MACHINERY | TWIN SCREW EXTRUDERS
IMAGE: JSW
Above: Recycling
post-consumer plastics at JSW Europe’s extrusion
technical centre in Benrath, near Düsseldorf, Germany
features of the DSE twin-screw extruder series from Intelligent Pelletizing Solutions (IPS). Addition- ally, a combination of torque and volume enables a high filling level of the screw, as well as energy- saving and product-friendly processing. The IPS-DSE is clearly laid out, easily accessible and simple to operate, ensuring fast product changes. Pellets, fillers, powders, or fibres, are fed into the processing section via co-rotating, tightly in- termeshing side feeders. The IPS-DSE is particularly suitable for recycling applications, regranulation, and compounding tasks. Simon Weis, Managing Director of IPS, said: “In the last two years, we have invested a lot of time in the control/visualisation of our extruder and especially in the control system (integration) of all components for a complete production line.” Taiwanese company Sheng Yang is another that
provides modular machinery solutions. The com- pany’s key products include modular segment type twin-screw extruders featuring flexible component configurations and superior operational stability, effectively addressing high shear force, precise mixing, and temperature sensitivity requirements. The modular screw element design can be adjusted according to material characteristics, allowing precise control over shearing, mixing, and disper- sion during compounding. This is especially important for producing highly filled compounds, fibre-reinforced plastics, and functional plastics. The adjustable screw configuration ensures
efficient production while avoiding common issues such as fibre degradation or uneven filler distribu- tion. The technology also allows for precise control of key process parameters such as screw speed, shear rate, and temperature, making it highly suitable for processing high-viscosity materials and highly filled masterbatches. For example, when processing fibre-reinforced plastics, the equipment protects fibre structures and evenly disperses fibres,
20 COMPOUNDING WORLD | March 2025
significantly improving material performance. The extruders are also designed to manage multi-functional compounding processes, ensuring stable quality for formulations that require multiple stages of mixing and dispersion. Based on custom- er feedback, the company says its systems can reduce energy consumption by up to 10%, while significantly improving output stability for high- demand materials. The company’s equipment is sold globally, with its major markets being Asia, Europe, and North America. As demand for high-performance composite materials continues to rise, it says its modular twin-screw extrusion technology has proven particularly effective in high-demand sectors such as automotive, electron- ics, and medical devices where precision and efficiency are considered paramount. At TaipeiPlas 2024, Sheng Yang showcased the
latest generation of its modular twin-screw extrud- ers, which have undergone significant upgrades and optimisations including more precise recon- figuration of screw elements, allowing for a broader range of shear zones and adjustable mixing intensities.
Recycling applications Generally speaking, plastic waste needs to be available in good quality and in large volumes for chemical recycling. This involves shredding, washing and sometimes drying the material before it is melted in an extruder. Japan Steel Works (JSW) says its range of TEX twin-screw extruders are superbly suited for this role. “With the range of our extruders we can provide the right models and sizes up to 400 mm diameter to meet the industrially viable volumes of mixed post-consumer plastic waste of about more than five tons per hour eco- nomically. And we are now improving our machines to accomplish customer targets with larger perfor- mances,” said Shota Kikukawa, Sales Manager at JSW Europe. To improve feeding capacity, JSW proposes use of its compactor stuffing unit, which has two screws. One acts as an agitator to mix the waste, while the other pushes it in compacted form into the extruder. (Read more about JSW’s work in mechani- cal and chemical recycling in Plastics Recycling World’s January-February 2025 issue.) Dealing with impurities is a major challenge in
all recycling processes. Plastic waste often contains dirt, oils, and mixed polymers that drastically reduce the marketability and usability of recyclates if not removed from the melt. One solution is the Coperion ZSK FilCo filtration compounder which removes such impurities by first melting the material then feeding it through a series of fine
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