(Sanitized)

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: NGA Records (Formerly NIMA)
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP78B04770A001700020020-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 24
• Document Creation Date: December 28, 2016
• Document Release Date: March 1, 2005
• Sequence Number: 20
• Content Type: REPORT

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Declass Review by NGA.
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CONTENTS
1 Background of Company
2 Location
3 Description of Facilities
4 Foreign Trade Potential
5 Technology - Foreword
6 The LEVITRON System
7 The SUPER LEVITRON System
8 The SEPRATRON System
9 Research and Development
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STAT
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aA
STAT
being located Canada. Availability of all types of materials
in Toronto, is strategically situated in the
major engineering and industrial centre of
is second to none and personnel and equipment
of the highest specialization are available.
STAT
DES""CRIPTION 0'41F FACILITIES
design department, experimental and produc-
tion machine shop, photographic laboratory,
assembly area, quality control and testing.
The experimental and production machine shop
with its joint capability enables the plant to
handle an extremely broad range of fabrication
work, prototype and experimental hardware
being the primary responsibility. For contracts
involving high quantity production machining
D
draws upon the skills of the
many assorted production shops located in the
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The photographic laboratory conducts
complete photographic analysis and photo-
graphic quality control activities.
The research and development group are
used for investigations to determine best ap-
proach methods for the design of special purpose
equipment and other devices.
The assembly area stiff are equipped
to produce equipment made to the most strin-
gent clectto-mechanical and hndraulic const-
ruction specifications.
The plant work area is approximatelt
,,500 square feet.
16/35mm 41icrofilm Processors on the assembly line in our Toronto plant
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STAT
STAT
FOREIGN TRADE
II
Since company formation
has exported the major portion of its
production to the United States of America.
The company has not made an effort to sell to
other markets and foreign sales contacts have
been established only on a word of mouth basis.
Great interest in our products has been gener-
Film
Processing
Equipment
aced from man% areas in the world including
the United Kingdom, west Germany, Belguinn
and Sweden. Inquiries for our diversified lines
as well as for our research and development
services continue to broaden the scope of our
resources.
The potential market would be in the
with the advent of colour television and the necessity for
a high quality product in other fields, the
of air and liquid bearings has a good market potential.
(principle
The Armed Forces-and such groups as N.A.T.O.
where aerial reconnaissance is widely used.
Organizations who deal with the mass processing
of film of all sizes.
Television studios,- especially where conversion
to colour is being considered, with resultant need
for new colour processors to replace existing
black and white machines.
Photo finishing and microfilming establishments.
Sensitized photographic materials manufacturers..
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Materials
Handling
The patented I air bearing system with its
ability simultaneously to transport and dry material, when installed,
requires approximately one-third of the normal floor space required
by existing handling and drying machinery. This feature alone,
which enables a plant to obtain greater production per square
foot, has proven to be a very attractiv.: sales feature.
Research
and
Development
Manufacturers of coated paper products, thin plas-
tics, cellophanes, and other wide web materials.
Companies who handle and process wide materials
and wish to increase production and their overall
efficiency by replacing obsolete equipment with
modern and up-to-date systems.
Our research department is designed to provide industry
with facilities to develop specialized equipment, instrumentation
and components. Prototype apparatus is built and tested under the
supervision of our clients. We are interested in all areas of research
and development no matter how large or small the project.
Companies who do not have an "in plant" research
and development facility for new product lines and
process equipment.
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STAT
STAT
TECHNOLOGY
1961 to undertake research, development and
the manufacture of film processing equipment
and allied products utilizing the basic LEVI-
TIION air and liquid bearing principle. Since
the company's formation it has developed for
world markets a new concept in film and paper
for purposes
"LEVITROI " air bearing
of transporting and drying paper,
film and other strip material.
handling. Patents have been granted on the
I ,h:A'ITNON, SUPER LEVITIION and SEPRAT-
lION principles. vlany other systems and comp-
oncnts have been developed by
for specific applications in widely varied
industries. Our advanced technique of film
and paper handling is best explained by desc-
ribing each of the
"SEPRA TRON" straight
line multi-tank process for the development of
film.
