TECHNOLOGY | WASHING SYSTEMS


thin-walled rigid plastics made from LDPE, HDPE and PP can be run. The facility, which features a new combination of machines for cleaning plastic, processes the waste to yield high-quality extrudable flakes that can be used in the manufacture of consumer goods, packaging, and cosmetics. The Cleanikum demonstrates the systematic use


Above: Cleaning tests for LDPE, HDPE and PP waste can be done at Vecoplan’s new Cleanikum facility in Germany


shredding process to reduce material to 50-60 mm. This material is conveyed to a dosing silo which he said is extremely important for the washing process, because there needs to be a stable material flow for the washing line to ensure efficient cleaning and drying. The material enters Lindner’s patented Rafter pre-washing system, which removes heavy fractions like stones, metal, and glass. Passing through friction washer units, the material then enters a wet granulator to reduce the particle size to 30 mm flakes (12-15 mm for rigid plastics). After this a density separation tank separates polyolefins from other plastics. The end of the line has a mechanical drying unit which ensures a moisture level of 4-6% required for the extrusion stage. Willberg said Lindner Washtech is also experi- encing more customer demand for turnkey plants, both cold and hot wash. He showed a diagram of a washing line using a hot wash tower, where hot water plus chemicals such as detergent and caustic soda are used to achieve the best quality. He also showed a video of the company’s customer Pan Era Group, based in Jakarta, Indonesia, which has installed a Lindner Washtech hot wash plant for cleaning highly contaminated plastics input. At its new technology centre in Neunkhausen,


Germany, Vecoplan, a supplier of machinery and equipment for processing primary and secondary raw materials for thermal and material recycling, has installed a demonstration and test facility called the Cleanikum. Here, cleaning tests with film waste and


of cleaning and separation technologies that help cut back on the use of energy and water. Post-con- sumer waste can be cleaned in a cold or hot process and with or without lye, depending on the degree of contamination and the quality require- ments for the recyclate. “Our approach is purposely different from conventional solutions,” says Martina Schmidt, head of the Recycling and Waste Division at Vecoplan. “Our developers have optimised the processing method to provide better cleaning quality while reducing energy and water consump- tion. We rely on mechanical dry pre-cleaning, which means there is no conventional pre-wash. This lowers our use of fresh water, and we can signifi- cantly reduce the quantity of wastewater. The facility thus demonstrates processes that are economical in the use of water.” The required degree of cleanliness can be customised according to the user’s requirements. In addition to wet or dry mechanical cleaning, the Cleanikum can demonstrate temperature-con- trolled intensive heating using a sodium hydroxide (NaOH) solution, for example when the regranulate is needed for the consumer goods or cosmetics industry. This is an effective means of dissolving greasy and oily impurities and removing adhesives from labels.


At K2022 in Düsseldorf last October, recycling systems manufacturer Herbold Meckesheim – which is owned by Hillenbrand and is part of the recycling business unit Hillenbrand formed with Coperion last October – signed a contract with Suez to install two post-consumer film recycling lines in Landemont between Angers and Nantes in France. The smaller of the two washing lines designed for


a throughput of 1,600 kg/h is based on existing parts of the plant, which are being upgraded and expand- ed with essential components. The second line is a


Above: Schematic representation of a washing system for post-consumer films from Herbold Meckesheim


34 PLASTICS RECYCLING WORLD | July/August 2023 www.plasticsrecyclingworld.com


IMAGE: VECOPLAN


IMAGE: HERBOLDMECKESHEIM


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