materials handling | Technology
Right: Coperion K-Tron’s
Electronic Pressure
Compensation (EPC) system is designed to improve
accuracy of closed
loss-in-weight feeding systems
feeder control system. “Depending on the particular set-up and requirements, sensors can be positioned on the feeder hopper and, if required, on the material discharge tube. The software implements self-optimising compensation for best performance and dynamics identical to those of our SFT load cells, which allows for highly accurate feeding results, even in systems with perceivable pressure fluctuations,” Burt says.
Precision dosing According to Pierluigi Mondati, General Manager of Penta, a Piovan company specialising in servicing sectors such as compounding, high precision material handling solutions have never been more essential. “Today’s compounders handle a wider variety of polymeric materials and work to more stringent levels of precision than ever before,” he says. “Operating at such a level requires the use of accurate, dependable and investment-intensive machinery. One of the latest innovations developed by Piovan particularly for applications with materials handling, dosing and mixing, is the Quantum gravimetric blender series. The ability to dose multiple ingredients precisely, such as virgin and recycled resins along with masterbatch and additives, in a one-shot homogeneously pre-blended component is an important step ahead.” Piovan has recently extended the Quantum range of
gravimetric blenders to four models. The company says each blender model offers flexibility in use, digital and mechanical protection of data, good weighing precision and blend uniformity, and high energy and operational efficiency. All use a proprietary control system, offering the potential for integration with WinFactory. The smallest Quantum blender, the Q7, has a
Right: Piovan has extended its Quantum gravimetric dosing range with the
introduction of the Q50
(pictured) and Q80 models
capacity of 1-70 kg/h, while the capacity of the Q12 is up to 150 kg/h. These two models have been in the market for some time. The new additions to the range are the Q50 with a maximum capacity of 550 kg/h and the Q80 at up to 800 kg/h. Piovan says that both permit greater flexibility in use together with high precision, even at small capacities. While the Q50 allows the operator to remove the dosing stations manually and switch them, the weight and size of the stations on the Q80 prevent this and it is primarily a ‘central’ blender. The precision of the Quantum range is the
result of two factors, says Piovan. The dosing station design is said to guarantee the repeat- ability of settings in each cycle while the mixer design ensures consistent results in terms of
66 COMPOUNDING WORLD | February 2016
blend uniformity. In particular, the Quantum mixer is claimed to prevent separation or layering of ingredients of different specific densities. “The same applies to the continuous premix of
powders such as fillers and pigments,” says Mondati. “The new Contiblend line of mixers features a deeper and intensive premix of the ingredients for an improved dispersion into the melted resin mass. Localised dedicated control of dosing and premixing phases allow a much more efficient and stable compounding process to be maintained, combined with a much higher degree of applicability and economy of scale.” Netherlands-based dosing equipment supplier
Movacolor has identified a number of issues that compounders need addressing in their materials handling systems. “Firstly, there is a continual need to reduce cleaning times,” says Movacolor Managing Director Gerhard Dersjant. “This means more direct dosing of additives and components into the extruder and less use of large mixers. Secondly, more accurate dosing is required due to the use of more highly concentrated
additives. Thirdly, the drive for traceability demands 100% gravimetric solutions. This means that all components dosed are registered in real time and stored for QA purposes.” In order to meet these requirements
for compounders, Dersjant says Mova- color has developed a number of blending and dosing systems and
monitoring software. The MCContinuous Blender is a modular in-line system that allows full gravimetric continuous blending system of up to 15 components to be controlled from
www.compoundingworld.com
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