STAT
STAT
STAT
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STAT
STAT
`LEVITRON" liquid bearings
designed for the purpose of processing motion
picture film.
principle of transporting and direction control
of materials supported only by air or liquid
cushion guide channels.
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THE SYSTEM
Primary advantages
O- NO MECHANICAL CONTACT NO MOVING PARTS
10, ELEVATED TEMPERATURE PROCESSING POSSIBLE 01 MINIMUM MAINTENANCE
? STRESS, DISTORTION AND SCRATCH-FREE FILM 10REDUCED MACHINERY SPACE
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Until the introduction of the Ll?VITRON
STAT
principle the generally accepted procedure in
continuous film processing machines was to
transport the film, in mechanical contact, over
moveable rollers from tank to tank and through
the drying chamber. This method of film hand-
ling, while satisfactory, could never contin-
ually produce excellent quality film. The
problems of chemical build-up with resultant.
film scratching, film stress, distortion and
chemical wear and tear on the hundreds of
moving parts are additional disadvantages of
many conventional film processors.
patented processes the design of machines
is such that during the film handling from dry
to dry state, there is no mechanical contact.
This new breakthrough in film handling has
reduced the problems of damaged film to a
minimum and has permitted the elimination of
hundreds of moving parts meaning that costly
machine down time and maintenance has been
reduced to very low levels.
Levitron 105mm High Speed Microfilm
1 Processor with automatic controls
W ii.h the LEVITRON air and ligai l
bearing the film is processed and at the same
time transported over stationary bearing surfaces
through which air or liquids pass and support.
the film. This has the effect of creating an air
or liquid cushion which, in the liquid section
of the processor, provides extreme turbulatiou
for developing film and gives an eveness of
development across the length and width sur-
passing existing methods.
The air bearing in the dryer. section
provides high impingement at controlled temp-
eratures and at the same time provides a medium
on which to transport the film from the liquid
section to ultimate film wind-up. In today's
advanced state of the art there is a continuing
requirement for the processing of film at high
temperatures and, with the resultant softening
of delicate emulsions, this elevated temperature
technique precludes the use of standard roller
type processors and any mechanical contact
transport system.
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In the LEVITRON system the web
material rides on, and is transported by, a
cushion of air or liquid. Both the air and liquid
cushions are introduced into the LEVITRON
system through stationary bearings.
These types of bearings consist of a
cylindrical member and two spaced apart flange
members, which can be adjusted for variable
widths. The cylindrical member has slotted
Le citron 16/35 mm Automatic Microfilm
Processor designed for daylight operation
openings through which the air or liquid supply
is distributed, thus forming the support cushion.
The spaced flange members are provided with
moulded air relief valves for "bleeding off"
excess pressure when the required riding height
of the strip material has been reached. These
bleed off channels are located in the flange
members and compensate for small variations
in air or liquid pressure, which ensures that
critical pressure regulation is unnecessary.
Until the introduction of the LEVITRON
bearing the drying and transport of coated stock
and other wide web width materials has been
made difficult by the necessity of not mechanic-
ally touching the coated surface while transport-
ing material during the drying cycle. The problem
has been overcome in the past by the use of
festoon stick and belt type dryers, as well as
others. All types require contact with the
uncoated base side, also considerably more
space is necessary due to their mechanical
inability to direct, without touching, the material
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into a compact, folded serpentine path while
at the same time applying high velocity impinge-
ment air for drying.
bearing allows the close folding and redirection
of coated strip material in any desired path by
virtue of its "no touch" air cushion feature.
This drying system does not have moving parts
in the transporting path. The complete elim-
ination of moving components results in reduced
maintenance and repair costs, and consequently
provides for increased production. Precise
temperature and humidity control are only two
of the many other features of this system.
An installation of a LEVITRON air
dryer instead of a normal belt or festoon dryi,r
would result in a 60% to 70% reduction of requir-
ed floor space. A potential increase in produc-
Levitron 70mm to 9Y2" Adjustable Colour Film
Processor with remote, automatic control
ally be allocated for a standard type dryer.
