Pelletizing systems | machinery feature
developments in pelletizers
The latest pelletizers are safer to use, more convenient to work with, and use less energy. Here is a rundown of some of the most important recent developments. Reduction Engineering Scheer has just introduced a
new more operator-friendly, more cost-effective version of its original 3500 Series strand pelletizers. At press time, the company had yet to decide on a fi nal name for it. The 3500 Series is intended for medium-to-high
output compounding lines typically used by custom compounders carrying out long runs with products such as glass-reinforced polyamides. Depending on the model, they can handle outputs of between around 1,300 and 5,300 kg/h. The new model incorporates a different way to adjust the upper feed roll gap. Adjustments for gapping the rotor are forward facing and therefore easier for operators to access.
The machine also uses high-speed bearings made to
higher tolerances than before, which in turn permits closer cutting gaps when running at high speeds of over 2,000 rpm. Despite this, the bearings are less costly than those currently used, says sales manager John Sly. The rotor cover is made from a single piece of
formed stainless steel sheet. This keeps the cutting chamber more rigid than on older machines, which used covers assembled from several pieces of alumini- um bolted together. Sly says that the new version is more robust, easier to keep clean, and more resistant to everyday handling on the factory fl oor. All these features are compatible with the quick- change cutting chamber design that the company introduced at the beginning of 2014. The features have also been incorporated into the company’s latest design of pultrusion pelletizers for long-fi bre-reinforced compounds, which were launched in late 2013.
www.compoundingworld.com
Peter Mapleston rounds up the latest launches and news from an
international selection of leading specialists in pelletizing systems
The quick-change cutting chamber feature was
originally designed for operations running continuous polymerization lines that cannot be simply shut down. However, Sly says that many smaller compounding companies are now adopting the practice of having an extra cutting chamber, so that the line does not have to shut down for extended periods if any major mainte- nance is necessary.
The quick-change cutting chamber features a
gearbox that drives both the upper and lower feed rolls. “There are two U-joints between the gear box and the feed rolls, one driving each feed roll,” explains Sly. “This way, you get a better pulling force. It’s like the difference between a two-wheel drive car and a four-wheel drive.” Sly also highlights a development that was intro-
duced in late 2013, but which has since been given a facelift. He says Reduction’s JV strand dewatering units have been a huge success, and the company has incorporated changes to make them more cost-effec- tive. They are available in various sizes to handle from below 20 to over 50 strands, “We wanted to refi ne the design by integrating
technology we have in-house,” says Sly. “On the original air knife, we had a stainless steel water separating cyclone, but we have now taken this out and utilize a polyethylene cyclone that we rotomould on our own
January 2015 | COMPOUNDING WORLD 41
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