MACHINERY | LABORATORY COMPOUNDERS
feeder selections for most major brands and can support up to three gravimetric feeders. Both the feeder and mixer are pre-configured with integrat- ed wiring and piping for ‘connect and go’ opera- tion. The PLC-based control system and touch- screen HMI includes a web-based supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) function, which enhances analysis and recipe building. The control system includes the ability to capture process parameters within any interval and generate reports. The CPeX provides the same temperature
Above: The Leistritz inline rheometer can be integrated to provide a constant
viscosity check in lab com- pounding applications
natural fibre compounds, as well as intake of differently sized feedstock and the often-low bulk density of the material, present numerous chal- lenges in laboratory compounding. In addition, when conducting feasibility and development work, it is important for the laboratory compounder to be flexible and allow for a variety of process conditions. It also needs to have a robust control and data acquisition system, as well as provide similar features to the production-sized equipment that the materials will ultimately be processed on when the development is successful,” says Paul Lloyd, President & Business Unit Director at the company.
Laboratory assets “Laboratory compounders are also an asset to colleges and universities for a polymer processing curriculum to provide students with valuable knowledge. A Farrel Pomini CPeX laboratory scale compounder is installed in the UMASS Lowell School of Plastics Engineering, where it is used for graduate and professional research utilising continuous mixing technology,” says Lloyd. The company’s CPeX Laboratory Compact
Right: Farrel Pomini’s CPeX Laboratory Compact Processor provides the same tempera- ture control capabilities as its larger machines
Processor allows compounders to conduct labora- tory-scale product development trials, extend product application portfolios, expedite time to market, and reduce development costs. It is designed for feasibility studies and other labora- tory work and is targeted at rates of 10-30 kg/h and is well suited for processing a variety of com- pounds and colour concentrates. The CPeX allows interchangeability between Far-
rel Pomini’s standard CP and XL rotors. The latter rotor has a longer ratio (10:1) and offers tighter temperature control and increased residence time. While most customers use the standard rotor format, the comparative capability is said to allow better determination of when using the XL rotor would be beneficial. The CPeX control system is configured with
42 COMPOUNDING WORLD | December 2021
www.compoundingworld.com
control capability as Farrel Pomini’s production-size machines. Two melt temperatures are monitored, one at the mixer discharge and the other at the extruder die. The mixing chamber also includes all the process features of the company’s production size machines, including mixing dams, liquid injection segments and venting ports. The mixer discharge orifice is designed to close couple the mixer to the extruder and allows for molten material to be diverted for evaluation prior to discharging into the extruder feed zone. The close coupled design also eliminates exposure of the melt to air, minimising the risk of oxidative degra- dation and making it suitable for trials processing reactor supplied powder resin and additive masterbatch. Farrel Pomini can also offer a variety of hard surfacing options for both rotors and chamber liners. “These proprietary surfaces also increase drag flow, improving conveying efficiency of the compound, which increase production rates,” says Lloyd. “In most cases, the mixing chamber can be supplied with replaceable hard metal liners. With a single-entry feed port, all materials are fed into the mixer separately, or as a pre-blend, while liquids can be injected directly into the mixing chamber. This straightforward feeding method eliminates the
IMAGE: LEISTRITZ
IMAGE: FARREL POMINI
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