Composite Products Worth Seeing

Memorial Day weekend is upon us. Many of us will be taking a much needed weekend vacation, but these companies are not taking a break from unveiling new products:

Kohler hopes its new Karbon kitchen faucet won’t be a wash.

Kohler hopes its new Karbon kitchen faucet won’t be a wash. The product was designed to provide the performance of a pull-down faucet while also allowing the user to position and leave the sprayhead where it’s needed, thereby freeing up both hands for kitchen prep and clean-up tasks. The original design impetus of the faucet was inspired by lighting and construction equipment with articulating joints. The Kohler design team took this concept and constructed the product using a combination of traditional brass and innovative carbon fiber composite tubing. The company used carbon fiber because of its light weight and high strength, allowing for tight movement tolerance and high functional performance of the faucet.

Diversified Plastics, Inc. wants its high-precision component for the new Dynapar HS35R Encoder to be more than par for the course. The component, a shaft-sizing insert, fits within the encoder’s center bore and accommodates various motor shaft sizes, while insulating the encoder from external stresses. The insert is made from Ryton, a brand name for Polyphenylene Sulfide (PPS), a lightweight rigid material that can be molded or extruded. HS35R Encoders are used in machine applications that require precise shaft rotation such as industrial controls and robotics.

CompuDAS is taking control by expanding its Critical Process Control (CPC) product line.

CompuDAS is taking control by expanding its Critical Process Control (CPC) product line. The new CPC-8 is a small oven and autoclave control system that has two analog output channels, ten digital I/O connections and up to eight analog inputs/outputs. The data acquisition and control system has a compact design and comes packaged with the company’s CDClave program, which allows for oven and autoclave control by specific customer defined recipes of up to 20 segments. It also utilizes a superheat algorithm, which is meant to save time and energy during a cure resulting in lower costs and improved production rates. A secure PC connection allows for monitoring of processes remotely, minimizing downtime and costs.

Cooper Hand Tools is using composites to lighten a utility worker’s load. Its new Campbell brand hand line utility blocks are designed to afford utility personnel accelerated means of getting down from working heights. The blocks weight just over 1.5 lb each thanks to a fiberglass construction, which gives the products a working load limit of half-a-ton with a 3:1 design factor. To further accelerate process of getting lines up and workers down, the product also features a smooth rolling, permanently lubricated, 3 in. sheave that can run up to 5/8 in. rope.