www.crclarke.com

Industrial Equipment Range

CONTENTS

01Introduction

02– 05Plastic Strip Heaters

06– 09Vacuum Forming

10– 11Diamond Polishing

12-153D Dye Sublimination Printing

16Contact

CR Clarke Today’s technology for plastics

INTRODUCTION

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At CR Clarke, we have over 40 years ofexperience in the design and manufacture ofequipment for the forming and fabrication ofthermoplastic materials. Our philosophy isbased around having control of the entiremachine production process, from rawmaterials to the finished product, giving us aunique skillset and understanding of theequipment that we manufacture and support.

We embrace new technology, with many of ourproducts now including touchscreen controls,automated cycles and on-board diagnostics.Where we have applied technology to our range, we have kept in mind the coreengineering design, ease of setup, use andreliability that our machines have always been renowned for.

Our products go mainly into the educational,commercial fabrication and retail sectors, and we have customers across the world. We prideourselves on the personal approach that wetake to what we do, and whenever you contactus you are speaking with people who havehands-on knowledge of our products and theircapabilities.

For applications that fall outside our standardrange, from painting a machine in a corporatecolour to programming a particular automatedcycle, a customisation service is also available.

This brochure provides an overview of ourproduct range for commercial plastic productproducers. Detailed datasheets are alsoavailable on request, providing furtherinformation and specifications on individualmachines. Should you have any questionsregarding CR Clarke products or possibleapplications, then please contact us and wewill be happy to assist you.

CR Clarke is a global leader in the design and manufacture of thermoforming andplastic fabrication for the commercial and education markets.

CR Clarke Today’s technology for plastics

PLASTIC STRIP HEATERSInTRODUCTIOn

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The ProcessThermoplastic materials are insulating by nature.Therefore, when heat is applied to a local area, itstays in that area rather than spreading throughthe material. Once the softening temperature ofthe heated area is reached the material becomespliable, allowing it to be folded with minimalforce. When the material cools it returns to arigid condition in it new shape.

Our Hot Wire Strip Heaters provide accurate andcontrollable heat sources for carrying out thisprocess, and most are available with single ordouble-sided heating. Double sided heatingincreases the efficiency of a strip heatersignificantly, and can reduce heating times by up to 70%.

Our ExperienceOur first product back in 1974 was a strip heater.We have constantly evolved our range since thattime, and have supplied thousands of machinesworldwide. Items that have been manufacturedusing our products include:

• School and University projects• Point of Sale displays• Signs• Railway sleeper supports• Medical components• High temperature parts for the

aerospace industry

CR Clarke Today’s technology for plastics

PLASTIC STRIP HEATERSOUR RAnge

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Mid-Range Strip HeatersOur mid-range machines have a completelymodular concept, enabling them to be tailored to the specific needs of each customer.

Available choices include:

• Working length – up to a maximum of 2000mm• Maximum bend centres• number of heater beams required• Operation from one or both sides of the

machine• Bench mounted or freestanding on stands

with lockable castors• Wide Band Heaters with infra-red, ceramic

heaters for wide radius work• Temperature Controlled Contact Heating for

thin materials and low distortion bending

With any machine of this type, prompt deliverycan be crucial, and we have developed ourproduction systems so that we can respond tomost requests very quickly from a standard coreof components. This standardisation also helps to make machine maintenance as simple aspossible.

Single Bend Strip HeatersWe produce single bend machines which arecompact and very easy to operate. Machines usemultiple hot wires for optimum performance andconsistency. Working lengths of up to 1500mmare available, giving fabricators the ability toproduce a wide variety of components quicklyand efficiently.

CR Clarke Today’s technology for plastics

PLASTIC STRIP HEATERSOUR RAnge

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Elite rangeThe elite range is our flagship strip heater series,capable of producing bends in materials up to25mm in thickness and 3000mm in length.

Key features of the elite are as follows:

• A range of working lengths from 1250mm to3000mm.

• Double sided heating with up to eight heatingwires per beam. This allows maximumflexibility in setting for different material typesand thicknesses.

• Modular design, allowing each machine to beconfigured to the exact requirements of thecustomer.

• Maximum Bend Centres up to 2500mm• Up to six heater beams• Beam positioning system, allowing beams to

be moved in a parallel motion for faster setup.• Pneumatic material clamping with digital timer

control.• Optional Rear Table allowing the machine to

be operated from both sides, increasingproductivity

Elite DigitalFor customers where setup time is of theessence, our latest elite Digital machine isavailable with full touchscreen control of theheater beam positions, storage for up to 100user-defined presets, linear rails for smoothheater beam movement, and a unique twin-encoder feedback system with homing sensorsto ensure that heater beams are accuratelypositioned at all times.

