TECHNOLOGY | MACHINERY SCREENCHANGERS Boosting screen changer efficiency


PSI-Polymer Systems says that plastics converters can raise efficiency of their screen changers by using an enhancement such as its Super Plate. Super Plate adds efficiency and life to screen packs by allowing better use of the surface area – which reduces screen replace- ment frequency and cost. The gain is achieved by lifting the screen pack away from the flat, solid surface of the breaker plate. A conventional breaker plate’s open area is typically 50-55%, meaning that 45-50% of the screen


ANCILLARIES Maag keeps growing in China


Maag of Switzerland is further expanding in China “creating incremental pro- duction capacity” and by introducing new products for the local market. A recent example is that it has doubled the size of its assembly shop at its


INSPECTION Inspecting WPC deck boards


A US-based manufacturer of WPC decking boards has used Pixargus measuring technology for quality control. The ProfilControl 7 DX WPC system helped to inspect the board profile in a continuous, inline process. It inspects critical features, such as the grooved edges of the boards, with high accuracy and minimum handling effort, says the company. After boards have been cut to length, the system’s eight high-resolution cameras capture their contours in an


40 PIPE & PROFILE EXTRUSION | July/August 2023


inline process, checking all relevant dimensions. For this manufacturer, Pixargus positioned the cameras so that the entire grooved edges of the deck boards can be measured. These are later used to accommodate the fasteners to install the decking. The customer’s previous


measuring system could only measure the height or depth of the groove, but ProfilControl 7 DX WPC has a sensor head that measures both simultaneously. � www.pixargus.com


Jiading site in Shanghai. The added space will accommodate a new service centre for the Maag/Ettlinger melt filter, which will help the company to serve local customers more quickly. “With this expansion, we are now well positioned for


the further expansion of localisation activities in China,” said Ueli Thürig, president of Maag. The company produces a number of products in China, including its GA series extrusion pumps. � www.maag.com


Using a Super Plate exposes up to 95% of the screen to through-flow of the melt stream. This can yield a 30-55% gain in effective filtration area over a conven- tional design, it claims. The Super Plate is a precision-


IMAGE: PSI


rests on a solid surface. As a result, screen life diminishes as the small corresponding area over the breaker plate holes is blinded – and material must cross less clogged areas of the wire cloth to reach a through-hole.


manufactured grid of stainless- steel diamond-shaped blades,


which are cross-welded to provide high strength and support. The screen pack rests on the edge of the blades. Spacing and support of the blades often allows the cost-saving elimination of a 20-mesh or higher support screen. � www.psi-polymersystems.com


TESTING


Melt index testers act


quickly Instron has developed a new generation of melt index testers, with its MFi5 and MFi7 models. The compact, manually


operated MFi5 can make fast, reliable measurements thanks to pre-set methods, while the modular MFi7 can be adapted to accommodate an increas- ing volume of testing. Both work at test temperatures from 50°C to 450°C and are equipped with test weights from 0.1 to 21.6kg. A piston travel trans-


ducer resolution of 0.005mm and a piston displacement accuracy of up to 0.02mm ensure accuracy. They cover the entire range of require- ments for standard melt index tests. � www.instron.com


www.pipeandprofile.com


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