TECHNOLOGY | MELT FILTRATION


Right: Ettlinger’s new ERF 350 melt filter


melt filter, launched in 2014, is based on the same operating principle as the ERF, but it features a modified discharge which enables it to be used for low-viscosity materials, such as PET and polyamide. In all Ettlinger filters, a continuous


flow of melt enters the rotating, perforated drum. A scraper removes the contaminants that are left on the surface and feeds them to the discharge system. The company says this self-cleaning design means the filter can be used automatically and continuously “over a period of weeks and months without having to replace the screen”. It says the advantages are “ultra-low melt losses and good mixing and homog- enising of the melts”. At Fakuma 2017, Ettlinger launched its newest melt filter, ERF350. The company says nearly 400 continuous melt filters in the ERF series have been installed by its customers since 2004. The new ERF 350 filter, which will also be shown at the NPE2018 fair in Orlando, USA, in May, increases melt throughput capacity by nearly 30% compared with the ERF 250 filter, which is currently the most popular version.


Below: Cofit’s new in-house lab near Milan, Italy, can be used for


customer trials


ERF filters can be used with all standard polyole- fins and polystyrenes as well as some engineering plastics such as styrene copolymers, TPE and TPU. The new ERF350 achieves throughput up to 3,800 kg/h, depending on the type and level of contami- nation in the melt and the selected screen size. This is 28% higher than the ERF250 using the same filtration surface. Volker Neuber said: “Our ERF high performance melt filters are a highly efficient way for recycling plants to strengthen their competitiveness in what


is a fiercely contested market. Compa- nies which process large quantities profit greatly from our technology, and above all from the


awesome performance of the ERF500, which is suitable for throughputs of up to 13,200 lb/h [6,000 kg/h].” Ettlinger expects


filter sales growth from high volume customers, such as compounders producing PP for use in the automotive sector and extruders of LPDE packaging films. “There is a huge demand in the US for high quality regrind and hence also for our filters,” said


Neuber. “By the time the [NPE2018]


exhibition opens its doors, we will have already sold 14 units of the high-capacity ERF500. There are several promising projects in the pipeline that give us reason to believe we will close more ERF500 contracts before NPE2018 is over.” Cofit International of Italy has reported good


sales growth for its melt filters in 2017 and it has opened a new testing laboratory which it expects to help its business grow further by providing dedi- cated support for customers. Alessandro Fabbri, Cofit General Manager, said: “Sales have undoubt- edly been boosted by Gorilla Belt – the automatic screenchanger dedicated to recycling that, ever since its launch a couple of years ago, has proved to be increasingly successful. Cofit North America, headquartered in San Diego, California, has further boosted our success – our branch, which [was] opened just over a year ago, has already become fully operational. Besides a steady increase in sales volumes, ambitious projects are in sight at Cofit American branch: agreements with major sector players are being achieved.” The Gorilla Belt can handle melt throughput up to 3,000 kg/h. Filtration area is 1,050 cm² and maximum filtration level is 80 microns. It uses Cofit’s belt technology for continuous and auto- mated screen changing, which is triggered by contaminants building up on the screen surface and increasing the pressure on it. Gorilla Belt comes with 50m rolls which provide 125 screen changes and the rolls butt weld together to allow continuing operation. It has programmable setups, so that the operator only needs to step in when the 50m belt needs replacing. Duration of the belt


18 PLASTICS RECYCLING WORLD | March/April 2018 www.plasticsrecyclingworld.com


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