Technology | materials handling
Keeping bulk materials flowing
Higher precision and more capable
Unlike most other plastics processing operations, compounding requires accurate and reliable feeding of materials in a wide variety of sizes and aspect ratios if the final compound is to consistently meet performance requirements. The latest materials handling equipment developments are designed to ensure that often challenging materials – such as agglomerating powders and natural fibres - are delivered to the extruder with ever higher levels of dosing precision. Brabender Technologie has launched a new fibre
feeder for improved handling of long and uneven fibres. While conventional feeders tend to be limited to handling short and compact bundles of fibres, such as glass fibres, the company says the new feeder is capable of accurately metering natural fibres, wood fibres, long carbon fibres and film chips. It can be used for metering fillers and fibres in compounding installations or for use in wood-plastic composite production processes. According to Brabender, the ability to feed the long
fibres is due to the use of a special fibre feed screw, a large steep walled hopper, and a novel design and optimised positioning of the stirring agitator. The design is claimed to force feed the ingredients into the screw. However, because the flow characteristics of natural fibre ingredients differ significantly, the design can be tailored to individual applications through the adjustment of the ratio of feed screw and stirring agitator speeds. The company says its CM plus or CB plus controllers can
www.compoundingworld.com
feeding units, coupled with advances in metering and drying technology, are among the latest options for
handling material in the compounding plant. Mark Holmes reports
optimise the speed ratio following feeding trials in its laboratory and adjustment during feeder start-up. “We are certain that we have hit the right spot in the
market with this innovation,” says Brabender Technolo- gie Managing Director Horst Vohwinkel. “With the fibre feeder, we are not only resolving a well-known feeding problem, but are also opening up new ways of process- ing materials that have up to now been considered unfeedable.” Improved metering is the aim for the Smart Flow
Meter from Coperion K-Tron. The company claims the unit offers reliable metering, registering and monitoring of bulk material flows at feed rates of up to 200,000 dm³/h (7,000 ft³/h). The Smart Flow Meter is said to be cheaper to buy than a typical large loss-in-weight feeder, while also offering lower maintenance costs and reduced headroom in the plant. Two models are available: K-SFM-275-B and K-SFM-350-B, depending on application requirements. A typical application for the Smart Flow Meter is PE resin pelletising processes, where the device accurately
February 2017 | COMPOUNDING WORLD 35
Main image: Piovan Group
company Penta offers custom bulk handling solutions for
compounding plant operators
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88
