L.J. Star Wins LEAP Award for The MetaPlex^® Polymer Sanitary Windows

Contact: Gail Morgan
P.O. Box 1116
Twinsburg, OH 44087
Phone: 330-405-304

Twinsburg, OH – January 22, 2019 – L.J. Star, Inc. (www.ljstar.com), the leading provider of process observation equipment, was presented with a LEAP award for design innovation by Design World Magazine. Describing the product as “elegant and brilliant,” a panel of eighteen engineering experts awarded the MetaPlex^® Sanitary Window by L.J. Star first place out of more than a hundred entries. Specifically designed for applications where glass is not the desired choice, the MetaPlex^® sanitary windows is used in place of a glass sight window on tanks and vessels during chemical, beverage and other process applications. L.J. Star found a solution for replacing glass, which is not desired in many process applications, with a highly engineered polymer that could withstand the extremely high temperatures and pressures associated with many process industries, yet still retain the visual clarity of glass.

A MetaPlex^® sanitary window is formed by injecting the polymer into a precisely formed sanitary metal ring, which eliminates the dangerous weak point of the thin section that appears on competitors’ all-plastic windows.

The judges were extremely impressed with the engineering solution that eliminated the breakage common to competitive polymer products. Comments included, “Rethinking the obvious and developing an elegant solution. Sometimes simple things are brilliant… this is one of those work horse innovations that delights industry. A new answer to an old problem with the customer’s needs in mind.”

The LEAP Awards are sponsored by Design World Magazine (www.designworldonline.com) and parent company WTWH Media to “celebrate the most innovate and forward-thinking products serving the design engineering space.” Wining products were chosen by a panel of judges comprised of OEM design engineers from a variety of industries, along with other engineering experts representing mechanical and electrical design fields, according to WTWH.

The patent-pending MetaPlex^® windows provide a level of safety and useful service life well beyond that provided by conventional plastic sight windows. They are the only polymer sanitary window to withstand temperatures up to 134°C, operating temperatures to 100°C and operating pressures up to 150 PSIG. They also provide good chemical resistance to acids, alkalis (caustics) and alcohols. While other plastic sight glasses are meant for short term use during validation, process development and engineering applications, the MetaPlex^® optical grade polymer sanitary windows are durable enough for use even in CIP and SIP cycles, eliminating costly down time.

“We are very proud of our engineering team,” said company President David Star. “We identified a need in the marketplace for a glass-free sanitary window that could hold up to the precise standards of food/beverage processing plants. We are honored by this award and excited that we can provide our customers with this breakthrough innovation.”
Some of the unique features of the MetaPlex^® sanitary windows include:

• The only optical grade polymer sanitary window on the market that offers a stainless-steel ring
• Extremely strong and chemically resistant to acids, alkalis (caustics) and alcohols
• The only polymer sanitary window that can withstand:
  • Temperatures up to 134° C
  • Operating temperatures to 100°C and
  • Operating pressures up to 150 PSIG
• Glass-like transparency with enhanced safety
• Stronger than competitor units that are all-acrylic or polycarbonate
• The only non-glass sanitary window durable enough for use in CIP and SIP cycles

About L.J. Star

L.J. Star Incorporated provides an extensive line of process observation equipment – sight glasses, lights, sanitary fittings, and level gauge instrumentation. Product lines include METAGLAS^® Safety Windows, Lumiglas^® Explosion Proof Lights and Cameras, the MetaPlex^® Sanitary Sight Window, Visual Flow Indicators, Sight Ports, Sanitary Clamps, Magnetic Level Gauges and Gauge Glass. METAGLAS^® is the #1 selling fused sight glass, proven in thousands of installations around the world. Unlike some other sight glasses, it meets stringent DIN 7079 and DIN 7080 quality standards, and it is approved for USP Type I use. For additional information, or to request third-party documentation of standards compliance and product performance claims, contact L.J. Star Incorporated at www.ljstar.com.