“The ability to be flexible and the capacity to respond to change is a top priority for Meech,” explains Business Unit Director for static control, David Rogers, “and in that spirit we developed a new range of static elimination equipment as a response to customer feedback.”

“Feedback confirmed that our systems are often used in dusty environments, where airborne contaminants can affect performance when they build up on ionising bars,” he continues. “We designed our new bars to limit the effects of contamination and reduce the amount of cleaning required, while providing our customers with the excellent standards of static elimination they have come to expect from the Meech brand.”

Hyperion 971IPS static elimination bar
The first of Meech’s two new static control bars, the 971IPS (Integrated Power Supply) is a further development of the Hyperion 971 and allows users to run the long range ionising bar from a 24V power supply. It also borrows some of its features from Meech’s first true closed-loop Pulsed DC static control system, the popular 977CM, although in miniature form. For instance, Ion Current Monitoring technology allows the performance of the bar to be metered and also provides an alarm signal to advise the operator to clean the bar.

For many customers, the bars’ default settings permit quick and easy installation and use. But, for more demanding installations Meech has developed a remote programmer, the Hyperion BarMaster. “This remote programmer was designed to get the best performance out of the Hyperion bars,” explains David. “Connecting the BarMaster to the static bar enables the engineer to adjust the balance and frequency of the outputs to suit different operating distances, as well as setting the alarm parameters. Once the output has been optimised and the alarm levels selected, the BarMaster can be removed and used to program the next bar.”

While the standard version of the 971IPS bar provides great static control in general applications, for more complex installations where absolute accuracy of neutralisation is required, an advanced version of the bar is also available. This version includes two additional features. The first is an integrated distance sensor that enables the automatic adjustment of the ionising rate, dependant on the distance. This is particularly useful when the target distance is subject to change on production runs.

The second additional feature is a closed-loop feedback system. A sensor bar detects residual voltages on web paths and rewinds and communicates with the 971IPS unit to instruct it to tune its output, which ensures the best possible charge neutralisation for the current operating conditions, and gives very high accuracy control.

Hyperion 929IPS static elimination bar
Powered by 24V DC, the 929IPS is a plug and play bar that provides excellent ionisation for short to medium range applications, with target distances varying from 50mm to 500mm. Like its counterpart, the 929IPS has an improved design that is more resilient to the build-up of contamination which occurs during its use and also allows for easier cleaning.

The static bar is mounted with titanium emitter pins, which are resistively coupled to the high voltage supply. The resistive coupling makes the pins shockless to touch, which means the 929IPS is always safe for operators to handle. Another feature the bar shares with the long-range 971IPS is the Ion Current Monitoring technology that includes performance alarms and cleaning alerts.

Compatibility with the Hyperion BarMaster allows the engineer to modify the output settings, depending on their requirements. This adjustability is especially useful for close tolerance applications such as RFID converting machinery, or for improving long-range performance. “This option is unique,” says David of the BarMaster, “it has to be noted that this monitoring level of performance is not provided by our main competitors, who have no equivalent method of adjustment to provide optimum performance.”

Finally, the 929IPS is not only the most advanced of Meech’s new bars but it is also IP66 rated, which means it can be used in environments where they may get wet during washdown or through spillage, such as food packaging applications.

Hyperion 971 static elimination bar
Launched just six months ago, the first bar in the range, the Hyperion 971 features the reliable, pulsed DC technology used by Meech’s 976 bar and is simple to use, as well as being extremely easy to install. It is ideal for label presses, rewinds, or turret rewinds in particular and is also suitable for converting machinery.

Like previous designs, the emitters can be removed for offline cleaning or can be replaced individually, without the need to substitute the whole bar. Meech has also integrated and improved the compressed air-boost system, which permits better long range performance in particularly difficult applications.

While providing very powerful ionisation performance, the 971 static bar also has shockless emitters and is available in a choice of lengths of up to 4m. The bar operates up to 15KV as standard and provides highly effective long range ionisation typically from distances of 200 to 1000mm.

“ICE Europe is the first show where we’ll have the entire Hyperion range on display, which is a very exciting prospect for us,” concludes David. “We welcome all visitors to stop by our stand, where we’ll be happy to illustrate the features and benefits of our static control products firsthand.”