SCREENCHANGERS AND MELT FILTRATION | MACHINERY
Screen test: latest in melt filtration
Recent developments in melt filtration include a screen changer with backflushing, a variety of ways to enhance efficiency and how a retrofit helped a film recycler boost performance
The rise in demand for recycled material – espe- cially for film and sheet products – has led to a corresponding increase in the importance of melt filtration. Ensuring that raw material is purged of contamination is critical in the production of high-quality end products. Epsilyte, a US-based provider of insulative
materials, has signed a strategic partnership with Fimic of Italy. Fimic’s equipment is used to filter recycled EPS, addressing the challenge of physical contamination and ensuring that the material meets the necessary purity and quality. Fimic said there were several reasons for Epsilyte choosing it as a partner. One was the company’s versatility in handling contamination. Fimic’s equipment has shown versatility in handling varying types and levels of physical contamination – which is common in EPS recycling. This helps Epsilyte produce high-quality recycled materials. Fimic’s technology also cuts the risk of damage to recycling equipment, helping Epsilyte to optimise operational efficiency and reduce downtime. Finally, Fimic helped maintain a reliable delivery schedule, aligning with Epsilyte’s production needs. “The collaboration with Fimic serves as a founda-
tion of our improved capability to process a variety of recycled polystyrene,” said DJ Harris, plant engineer at Epsilyte.
www.pipeandprofile.com
The company is now on the verge of acquiring its second Fimic machine.
Adding efficiency PSI-Polymer Systems says that plastics converters can raise efficiency of their screen changers by using an enhancement such as its Super Plate. “Processors are using every available resource and thinking creatively to manage increased backlogs and retain customers,” said Don Macna- mara, general manager of PSI-Polymer Systems. “To get more out of the process, there are tried-and- tested enhancements to give processors a leg up in meeting their day-to-day manufacturing de- mands.”
Super Plate adds efficiency and life to screen
packs by allowing better use of the surface area – which reduces screen replacement 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 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. Using a Super Plate exposes up to 95% of the screen to through-flow of the melt stream. This can
Spring 2024 | PIPE & PROFILE EXTRUSION 15
Main image: Epsilyte will use Fimic’s filtration
equipment to produce recycled EPS
IMAGE: FIMIC
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54
