MACHINERY | TWIN SCREW EXTRUDERS
Right: 3Dprint filament production on a Leistritz ZSE 18 extruder fitted with a gear pump
quench cooling and sizing of the filament, belt puller, laser gauge and winder. The company says the system is well-suited to in-line compounding of polymers with additives and active-fillers to quickly develop new filaments and formulations. These can be modified “on the fly,” enabling production of a new sample every 10 minutes. The ZSE 18 system can handle high-temperature engineering polymers, and is designed to process at rates up to 20 kg/hr. The system on show in Orlando will be available for testing in the Leistritz laboratory at Somerville, in New Jersey in the US, after the exhibition.
Targeting torque Following the introduction of the compact TEX34αIII high-performance compounding extruder at the IPF show in Tokyo last October,JSW has now launched the unit on the European market. The TEX34αIII, which replaces the slightly smaller TEX30α small-lot extruder and actually features 36mm diameter screws – JSW says the original design used 34mm screws and, having given the machine a 34 designation, it decided to keep to it. The very high torque density (18.2 Nm/cm3
)
enables effective yet gentle compounding at low screw speeds and temperatures, but without detriment to throughput, according to JSW. Should torque rise too much, a limiting function protects the machine by disengaging the drive motor and gearbox, stopping screw rotation. Typical throughput for a compound such as talc-filled polypropylene is up to 500 kg/h, while masterbatch producers can expect to reach around 250 kg/h. 150 kg/h is achievable for polymer blends such as PC/ABS, which the company claims is a world-beating level of performance for such a compact compounding extruder. “The TEX34αIII
also excels with its conventional yet convenient EZ easy-change tie-bar system, which makes changing barrels easier than in the past,” JSW says. The company offers the TEX34αIII with a choice
of a standard model and an ultra-compact version with the control cabinet incorporated within the footprint of the machine frame, saving both space and installation time. “The standard model has a separate control cabinet, because sometimes customers prefer to have the control cabinet in a separate room to protect them from, for example. dust during heavy-duty operation,” says Jun Kakizaki, General Manager at JSW Europe. “The ultra-compact model is designed for laboratory applications, where space may be limited”. While the ultra-compact version does not lend
itself easily to customisation for individual needs, the standard model can be easily customised, Kakizaki points out, citing provision of a multiple number of vents, adjustment of L/D ratio with screws of different lengths, and the ability to increase screw speed by choosing to use one of three drive motors with different performance levels. Modification to permit explosion-proof operation in hazardous environments is also possible.
Entek’s screw design program is designed to enable simple and quick design of screw and barrel layouts for specific applications. It features drag and drop functionality and includes safeguards to prevent elements being placed where they don’t belong
22 COMPOUNDING WORLD | March 2018
Custom capabilities JSW says numerous in-house developed special devices can be incorporated to increase the capability of the TEX34αIII. NIC (Nikko Intensive Cylinder) mixing barrels, for example, use longitudi- nal grooves to enhance mixing performance by allowing more material to pass through the larger gap between the depth of the grooves and the screw. The associated reduced shear rate enables lower temperature mixing and is said to avoid localised heat build-up. Energy consumption can be
www.compoundingworld.com
PHOTO: ENTEK
PHOTO: LEISTRITZ
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