MACHINERY | DIE DEVELOPMENTS
Right: Krauss- Maffei has developed self-centring tubing dies to control wall thickness
Especially with small throughput – such as the production of small technical profiles – the fluctua- tions are more significant. This is why Battenfeld- Cincinnati has developed the module – which harmonises the fluctuations to ensure constant material discharge. Melt pressure in front of the extrusion die is
measured continuously, and the screw speed during each screw rotation is constantly re-adjusted on the basis of these measured pressure fluctua- tions. The software includes a learning function, which automatically calculates optimal parameters for the compensation of pulsation during the first production run with any new products or new materials. The screw speed correction parameters are saved in the product recipe and remain available for every new production start-up. Pressure fluctuations are substantially reduced with the result of a low-pulsation melt flow passing into the forming die, says the company. Steady flow can be integrated into the BCtouch
UX control system of a new PVC extrusion line, or retrofitted to existing lines with a modern control system from the UX series.
Material savings Guill Tool says its new spiderless pipe die has “unique design features” that help it to provide material savings compared to conventional basket dies. The company says that the design relies on its focus on precision tooling – which has been developed from years of working in demanding markets areas as medical tubing, flow analysis and aerospace. The cost of the polymer raw material can range
from 50% to 70% of the total cost of producing polymer pipes, says the company – while that of
Right: Guill says its
spiderless pipe die’s unique design features help to produce pipe more efficiently
IMAGE: KRAUSSMAFFEI
other materials such as additives and fillers can take this even higher. “The cost of the polymer can also be affected by
market fluctuations in the price of oil, impacting the cost of petrochemicals used in the production of polymers,” said Rich Guillemette, CEO, Guill Tool The new die can be used to produce pipes from 2in to 15in outside diameter, and is made at Guill’s factory in Rhode Island, USA.
Wall control KraussMaffei has developed self-centring tubing dies to control wall thickness in the production of rubber tubing. Here, if tubes are too thin, then quality can be
compromised – but if too thick, more material is needed in the production process. The self-cen- tring tube dies – with a wall thickness gauge – pro- vide a way to tackle the problem by making precise corrections to any deviations in the ongoing extrusion process. In addition, maximum repeat- ability is ensured when it comes to frequent batch changes, says the company. Compared to conventional solutions, customers
benefit from substantial material savings when using the self-centring tube dies combined with a wall thickness measuring system. Regardless of production speed, the system automatically controls and optimises hose wall thickness and its concentricity during extrusion. The wall thickness tolerance range is reduced by 0.05 mm, which can deliver material savings of up to 2.5 %. Due to the input material reduction, the investment pays off in a few weeks for 24/7 production. “Further savings potential can be found in the set-up times of the hose extrusion lines,” said Gerard Nijman, global application and product owner for tyre and rubber at KraussMaffei. “Instead of wasting time with die changes, adjustments or start-up and shut-down processes, extrusion lines equipped with self-centring tube dies reach
24 PIPE & PROFILE EXTRUSION | May/June 2023
www.pipeandprofile.com
IMAGE: GUILL TOOL
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