MACHINERY | PELLETISERS
Right: A P-JSG400 dry cut strand pelletising system from Maag
die design and turbine style cutter hub allows one cutter hub to be used for multiple jobs, resulting in a cost advantage of up to a factor of eight, while operator safety has improved and operational duration doubled,” he says. “Thermally, this
combination widens the operational window, while heat losses have been reduced by 25%. In combination with the Heat Flux die plate design, the production window is further enlarged and operation improved for many sensitive materials.” The Pearlo system is available with either manual or automated blade-advance capabilities. In the fully automated Pearlo-EAC version, the blade advances during operation. Also new from Maag is the eXso centrifugal pellet dryer, which is claimed to offer higher throughputs in a more compact and easier to clean format. The eXso pellet dryer is suitable for use with both underwater and wet cut pelletisers and has been tested at production rates up to 8,200 kg/hr. A key feature of the eXso design is the three- door housing, which is said to allow improved access and visibility to the interior of the unit to provide faster and more effective cleaning to minimise risk of cross-contamination. The design reduces floor space requirements by around 20% and is quieter in operation (down to 80dB depending on the selected option).
Digital solutions
Right: Maag Group’s new eXso pellet dryer is
designed to save space and be easy to clean
Helm says the company is also seeing growing demand for digital pelletising solutions. “Our technology is focused on machine condition and wear monitoring, communication between the individual functional units of the system, and comprehensive documentation,” he says. Combining Maag’s XANTEC controls with systems to analyse data in real-time provides in-line pellet quality features, while the application of artificial intelligence results in improved procedural insight that can be used to optimise pelletising lines. “We are making progress towards our customers having more stable and transparent processes,” Helm says. Automation is a key
requirement for pelletising 42 COMPOUNDING WORLD | January 2022
systems used in almost all application areas, according to Coperion, whether that be high performance compound production or pelletising of recycled polymers. Frank Lechner, General Manager Process Technology and Research & Development in the Polymer Division at the company, cites automatic strand conveying as one example, providing the ability for safe start-up of the pelletising process without the need to touch or pull the strands. “A high degree of automation in [strand] pelletising results in no unnecessary production interruptions due to strand breaks. This increases the efficiency of the entire compounding system,” Lechner says. Coperion recently commissioned a turnkey system for Lanxess constructed around the company’s high-performance ZSK 92 Mc18
twin
screw extruder equipped with an SK92 die head and automated ASC strand conveying system from its Coperion Pelletising Technology division. The combination of the die technology with a high level of pelletising process automation is said to have enabled Lanxess to achieve higher throughputs in production of its polyamide compounds. Lechner says the SK92 die head incorporates an intelligent heating/ cooling concept, which results in a homogeneous temperature distribution that ensures strands discharge uniformly across the entire width of the die head, even at high
throughput rates. Optimised flow geometry in the die head further improves compound quality by reducing stress in the melt. The fully automatic
IMAGE: MAAG GROUP
strand conveying system takes the strands from the die head and guides them
www.compoundingworld.com
IMAGE: MAAG GROUP
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