Maguire Receives a Patent for a Pneumatically-Powered Hopper Lid That Cuts Downtime for Cleanout of Gravimetric Blenders


'Loader Lift(TM)' for Maguire® Blenders Raises the Hopper Cover on Which Loaders Are Mounted, Increasing Productivity by Giving Easy Access to Removable Hopper Bins

ASTON, PENNSYLVANIA, U.S.A., - Maguire Products, Inc. has received a U.S. patent for a pneumatically powered system that speeds job or color changes for gravimetric blenders that have been deployed with loaders mounted atop the hopper lid, the company announced today. The patent number is 8092070.

The system, called Loader Lift(TM), reduces changeover time by lifting the hopper lid at the touch of a switch, providing easy access to ingredient bins without need to remove the loaders feeding them. Maguire has designed the bins to be removable.

The Loader Lift system is available for an added cost of USD $500 on new units of two of the most widely used Maguire blender models, the MicroBlender® (up to 100 lb., or 45 kg, per hour) and the MicroPlus(TM) (up to 350 lb., or 160 kg, per hour).

Once the Loader Lift system has raised the hopper lid and the loaders atop it, there is ample room for the operator to remove the bins. Two safety features prevent the operator from accidentally having fingers caught if they are resting atop the bins when the lid is lowered: 1) the lid cannot be lowered unless the operator presses two buttons simultaneously; and 2) a large rubber flange protruding from the rim of each bin leaves more than enough room for fingers even if the lid were fully lowered.

The hoppers bins are typically used for natural resin, regrind, color, and additive.

Company president and chief designer Steve Maguire provides a demonstration of the system in a streaming video about the MicroPlus blender at www.maguire.com/page.php/videos.htm

MAGUIRE PRODUCTS, INC., headquartered in Aston, Pennsylvania, U.S.A., is the world's largest supplier of gravimetric blenders and liquid color pumps and also manufactures loading systems, dryers, auger feeders, and related equipment and software. Its customers include injection, blow, and rotational molders, extrusion processors, and compounders. Founded in 1977, Maguire operates six manufacturing facilities in Aston. The company maintains a network of distributors in the Americas and overseas and has three sales and service subsidiaries that stock, sell, and service auxiliary equipment systems from Maguire and its affiliate, Novatec, Inc.: Maguire Canada, Maguire Europe, and Maguire Asia. Visit www.maguire.com

Maguire Products, Inc., 11 Crozerville Road, Aston, PA 19014 USA. Tel: 1-610-459-4300. pat@maguire.com. Maguire Canada, 299 Basaltic Road, Unit 1, Vaughan, Ontario L4K 4W8. Tel: 905-879-1100. info@maguirecanada.com. Maguire Europe, Vanguard, Tame Park, Tamworth, Staffordshire B77 5DY United Kingdom. Tel: 44-1827-265-850. paul@maguire-europe.com. Maguire Europe (Italy), Maguire Italia SRL, Via Cile, 14, 35127 Padova, Italy. Tel: 39-049-970-5429. Italia@maguire-europe.com. Maguire Asia, Maguire Products Asia Pte Ltd., 15 Changi North Street 1, #01-15, I-Lofts, Singapore 498765. Tel: 65-6848-7117. magasia@maguire-products.com.sg. Maguire Asia (China), Maguire Products Asia Co. Ltd., 7C-02 Majesty Building, 138 Pu Dong Avenue, Shanghai 200120 China. Tel: 86-21-588-23410. mpa@maguirechina.com.

Robert J. Martino

Martino Communications Inc.

8 Main Street / P.O. Box 379

Hastings-on-Hudson, NY 10706 U.S.A.

Tel: 1-914-478-0754

Fax: 1-914-478-0959

Email: bob@martinocommunications.com

Visit www.martinocommunications.com

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