MATERIALS HANDLING | TECHNOLOGY
Material feeding equipment suppliers are continuing to innovate, as was demonstrated at the NPE 2024 exhibition. By Chris Saunders
Feeding the need for compounding efficiency
In the production of polymer compounds, equip- ment for the controlled feeding of bulk materials into compounding extruders is essential for main- taining production quality, efficiency, and cost-effec- tiveness. By understanding the functions, types, and best practices for various pieces of equipment, in particular dosers and feeders, manufacturers can optimise their processing operations and improve competitiveness, two aspects of increasing impor- tance in the current climate. At NPE 2024 in Florida, US, in May, Coperion
presented a variety of advanced processing components and solutions including the recently introduced ZS-B 70 MEGAfeed side feeder. This showed how feeding voluminous flakes and fibres (PET and other plastics) into a ZSK twin screw extruder can be done efficiently. This ensured recyclate with a bulk density as low as 20 kg/m³, previously considered intake-limited and thus not worth recycling, can be fed in large quantities into smaller sizes of Coperion’s ZSK twin screw extruders
www.compoundingworld.com
and be concurrently recycled and compounded. For feeding bulk materials, in most cases, loss-in- weight screw feeders are used, and their smooth operation is key to successful production, says Coperion. When recipes need to be adapted to new applications or a change in bulk materials is required, the screw feeder must be cleaned and, depending on the material, the screws changed. Normally, these have to be removed from the discharge point, which requires access from the front of the feeder. However, as several feeders are often positioned around a process inlet, access from the front is usually restricted. The feed and discharge couplings would have to be disconnect- ed and the machine moved out of position just to replace the screws. Even for experienced opera- tives, this process routinely takes up to 30 minutes, tying up manpower, delaying the restart of produc- tion, and reducing overall efficiency. Coperion says its patent-pending Proclean Rail, Prorate Plus gravimetric feeders offer an innovative
Main image: Coperion presented the new ZS-B 70 MEGAfeed side feeder at the NPE show
July 2024 | COMPOUNDING WORLD 23
IMAGE: COPERION
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