Multiple coating of strip material norm-
ally requires a number of single coating and
drying sequences. Each coating is applied
Lion speed can therefore be realized by the addi- separately, and completely dried prior to re-
Lion of further drying compartments or by the coating. By the use of LEVITRON air bearings
introduction of additional production equipment as a transport medium between stations, multiple
installed in the floor space which would norm- coating without interstage drying is achieved.
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THE
SYSTEM
Primary advantages
10, NO MOVING PARTS
? NO MECHANICAL CONTACT ` AUTOMATIC THREADING
ELEVATED TEMPERATURE PROCESSING POSSIBLE 10- MINIMUM MAINTENANCE
1I0, STRESS, DISTORTION AND SCRATCH-FREE FILM 101- COMPACT DESIGN
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STAT
The SUPER LEVITRON principle com- for the transporting of film. The system uses
I
of film handling with an unconventional method moving the film throughout the processing
Super Levitron self threading 16mm Film Processor designed for daylight operation
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"no touch" feature air and liquid cushions for transporting and
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sequence. During this time the film is floating
freely while travelling through the liquid
processing and drying chambers. Unlike the
LEVITRON principle of supporting the film
on a cushion of either liquid or air on one
side only, the SUPER LEVITRON supports
the film on both sides and transports the film
throughout the entire processing sequence
through air and liquid channels. It is these
channels and their unique characteristics as a
transport system which form the heart of the
SUPER LEVITRON system. Liquid is used as
the transport medium in the wet section. Air is
used as the transport medium in the dryer sec-
tion, as well as the link-over sections between
tanks. The film floats freely while travelling
through both process and drying channels and
without mechanical contact from feed-in to
take-up.
There are two equal pressure plenums
which feed through angle slots directly into
the film channels. The air or liquid flows
from the film channel through pressure relief
holes located at the film edge in the guide
channel and is exhausted into the return
chamber.
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When the film is introduced into the pressure relief holes its movement is limited
channel it is forced away from the angle slots by opposing pressure flow. The film will
by the pressure flow. When it reaches the therefore continue to maintain the central
Super Levitron self threading 70mm Aerial
Reconnaissance Film Processor of modular design
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position, as any deviation from the central processor is self-threading. In this system
position will restrict the flow from the angle the highest possible uniformity of processing
slot. on the near side and the increasing pres- is achieved throughout the width and length
sure will return the film to the channel centre. of roll film from the high turbulation of the
A state of equilibrium exists at this point and liquids and their controlled application onto
the film remains in a central position. The the photographic emulsion. The efficiency of
angled slot imparts a directional flow to the the drying system is extremely high, without
liquid or air, and the skin friction produced using elevated temperatures.
will impart a forward motion to the film
Because the only moving part within the
With the SUPER LEVITRON system of entire process is the film itself, there , is
utilizing the air or liquid flow to support and virtually no machine wear. Costly maintenance
move the film, a typical SUPER LEVITRON and down time is thereby kept to a minimum.
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The
Primary advantages
100, NO MECHANICAL CONTACT
jl~ ELEVATED TEMPERATURE PROCESSING POSSIBLE
STRESS, DISTORTION AND SCRATCH-FREE FILM
Sepratron 70mm straight line,
multi-tanktFilm Processor of modular design
10- NO MOVING PARTS
10FROM DRY TO DRY IN SECONDS
10- OFFICE EQUIPMENT STYLING
10- MINIMUM MAINTENANCE
SCHEMATIC DIAGRAM OF FILM PATH
(5) n6
Magazine
Input tension rollers
Develop chamber
' t'7. Dryqr chamber
Fix chamber
Ji.
5. Wash chamber 8. Takeout -drive rollers
6. Treatment chamber 9. Take, up
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t gstem
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STAT The SEPRATRON principle of film pro-
increased productivity.
The straight through film path impinge-
ment process, and an extremely efficient dryer,
combine to produce a high speed, quality
processor system whose time from dry to dry
can be measured in seconds. The core of the
SEPRATRON system is, the liquid module
which forms the basic unit. In this unit liquid
is supplied under equal pressure to upper and
lower module plates which are unitized. The
film path between the two module plates consists
of a slot extending through the length of the
the process chamber. The pressurized liquid
is forced into the film path area through opposing
impingement slots. The liquid then returns
through openings to the liquid reservoir via a
centrifugal pump to the impingement slots.