AccessoriesTo complement our Strip Heaters we produce arange of folding jigs. These provide a simple andvery effective means of holding materials whilecooling, and are useful in both prototyping andproduction applications. We produce a standardrange of jigs to suit most purposes, and can alsodesign and manufacture fixtures for specificapplications upon request.

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Technology applied

Manufacturing quietnessWhen the Channel Tunnel between theUK and France was being constructed,we manufactured a customised versionof our elite strip heater for theproduction of cork-filled plastic channels,to provide sound insulation under theconcrete sleepers that support the track.

CR Clarke Today’s technology for plastics

VACUUM FORMINGInTRODUCTIOn

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The ProcessA heat-proof mould of the required shape isloaded into the vacuum forming machine. A flatsheet of thermoplastic is loaded and clampedaround its periphery. The material is heated untilit softens. The mould is elevated into the materialand the air between the mould and the sheet ofmaterial is evacuated, normally using a vacuumpump. Atmospheric pressure pushes the plasticmaterial tightly around the mould, producing anaccurate and detailed copy of it. Once cooled theplastic is unclamped and removed. It isimmediately ready for use or post-processing.

Our ExperienceWe have manufactured vacuum formingmachines since 1977. We have worked withcompanies around the world and our machineshave been used to manufacture many items,including:

• School and University Projects• Point of Sale Displays• Packaging• Transformer encapsulations• Toy Helmets and Masks• Remote Control Car Shells

For many years customers have screen printedimages onto the plastic sheet prior to forming,allowing them to produce items such as reliefmaps and contoured illuminated displays. More recently, flexible UV inkjet systems havebecome available, and our machines are in dailyoperation at companies using this technology.

Printed and Formed by www.fujifilm.eu

CR Clarke Today’s technology for plastics

VACUUM FORMINGOUR RAnge

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Benchtop MachinesOur benchtop range is ideal for prototyping orsmall to medium volume production. All of ourmachines in this range feature sliding ceramicheater systems, high quality filtered vacuumpumps and silicone top seals.

A range of sizes is available, with a maximumsheet size of 508 x 458mm and a maximummould height of 150mm.

CR Clarke Today’s technology for plastics

VACUUM FORMINGOUR RAnge

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Freestanding RangeThese machines are equipped with touchscreencontrol and multi-zone ceramic heater systems.Machines are available either with manualoperation or semi-automatic cycle with light-curtain guarding and pneumatic operation of the platen and heater system.

Machines are available in a range of materialsizes, including the popular 686 x 660mm and1372 x 660mm. Our Technical staff would behappy to assist you with any enquiries for theselarger machines, and to provide Datasheets forthe most suitable unit for your application.

Technology applied

Manufacturing high quality modelsThe production of polycarbonate shellsfor remote control cars requires accuratetemperature control and preciseapplication of vacuum to ensure highquality results on a production basis. Wehave worked closely with companies inthis market and our machines producehundreds of shells each week.

CR Clarke Today’s technology for plastics

DIAMOND POLISHINGInTRODUCTIOn

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The ProcessA high-speed cutter hub is fitted with diamondtipped cutters. These cutters are a combinationof polycrystalline diamonds to remove anyevidence of saw marks, and single-crystaldiamonds to generate a highly-polished surface.

The material to be polished is loaded onto theinfeed track of the machine, and then passedacross the cutter hub in a controlled manner by abelt feed system. each machine has a maximumthickness that can be polished, thinner panels ofmaterial can also be stacked up to this thickness.

The polishing process removes less than 1mm of material from the edge of each panel, andconverts a sawn edge to a highly polished finish.As this is a free cutting process no heat isgenerated, and therefore it is ideal forcomponents that are subsequently glued as,unlike laser cutting or flame polishing, it doesn’tintroduce any stress into the material.

As with all cutting processes, cutting swarf isgenerated. Our Diamond Polishing machines canbe connected to a suitable centralised extractionsystem to remove the swarf, or be suppliedcomplete with an independent extraction unit.

