machinery | Multi-screw extruders
Right: A Platex planetary
roller extruder from Takimsan of Turkey
and also reactive processing. Entex says it has sold numerous systems for production of thermoset resins, for example, with Hexion being a major user. Taking the example of its standard
extruder for calender feeding - the TP-WE 250/2000-M2 – Entex says that just one rotation of the central spindle creates a contact area of more than 12m2
. At a rotary
speed of just 50 rpm, this translates into exposure to a contact area of around twice the size of a tennis court each minute. Different designs of planetary spindles can be used to provide variations in mixing and residence times. On Entex extruders, the central spindle can carry up
Below: With residence times of up to 15 minutes, Extricom says its RE1XPV
RingExtruder is well suited for reactive processing work
to 12 separate cylinder modules. Through the use of intermediate rings, temperature, pressure and even colour of the compound can be measured, liquid additives can be injected, and material can be degassed between each module. Side feeders for solid additives can be positioned anywhere along the unit. An optional degassing cylinder module is available for processing compounds that produce high amounts of volatiles during compounding. Modules are available with diameters between 50mm and 650mm and with lengths from 400mm up to 1,400mm, providing output capaci- ties of between 2 kg and 50 tonnes an hour. In common with other planetary extruder makers,
Entex cites gentle material compounding as a key benefit of the technology. Other benefits include a broad processing bandwidth, and fast and trouble-free changeover between materials. Turkish company Takimsan is another supplier of
planetary roller extruder designs, focusing currently mostly on the Middle East market. Baris Eyigoz, Assistant General Manager, says the firm’s Platex system has been used on soft and rigid PVC, for mixing polyethylene with calcium carbonate, for produc- tion of wood-plastic composites, for plastic and cement mixing, and for a variety of other diverse
polymer mixing tasks. “Basically, if you want better mixing, planetary can chew it,” he says. “A lot of people still don’t know this system, even though it’s been around many years. [But] our Planetary Extruder performs at least ten times better plastification and homogeneity compared to twin-screw extruders.” Austrian machinery maker Battenfeld-Cincinnati
offers both single stage (PWE) and two stage (ZSE) planetary roller extruders in sizes from 140mm to 350/355mm, with outputs ranging from 450kg to 4,000kg per hour for PVC processing. Once again, it cites the good mixing properties, short residence times and high surface renewal as key technology benefits, claiming additional performance benefits for its equipment due to its integrated manufacturing approach. “Battenfeld-Cincinnati is the only manufac- turer that produces all machine components in a grinding process and thus achieves precise geometries as well as high-strength, wear-resistant components,” says a company spokesperson. Last year, Korea-headquartered NOX Corporation bought a PWE 250 single stage unit for a new facility in the USA. It is producing top-layer and decorative sheet for luxury vinyl tiles (LVT) and is running at output rates between 1,600kg and 2,200kg per hour. Battenfeld-Cincinnati says its ZSE two-stage
extruders are ideal for gentle processing and optimal dispersion of temperature sensitive materials. It cites its use in production of special compounds for applica- tions such as blood bags and medical tubing, transpar- ent PVC grades, and cable compounds. In the ZSE arrangement, the vacuum chamber between the first and the second stage is said to enable very efficient degassing of the polymer as it passes from the first stage to the second. ZSE machine sizes range from 140mm to 355mm with outputs of between 600kg to 3,600kg per hour in PVC applications. The company also offers the STARextruder, which
combines the use of an initial single-screw section to produce a homogenous melt, a planetary roller section
20 COMPOUNDING WORLD | June 2016
www.compoundingworld.com
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
