MIXERS | MACHINERY
Making mixing more effective
The latest ideas in batch mixing technology were on show at
K2019.Peter Mapleston takes a look at some of the innovations
In essence, at least, batch mixing of ingre- dients for production of PVC dry blends, wood-plastic composites, additives, colours, masterbatches and the like should not present a major headache for plastics compounders. The underlying technology has been around for decades but, even so, stepwise improvements, fine-tuning and modifications continue to be made—as well as the occasional leap forward. The latest thinking and system offerings were on display at the K2019 exhibition in Düsseldorf, Germany, last month. This article takes a look at some of them. Automation of multi-ingredient handling and mixing was on the agenda for Coperion, which used the show as the launch pad for its new Add-A-Lot system. As the name suggests, this is intended for use in compounding operations requiring mixing on a grand scale. As an integral part of a compounding plant, it enables fully automated recipe preparation that Coperion says fulfils high demands for constant product quality, seamless documentation, and batch traceability. “Particularly as production trends toward shrinking
batch sizes, frequent product changes, and the multitudes of formulations and components associ- ated with them, such automation provides a high degree of safety to the users,” the company says. At the heart of the Add-A-Lot system is a feeding
station with standardised storage containers (IBCs), feeding unit, and mobile mixing containers. Transport of centrally stored components is fully controlled, as is precision feeding and mixing of additives, even in very small quantities. IBCs docked on the upper level of the feeding
station are opened automatically. Feed screws then convey materials to the mixing container in
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accordance with the recipe. As many as eight feed screws can deliver to a single weighing scale. To prevent cross contamination between recipes, feed screws can be easily removed and replaced. IBCs and mixing containers can be either manually or automatically transported using an automated guided vehicle (AGV) or roller conveyors. Michael Wiedmann, a Development Engineer at
Coperion, says the concept was originally devel- oped for use in large PVC compounding opera- tions but adds that it is also suitable for use in plants operating with other polymers. “At the moment, a lot of material dosing is done manually,” he says. “Sacks can be heavy, and there are implications for operator safety as well as for precision and cross-contamination.” The new system is said to take care of these concerns. The automated system enables maximum
efficiency and control in premix manufacturing, Weidmann says. Barcode identification of the IBCs enables proper correlation during filling, inde- pendent of how the material arrives – from sacks, big bags, barrels or via pipes, so that recipes and feeding constantly comply with specifications. “Moreover, product-specific assignation minimises cleaning effort,” the company says.
Main image: Automation of the mixing process is a common theme that runs from small batch equipment to huge installa- tions such as Coperion’s Add-a-Lot
� November 2019 | COMPOUNDING WORLD 57
PHOTO: COPERION
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