TECHNOLOGY | MELT FILTRATION
Right: Non- stop Filter from BB Engineering
alternative to widely spread cleaning with TEG and a solution to reduce the filter cleaning costs by over 50%,” said Schmitz. “WFC uses nothing but superheated steam to free the filter cartridges from polymer and contamination via hydrolysis. A quick switch over between production and cleaning reduces manpower to a minimum and guarantees reliable availability of the filtration.”
Finer filtration Gneuss, the family-owned melt filtration specialist based in Bad Oeynhausen, Germany, has retrofit- ted its melt filtration systems to a large number of existing LDPE/LLDPE recy- cling extrusion lines. The company said it can offer complete retrofit packages consisting of a filtration system, melt pump, and integrated control system, to maintain ease of operation with minimal disruption.
Gneuss – which marked its 40th anniversary with a two-day event last November – recently worked with Spanish waste management special- ist Llorens GMR, which mainly deals with the collection and preparation of industrial waste. As part of its operation, the Barcelona-based com- pany has a relatively new extrusion line for reprocessing post-industrial LDPE and LLDPE waste film. However, the original equipment was unable to
Below: Fimic’s new SPA 190 screw pump
remove enough critical contaminants, so Llorens decided to add an RSFgenius melt filtration system to filter out impurities down to 56-100 µm. The Gneuss system achieves this at a constant melt pressure, ensuring that gels and black specks are removed on a consistent basis, meaning Llorens can use the material pro- duced on this line for high value cast and blown film applications. Gneuss describes the RSFgenius as its most sought-after model. It operates with an integrated back- flushing system offering self-cleaning for very demanding applications and highest quality requirements. Screens can be re-used up to 400 times and filtration finenesses below 10 µm (1200 mesh) are available. At the NPE Plastics show in Florida
in May, the company displayed an RSFgenius 150 with an active screen
area of 450 cm² (70 sq in), for 1000 kg/h (2,200 lbs) 50 COMPOUNDING WORLD | June 2024
of R-PET with a filtration fineness of 75 microns (200 mesh). There was also an SFneos and a KSF model on display. These filter series also operate continu- ously but do not offer backflush- ing, so are better suited for applications that don’t require self-cleaning. The SFneos series operates
automatically and is suitable for a wide range of applications including foam sheet, battery separator film, or PVC, and is
characterised by a large active screen surface area and compact design, as well as providing extremely easy and safe opera-
tion. The KSF series is designed specifically for applications with frequent material type, grade, or colour changes, as well as for high pressure applications like blown film. On this model the screen changers are compact and offer excellent value for money while permitting quick and easy functionality.
EPS solution Late last year, US-based advanced materials provider Epsilyte entered into a strategic partner- ship with Italian company Fimic, which specialises in the design and manufacture of automatic and self-cleaning screen changers and will now be responsible for supplying equipment to improve the quality and efficiency of Epsilyte’s expanded polystyrene (EPS) recycling solutions. Fimic’s equipment filters recycled EPS, addressing the challenge of physical contamination and ensuring that the recycled material meets the highest standards of purity and quality. Epsilyte said its decision to choose Fimic as a
partner was driven by several key factors. Specifi- cally, it said that Fimic’s equipment demonstrated exceptional versatility in handling varying types and levels of physical contamination commonly encountered in recycling EPS, while minimising the risk of damage to recycling equipment, a crucial consideration in optimising operational efficiency and reducing downtime. “Epsilyte is committed toward a more sustain- able future and demonstrates it in the investments we’re making in technologies like Fimic Melt Filtration,” said Epsilyte Plant Engineer DJ Harris. Fimic offers a range of five different automatic melt filters and screw pumps, offering all possible filtration specs and covering the many different
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IMAGE: FIMIC
IMAGE: BB ENGINEERING
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