314.
Nordson Corp. of Duluth, Ga., has introduced DuraBlue100 adhesive melters, which offer full feature control for automatic dispensing applications. According to the company, the melters feature preset speed AC motors with high-output gerotor gear pumps for easy-to-operate, low-maintenance hot-melt adhesive application.

A release-coated grid and reservoir tank reduces adhesive degradation while maximizing adhesive throughput, while a large, accessible tank opening provides for easier filling and cleaning. In addition, a graphical-control panel and system-status display simplify programming and operation, and a seven-day clock allows automatic daily startup, standby and shutdown.

Nordson claims that installation and setup are made easy with quick connect hoses and guns. Single-tool, removable access panels, keyed electrical cabinet doors and disposable Saturn®-style basket filters provide straightforward maintenance.

DOORS/HARDWARE AND RELATED PRODUCTS
Vanguard Designs New Multi-Point Lock
Info www.vanguard-plastics.com or call 604/888-2511.
Vanguard Plastics Ltd. of British Columbia, has introduced the 2-point mortise lock, which installs in patio sliding doors, and includes a patented anti-slam feature, compact design and superior security.

According to the company, the compact 2-point mortise lock, constructed from hardened steel components, ensures that the sliding door cannot be rattled open by a burglar. In addition, the lock is easy to install because it does not require precise door-frame alignment and allows for.3 inches of height adjustment.

The 2-point mortise lock exceeds AAMA testing requirements for forced entry resistance, surpassing 1,200 pounds.