machinery feature | Twin-screw extruders
Xtrutech is expanding to handle increased demand for its compounding development lines
additional staff, and has moved to larger factory and office premises in Stoke-on-Trent. The move, which has trebled the company’s
previous factory space, will allow it to increase its machine-building and refurbishment capacity. Graham Edwards, managing director of Xtrutech, says that the company expects sales to double over the next two years. Edwards says Xtrutech has seen an influx of orders
for its XTS19 and XTS24 laboratory lines, including a variety of downstream ancillary equipment. Recent interest has been particularly strong from the composite materials sector. Xtrutech manufactures a range of twin-screw
be easily inserted into the processing section.” The defined preloading forces prevent
the melt from penetrating between the screw element and the shaft and thus help to avoid time- and cost- consuming dismantling and cleaning operations. Another highlight is the enlarged feed opening on
the side feeder, in response to the trend towards higher filling levels. There is also an option for easy conversion of the side feeder into a side degassing system. NFM has also been working on feeders. Its new “DSF”
side feeder technology for its TEM extruders utilizes a fine mesh filtration system to evacuate air from low bulk density fillers such as three-micron talc. This delivers “a dramatic increase in side feeding capabilities,” says business development manager David Camlin. “Feeding of low bulk density fillers has been a hurdle
for several of our polymer compounding customers,” Camlin says. “Standard material conveying and feeding methods in manufacturing introduce of a lot of air into the material. We’ve measured bulk density changes in some fillers starting from 25 lbs/ft3 packaged state to 11-13 lbs/ft3
(400 kg/m3 (175-210 kg/m3
) in their ) after
typical conveying and feeding methods.” This not only affects how the fillers flow and feed, but also creates free volume restrictions in the extruder, polymer melt temperature reduction, and increases in specific energy requirements, he says. DSF Technology evacuates air from the process, increasing the filler bulk density to over 20 lbs/ft3 kg/m3
(320 ) prior to it entering the extruder. This has
enabled NFM to successfully feed low bulk density fillers at over 40% of the total compound formulation without affecting typical production rates. UK-based Xtrutech reports that a strong increase in
domestic and export demand for its twin-screw extruders and replacement parts has led to an expan- sion of operations. The company has recently strength- ened its design and production capabilities with
44 COMPOUNDING WORLD | March 2015
extruders designed for R&D purposes. The XTS 19 bench-top line is ideal for smaller samples whilst the XTS24 and XTS35 lines are floor-mounted. “We are seeing a strong resurgence in demand for
laboratory and development equipment with the emerging and evolving technologies such as composite materials,” says regional sales manager John Hall. “We have recruited specialists in compounding equipment design and this allows us to offer an exhaustive range of laboratory extruders and downstream equipment supported by extensive process understanding.” The extruders can be configured for a single product
or for a wide variety with modular screw configurations and a variety of materials of construction for both screw elements and barrel liners. The machines being built to mimic larger production machines to facilitate scale-up and for ease of maintenance and spare part replacement. “All our laboratory extruders are supplied with a clamshell barrel,” Edwards says. “Our customers have identified this as an essential feature for development machines, as it allows you to see what’s going on inside the machine. It also makes cleaning and maintaining the machine extremely easy.”
Click on the links for more information: ❙
www.centuryextrusion.com ❙
www.coperion.com ❙
www.entek-mfg.com ❙
www.feddem.com ❙
www.icmasg.it ❙
www.jsw.co.jp/en ❙
www.kraussmaffeiberstorff.com ❙
www.leistritz.com ❙
www.mariscorp.com ❙
www.nfm.net ❙
www.polimerteknik.com/en ❙
www.steerworld.com ❙
www.toshiba-machine.co.jp/en ❙
www.xtrutech.com
www.compoundingworld.com
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