When the film is inserted into the film path
area it is supported and held in a central
STATessing also incorporates the
"no touch" feature along with another
new concept of film handling. The "straight
through" film path is utilized as opposed to
the generally accepted method of transporting
film in a serpentine path. The SEPRATRON
principle is based on a system of applied
pressure balance. Process liquids in proces-
sing chambers and air in air gates and the
dryer section are jetted onto a horizontally trans-
ported film strip in such a manner as to totally
support, process and transport the film without
mechanical contact, and at the same time avoid
chemical inter-mix. A great reduction in size,
plus lack of moving parts, has achieved in the
SEPRATRON system . design a reduction of
wear and tear maintenance and has greatly
decreased machine down time with the resultant
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position by the force of the impingement. action The use of air only throughout the section,
of the upper and lower liquid jets. plus proper temperature control with heaters,
The circulating liquids of the process
chamber are effectively confined by the addition
of air gates located at the entrance and exit
of the process chamber. Squeegee action of
these air gates prevent carry over and reduce
chemical inter-mix normally encountered in
standard film processors. The unique design
of the SEPRATRON air gate provides not
only liquid separation, but "touch free" film
transportation as well.
By connecting in series a suitable number
of process chambers (liquid modules), it is
possible to form a complete wet section of a
film processor.
produces a high efficiency impingement. drying
chamber capable of rapid and thorough film
drying.
Consistent high quality is provided by
the impingement action of the process liquids
during processing. The high chemical turbulation
of the SEPRATRON film processor system
avoids uneven development.
The SEPRATRON system of processing,
largely because of its ability to handle film on
a "straight through" path has been designed
in an office machine configuration. This
feature has been particularly well received in
the United States, where large quantities of
Drying chamber construction is based 35mm SEPRATRON microfilm processing units
upon the same chamber circulatory system. have been sold.
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STAT
formation, has developed a number of new
bushed by the company a number of machines
products which have attracted considerable have been designed and built to customer
interest in film processing companies and specifications. Some of these are as follows:
paper handlers.
_~ l~N FEEC ~~_
40 i COATING STN.
N.
NC' 2 ,OPtiNO StN
200 FEET - FESTOON STICK DRYER
60 FEET - LEVITRON DRYER POTENTIAL SAVING IN PRODUCTION FLOOR AREA
00
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A 70mm processor in a modular style to
handle double sided emulsion type film.
A processor for 4"x 5" cut film with
automatic loading and magazine ejection.
'COATING
;
STATION,NO I
MAIN LEVEL
VACUUM
BELT
r PEE
,s 8.4,13
DOUBLE COAlER O1T
k i f r r f { f y4 ~ {I rtr ~ ~ r ~ fi
~;~ 2r rN
An adjustable 70n nn to 9'2" colour film
processor utilizing the L1 VTTRON principle of
processing.
An automatic 5 minute closed loop 16mm
projection unit.
A dental x-ray film chip processor design-
ed to transport, automatically, x-ray film chips
from dry to dry throughout the entire processing
sequence without mechanical contact.
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STAT
A 16mm gun camcrr, processor utilizing
the SUPER LEVITRON principle.
A 105tu n microfilm processor with the
I,EVI"l'RON stationary air and liquid bearing
principle.
is working in of problems that occur in industries which do
close co-operation with the National Research
Council of Canada on the design engineering
and fabrication of a microwave film and paper
dryer. The company has also received innumer-
able small development type requests. from
manufacturing companies involving the solution
not have an "in house" research group.
to serve industry in the research and develop-
went of new products. The company's ability
to do so effectively is illustrated by its own
achievements and world wide patents.
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STAT
MANUFACTURERS OF
FILM PROCESSING EQUIPMENT
FILM AND PAPER HANDLING SYSTEMS
ELECTRONIC DRYERS
ELECTROMECHANICAL DEVICES
RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
SERVICES FOR INDUSTRY
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