What We Do
Examples of projects and experiences that Kapex and its partner companies have worked on together:
- At Kapex manufacturing we are committed to providing effective solutions for our customer’s many process and manufacturing challenges. The personnel at Kapex and its partner companies have a reputation for innovation and product development helping our customers solve complex and challenging process problems. Kapex Manufacturing personnel have over 40 years of experience providing industry with mechanical system design, manufacture and build, start up and debug for a wide variety of processing systems, industrial machinery and equipment.
In the area of materials sciences we have introduced new metal matrix composites as well as ceramic coatings via thermal transition and laser deposition to our customers. Incorporating new materials technology in their equipment and processes decreased wear, decreased corrosion and improved heat transfer. We introduced customers to high nickel/carbide metal matrix composites formed via solid state diffusion utilizing hip cladding technology. We have also introduced composite metal matrix materials for the purpose of high heat transfer rate at the same time reducing high surface erosion characteristics, while maintaining a core of ductile metal for absorption of thermal growth and shock to eliminate the possibility of stress cracking due to thermal growth and excessive temperature swings during the processing of materials, such as aluminum castings. We have also worked with vendors to refine processes such as casting techniques. Casting inserts were redesigned to improve the flow of process material, reduce pressure drop, reduce formation of stagnant areas and to enhance the chemical and physical properties of the casting.
Casting insert for four cylinder engine block. A combination of a new material which replaced original H-13 part and a unique coating applied to this part after manufacture doubled the cycle life of the part in operation. This was the single most expensive perishable tool in the customer’s inventory.
These are distributors for funneling the flow of molten aluminum into the engine block mold cavity. These parts are ready for final post heat treat surface prep. The insides are cored for cooling water circulation. These are also a perishable tool for casting engine blocks.
- Our experience base includes the initial process development of several formulations of Low Vulnerability Ammunition working with Picatinny Arsenal, NSWC Indianhead MD. and HfMI at Stevens Institute of Technology. We worked with and ran tests on many inert simulants to produce LOVA formulations that later went into production for both the military as well as several commercial suppliers to the military. We also worked on the ASRM program (Advanced Solid Rocket Motor program) for the space shuttle using expertise derived from the Polaris program utilizing a Ko-Kneader mixing system with a Roto Feed de-aeration system coupled with a continuous extruder as a pump to move the material to the casting station. While the production equipment was built but never went into production (because the contract was cancelled for the convenience of the government), the live propellant was prototyped on a 10 inch Ko-kneader and 24 inch rotofeed and extruder system with exceptionally positive results. We were also involved in developing the MiGRAD (Mixing, Granulation and Drying system) for the manufacture of initiators and flare materials for several highly sensitive materials, such as Mag/Tef/Viton initiators for LOVA and other high temperature and pressure generating compositions. We also pioneered the manufacture of air bag propellants utilizing continuous twin screw mixers/extruders. This technology is currently the mainstay of the air bag propellant industry world wide. We have published several papers on the development of the equipment and systems for these and many other applications.
- We pioneered the development of manufacturing models and processing of solid agitators for various materials processing. We worked with highly technical groups to develop new technology for modeling process conditions such as rheological characterization, process flow, and mechanical properties during processing and physical characteristics of the in process as well as the final product. Some of the groups we worked with are HfMI (Highly filled Materials Institute) at Stevens Institute of Technology (Dr. Kalyon) who are renowned for their 3D modeling and process flow characterization, and who specialize in material evaluation. We co-authored several technical papers with HfMI and also built the Instron Clone at Picatinny Arsenal as well as the variable gap rheometer and squeeze flow rheometer used to characterize various process materials.
This is a CNC machined rotor for a polymer processing machine. They are machined from a solid heat treated billet of alloy steel.
- Kapex has the ability to design, engineer and reverse engineer almost any type of component required for a variety of machinery and equipment. We have a particularly extensive amount of experience doing this for batch and continuous mixers, extruders, presses, pelletizers and centrifuges as well as much of the ancillary equipment required to support these major pieces of equipment (dies - cutters - feeders - pumps - collection systems - deluge systems - hydraulic systems - motors - controls - sensors etc.) and have either the internal resource or relationships with other supplier facilities to have any part produced (reproduced) as required to support this effort.
- A recent typical controls project consisted of PLC Programming of a Palletized Conveyor System with a robot work station and data handling functions for a major diesel engine manufacturer. Wrote PLC logic for Allen Bradley PLC controlling the individual pallet motions along conveyor involving 31 stops and 18 lifts. The Pallet Delivery Conveyor accumulated and tracked part information on delivering piston sub-assemblies. The PLC logic included individual motion control of a robot workstation that was part of the conveyor system. PL control of robot allowed greater flexibility as the single robot actually involved two adjacent workstations. Two HMI control panels were configured and programmed as operator interfaces.
- We designed and manufactured the Universal continuous twin screw mixer/extruder currently in use at Picatinny Arsenal. This included the manufacture of the Hydraulic system which is a closed loop hydrostatic drive system and integral hydraulic open and closing system, with quick release capabilities in the event of a system over temp, over torque, or over pressure situation. The system has five levels of safety back up for these potential undesirable conditions (three electrical, one hydraulic and one mechanical failsafe) Also coordinated the installation of this equipment and supplied much of the manpower for the electrical interconnection, program modification and trouble shooting to get the system up and running.
Universal 40mm twin screw mixer/extruder capable of fully intermeshing co-rotating and counter rotating processes. Can also be configured as a single screw extruder. 25:1 L/D barrel length. Capable of up to 5,000 psi operation. Supplied with process controls and data acquisition system.
7.5mm mini twin screw set shown with integral gear set and bearings. Screws can be manufactured with an endless variety of screw configurations depending on the process requirements.
- Employees of Kapex and its partners have been doing design and manufacture of a wide variety of process machinery and equipment, including horizontal and vertical batch mixers for the manufacture of explosives, conventional propellants as well as LOVA propellants, continuous processing equipment, presses, dies, cutters, centrifuges, various rheometers and rheometric equipment, mixers , granulators and driers for various materials and auxiliary equipment to support all of these types of machines including their electrical controls.
This is a Squeeze Flow Rheometer that we designed and built, it has a servo control system for velocity control and strain gauges for measuring stress on the material being tested.
- We have also been instrumental in the development of new die technology that greatly reduces the pressure drop and enhances the flow in the processing of various materials. In one case, this allowed for an increase in production rate of an air bag propellant of 50% while maintaining the same safety characteristics of the older process. Additionally we developed a new energetic die for a press at the Navy that was used for the forming of a conventional propellant which reduced the scrap rate from 39% to 2% on average. The resulting die assembly was less expensive than the original design which had been in service for over 30 years. When we got the RFQ for this die, we were not asked to redesign it to improve process ability or reduce scrap rate. We were just asked to quote the manufacture of an existing design. When we looked at the basic design concept, (based on our experience) we immediately notified the customer that an improved design would dramatically improve the performance of the die and reduce the current scrap rate. After putting on a presentation to the management, they allowed us to manufacture the die to our design standard. The facility engineer got the cost saving award of the year from the Navy for this effort.
This is a die for extruding a 2.75 inch rocket motor using a continuous mixing extrusion device. The rocket motor is extruded directly through the die over a mandrel which produces a star shaped inner surface in the core of the motor. We designed and built this die assembly.
This is a multi strand polymer extrusion die with a computer generated flow path to equalize the velocity of each strand for uniform flow and cutting of the strands into pellets. We have designed and built dies of this type to handle rates from 100 pounds per hour to 10,000 pounds per hour of polymer, with strands from 5 strands per die plate to 125 strands per die plate.
