News & Events

Detecting Indoor Allergens

Following many years of working with the scientific and professional communities, IndoorBio wanted to offer its unique products and services to consumers, so it designed and developed the components used in the Ventia rapid allergen test system. Using patented DUSTREAM™ collectors that fit virtually all vacuum cleaners, an individual can collect dust samples from beds, upholstered furniture, and carpets. For complete allergen analysis, IndoorBio will analyze these samples for the most common allergens. (http://www.inbio.com)

Following our initial meeting with IndoorBio, Klann Plastics recommended a proven product design firm that was very familiar with designing parts for plastic moldability. During several design review meetings, we helped IndoorBio work through issues of product aesthetics, function, moldability and materials selection. We also recommended an outside partner for SLA prototypes to make sure the parts would have the desired appearance and fit. The observations from the SLA samples helped to tweek the final design of the four DUSTREAM™ components.

By sourcing building of the multi-cavity molds through an overseas partner, we saved IndoorBio more than $30,000 in tooling costs, compared with earlier quotes they had received. Since then we have continued to support their need for molded parts.

Investing in Green Technology

In January 2009, Klann Plastics took possession of the latest in molding technology-a Nissei FNX hybrid injection molding machine.

Nissei is a world class leader in the design and manufacture of state-of-the-art equipment for plastic injection molding. Klann owns 6 Nissei machines but this is our first Hybrid.

While electric-only molding machines have become popular in recent years because of their energy-saving features and process control consistency, the new Hybrid system developed by Nissei combines the best features of hydraulic and electric technologies, and offers the following advantages:

• Energy savings almost equivalent to electrics with up to 55 percent reduction in power consumption. Hybrids are eco-friendly and economical.
• Shot-to-shot consistency of key molding parameters translates into excellent stability and repeatability which means higher quality levels and fewer rejected parts.
• Lower overall maintenance costs. The Hybrid system actually has fewer critical wear points.

Finally, Hybrid machines are eco-friendly and economical. Their advantages are their excellent stability and repeatability and their low power usage-in fact, a savings in power consumption of up to 55 percent. An important side benefit is their quiet operation, which our operators love.

Klann Plastics to Supply Components For Astronomy Research Project

The U. S. National Radio Astronomy Observatory(NRAO) is the world's leading research facility for...well, staring into the heavens and beyond.

High in the Chilean Andes mountains, more than 3 miles above sea level, NRAO, in cooperation with Canada, Japan, and European partners, is constructing the world's largest radio telescope, consisting of 64 high-precision antennas. Known by the acronym ALMA (for Atacama Large Millimeter Array), this instrument will provide scientists with detailed images about the formation of galaxies, stars, and planets.ALMA will be 10X more powerful than the Hubble Space Telescope with the ability to observe galaxies in their formative stages at the edge of the universe.

Klann Plastics has been a supplier of custom components to NRAO since 1983 and we are proud to have been selected as a vendor on the ALMA project.

The Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA) VertexRSI test antenna (Image courtesy of NRAO/AUI and Photographer-Kelly Gatlin)	Artist's conception of the ALMA antennas in a compact array. (Image courtesy of NRAO/AUI and ESO)	Artist's conception of the Antennas for the Atacama Large Millimeter Array. (Image courtesy of NRAO/AUI and ESO)

SLA Modeling Reduces New Product Risk!

Inova Display Systems (Inova), a leading manufacturer of premium LED displays, wanted to introduce an alternative plastic housing for a new Ethernet clock product. Previously, clock housings had been available only as a metal fabricated part and painted to order, both expensive processes.

During our typical design review, Klann suggested revising certain features to simplify part design in order to improve moldability, thereby also reducing mold and molded part costs. Inova management was concerned with fit/finish/aesthetic considerations, so Klann suggested having SLA (stereo lithography) models made for each part from Inova's solid model CAD files. Less than a week later, Inova's Design Team met to go over the SLA samples provided by Klann, handle them, and evaluate how they fit together. As a result of this hands-on review, some dimensions and features were changed to improve the final design.

More and more, with advances in computer technology and 3D CAD software, low cost SLA modeling is becoming an essential step in the product design review and validation process. The SLA model is a very accurate replication of what the molded part will look like. Any need for changes can be addressed well before the mold is started; thereby avoiding expensive mold changes and delivery delays.

Key Benefits:

• Improve design validation/design review process
• Evaluate form, fit, function and aesthetics at an early stage
• Fast turnaround...molded part in hand typically in less than a week
• Inexpensive...typically $200 to $600 per part
• Cost savings...detect and correct design errors before mold work begins
• Faster product introduction...avoid delays associated with mold changes

1. Designing part via CAD software
2. Mold being made
3. SLA Mold created from CAD file
4. Molded parts in custom cliors
5. Finished product with plastic housing

Klann Plastics Receives Top Honors

Klann Plastics receives top honors...the Preferred Supplier Program Award from long term customer Virginia Panel Corp of Waynesboro, VA. The award was presented at Klann Plastics on Aug 31, 2004. The Gold Award is the highest ranking for the Preferred Supplier Program that Virginia Panel recognizes...and requires extremely high performance in quality, delivery, and overall service to achieve.