The diamond tips in the cutter hubs requireperiodic sharpening, and we offer a Serviceexchange Cutter Hub Scheme to assistcustomers with this. When a replacement isrequired, simply contact us or our localdistributor and we will send one to you. Onceyou have received and fitted it, return theoriginal to us for servicing. It will then becomeavailable for the next customer that requires one.The cost for the exchange (excepting anydamaged tools) is fixed, so that your runningcosts can be easily calculated.

Our ExperienceWe developed our first Diamond Polishingmachine in 1993, and have now built over 200machines that are in constant use worldwide. We have supplied over 7000 service exchangecutters for our machines. We have developedour machines during the intervening period toincorporate the latest control systems forreliability and longevity.

CR Clarke Today’s technology for plastics

DIAMOND POLISHINGOUR RAnge

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Diamond Polishing MachinesWe manufacture a range of Diamond Polishingmachines with a polishing capacity up to 55mm.All machines have precision, high speed spindlesand self-adjusting material transport belts.

CR Clarke Today’s technology for plastics

OVENS AND DOME BLOWINGInTRODUCTIOn

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Ovens and Dome Blowing machinesDome Blowing and Dome Blowing, drapeforming and press forming are all commonly usedtechniques when working with thermoplastics.We produce a range of temperature controlled,fan circulated ovens for the pre-heating ofplastics prior to fabrication.

We also produce Dome Blowing units in a varietyof sizes, with either manual or semi-automaticoperation with level sensing technology thatautomatically inflates the dome to the correct sizeand maintains the level while the material cools.

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CR Clarke Today’s technology for plastics

3D DYE SUBLIMATION PRINTINGInTRODUCTIOn

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The ProcessA component is lacquered with a polyester richcoating, to accept the sublimation dyes. A designis created using a computer, and printed onto aspecial transfer film using an inkjet printer loadedwith sublimation inks. The part is loaded into the3D Dye Sublimation machine, and the cycle isstarted. The cycle heats the film and thenvacuum forms it around the component. Acontrolled heat cycle then transfers the dyesfrom the transfer film, embedding them into thelacquer. When the cycle has finished, thetransfer film is removed, leaving a vibrant andhardwearing image on the surface of thecomponent.

Our ExperienceWe began to develop 3D dye sublimationequipment in 2006, and have producedmachines for blue-chip companies across the world, with installations across europe, north America and Asia.

examples of applications where our equipment has been used include:

• Skateboard components• Mobile Phone Covers• Laptop and Tablet Computer Covers• Consumer White goods• Sporting and Recreational equipment

Until 2014 we only manufactured brandedproducts and therefore there was no directadvertising of this part of our range. However,with changes in the marketplace, we now offer our 3D dye sublimation systems directly.

CR Clarke Today’s technology for plastics

3D DYE SUBLIMATION PRINTINGOUR RAnge

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3D Dye Sublimation MachinesWe have a range of machine sizes, with film sizes from 210 x 147.5mm up to 1500 x 480mm.Temperature control of the dye sublimationprocess is critical, especially when dealing withplastic components, to ensure vibrant imageswith no part distortion. Our machines havesimple but highly developed PLC control systemsto manage the transfer cycle and ensure that thefinished result is of the highest standard possible.

We also provide a range of high-qualityconsumables to complement our 3D Dyesublimation range, and can offer services for thedesign and manufacture of specific componentprinting supports if required.

Technology applied

Personalised printingOne of our customers for 3D dye sublimationis a leading consumer IT product producer.We installed a suite of machines across Asiaand north America for them and tailored themachines to suit their production process,including Poka-Yoke jig mounting systems,barcode generation and printing to integratewith their workflow, emailing of productioninformation from the machine to interact withtheir eRP system, and internet diagnostics sothat the machines could be monitored fromanywhere in the world.

CR Clarke Today’s technology for plastics

CONTACT

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Further informationFor further information on all our product rangeplease contact our sales team:

CR Clarke & Co (UK) LimitedUnit 3, Betws Industrial ParkFoundry RoadAmmanfordCarmarthenshire SA18 2LS UK

Tel: +44 (0)1269 590 530Fax: +44 (0)1269 590 540email: info@crclarke.co.ukTwitter: @crclarkeandco

www.crclarke.com

CR Clarke & Co (UK) LimitedUnit 3, Betws Industrial ParkFoundry RoadAmmanfordCarmarthenshire SA18 2LS UK

Tel: +44 (0)1269 590 530Fax: +44 (0)1269 590 540email: info@crclarke.co.ukTwitter: @crclarkeandco

www.crclarke.com