When plastic parts are subject to repetitive movement – such as mobile phone, PDA, business machine, and ATM parts – lubrication can mean the difference between smooth, quiet operation and impaired, noisy performance. Now you can eliminate the need for external lubricants by incorporating parts molded from internally lubricated plastic compounds from GE Advanced Materials. Its new LNP Lubricomp grades contain internal lubricants such as silicone, graphite, PTFE, etc., in the same thermoplastic base resin (polycarbonate/acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene, or PC/ABS) that has been popular for years in mobile phone shells. So plastic parts now can have the added enhancements of wear and friction performance. Contact: Christopher Tessier, phone (413) 448-6926. E-mail: christopher.tessier@ge.com

Extreme Bulk

A woven polypropylene, flexible intermediate bulk container may not look stylish to some, but it does to the Smithsonians Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum in New York. For its Extreme Textiles exhibition, the museum has suspended six Super Sack containers from B.A.G. Corp. in its garden off Fifth Avenue. The containers extreme strength, fabric and easy-to-handle design mean theyre used to transport some 30 million tons of product annually. The flexible containers – used for the shipping, handling and storing of dry, flowable products such as bulk chemicals and minerals – hold up to 4,000 pounds, with a 5:1 safety ratio. So a Super Sack rated for 4,000 pounds can test to 20,000 lbs. before failing. Contact: B.A.G. Corp., (800) 331-9200 or (214) 340-7060. Web: www.bagcorp.com

Gear Lube is Chlorine-free

Improved protection for mining and construction equipment is the idea behind new Conoco GLW, a specially formulated chlorine-free gear lubricant. It comes in three gear oil viscosity grades – 220, 320 and 460 – to maximize both the gear and oil life of heavy-duty equipment operating under extreme loads in heavily contaminated, wet environments, such as underground mining, open-pit mining and rock quarries. Other benefits, says the maker, include improved seal life and enhanced corrosion protection. Tests show that Conoco GLW oils can handle twice the load of competing fluids and will keep gear boxes clean and free of deposits, said Walt Silveira of Conoco-Phillips Lubricants. Web: http://lubes.conoco.com

Labels on Demand

ConocoPhillips, owner of the Kendall, Phillips 66, Conoco and 76 brands, has picked Reliance Label Solutions Vision label-generation software for its distributors to use on drums, pails, kegs and totes. Key requirements for the software were security, control over the database, and ease of use, notes Reliances Rich Earnshaw. Each brand may have its own identity and marketers, he says, so its essential that only authorized distributors can print any given label. Jobbers access the Vision system via ConocoPhillips secure web site, where their only label choices are the specific brands and products that each is authorized to sell. Only a secure file that cannot be reused is downloaded to the distributors computer for printing. Finally, the system tracks all labels printed and/or ordered, so ConocoPhillips can match them against its shipments. Contact Reliance Label Solutions at (800) 656-9476. Web: www.reliancelabel.com

Analyze This

Polaris Laboratories, one of the 10 largest fluid analysis companies in the U.S., is offering Practical Oil Analysis and Cooling Systems Maintenance, two courses for maintenance and reliability professionals. The four-day program will cover the knowledge and management tools needed to develop a practical fluid analysis program, to make a positive impact on a companys bottom line. Taught by experienced industry professionals, each course focuses on program goals, appropriate testing, selecting a quality laboratory, taking samples and interpreting results. Upcoming dates are Indianapolis, Aug. 15 to 18, and Houston Oct. 31 to Nov. 3. Contact: Jacque Powers, Polaris Laboratories, (877) 808-3750. Web: www.polarislabs.com

Automate Your Labeling

FKI Logistexs new Print-and-Apply Module is a self-contained, fully automated system that helps streamline and automate label printing and application in bar-code, RFID or hybrid ID environments. Using existing bar-code information, it queries a facilitys warehouse management system for the needed label data, such as from receiving or pick-and-pass operations. It then prints a shipping label which routes the box through a facility to its final destination. In situations where throughput requirements demand the automation of the print-and-apply function, the module can operate at rates in excess of 30 cartons per minute. Contact: Emily Steffens of FKI Logistex at (513) 881-5239. E-mail: emily.steffens@fkilogistex.com

Liners that Fit

CDF Corp., with over 30 years experience in plastic liners for many of the worlds popular shipping containers, has introduced Form-fit liners for intermediate bulk containers. Form-fit liners are cube-shaped liners designed to fit the internal shape of your container. They provide high performance in critical applications – such as top-fill applications using a bridge or automated filler; containers with no access doors for placing a liner at the bottom; high-speed fills; and viscous or inhomogeneous products that can get caught in folds of pillow-shaped bags. Theyre available in a variety of films, too. Contact: CDF Corp., (508) 747-5858. Web: www.cdf1.com

Better Cycle Oils

New Lubrizol 6844 engine oil additive tackles the unique demands of todays sophisticated 4-stroke motorcycle engines. Without using friction modifiers, its controlled and stable friction properties were tailored for motorcycle applications, with reliable thermal oxidative stability and excellent wear protection. Bench and field testing show that Lubrizol 6844 is highly efficient in lubricating engine, gear and clutch systems, where it ensures trouble-free performance, the company says. Recommended at 7.4 percent by weight, Lubrizol 6844 delivers JASO MA performance in different viscosity grades, and exceeds the JASO MA performance as per the 4-stroke motorcycle T903-98 specification. Web: www.lubrizol.com

Control the Zone

With its drive gears formed directly into the rollers, the PosiGrip Accumulation Conveyor has no separate sprocket or gears and no welded drive components. Its rollers are powered by quiet, synchronous belting in a positive drive. The system is suitable for both clean environments and for tough, rugged applications where non-contact between conveyed product is crucial. (And with no metal-to-metal contact, no lubrication is required, meaning no oily, messy components.) PosiGrips drive roller stops as product reaches the photo-eye at the discharge point of the zone, virtually ensuring that no contact takes place. The low-profile system handles unit loads up to 400 lbs. in each zone. Contact: TKF Inc., 726 Mehring Way, Cincinnati OH 45203. Phone: (513) 241-5910. Web: www.tkf.com

Near-dry Sawing

Near-dry sawing is possible with ITW Rocols new Accu-Lube 9045 Nozzle, a unique nozzle designed for large circular-saw blades from 30 to 120 inches in diameter. The nozzle, used with Accu-Lubes positive displacement pump applicators, applies a smooth coat of lubricant directly to the cutting edge and on both sides of the saw blade. It mixes lubricant and air right at the nozzle, not back at the applicator, so there is no lag time and no dry cutting. The flow of lubricant is directed out three ports. The mounting block provides for easy installation, blade changes and precise alignment. Contact: ITW Rocol North America, (847) 657-6185. E-mail: cfuhr@rocolnorthamerica.com