TECHNOLOGY | MELT FILTRATION


Right: ADG Solutions in the US supplies the Continuous Filter Operation (CFO) system


filters. The level of contamination which can be handled by a piston filter lies between 0.05 to 0.1%, but the Laserfilter processes input material with a degree of contamination of over 1%. “With regard to the increasing contamination in post-consumer materi- als this means greater flexibility with the input materials,” said Obermayr. The Laserfilter typically operates from five to 12 weeks before screen changes.


pressures. The UL-compliant control panel, which includes a PLC with touchscreen user interface, is mounted on a convenient swing arm. With all these advantages, and the fact it uses a minimal amount of good material to purge contaminants, the CFO is a highly cost effective system, providing a quick ROI.” CFO is a back-flushing system which can filter a


broad range of materials including PE, PP, PS, PC, and ABS. The filter can handle up to 10% paper and hard objects like rocks, glass or small pieces of metal. ADG sells three CFO models with screen diameters of 15, 20 and 25 inches allowing throughputs up to 2,000, 3,500 and 6,000 lbs/h respectively. Erema is one of a number of melt filter makers


Right: Erema’s Laserfilter is finding new customers reprocessing PET


reporting strong demand from companies repro- cessing PET waste, both post-consumer and post-production. The Austrian company launched its PET Laserfilter (a version of its established laser filter technology) in early 2017 and has sold the filter a number of times in the inline sheet, strapping and pelletising sectors. The company said the Laserfilter is being used more particularly in the direct processing of PET flakes to make semi- finished or end products. Robert Obermayr, head of the Erema’s Powerfil business unit, attributes this to the higher process stability through constant pressure operation compared with piston


20 PLASTICS RECYCLING WORLD | March/April 2018


Eliminating the daily screen change by the opera- tor which is necessary with a piston screen changer reduces the risk of operating error, said Erema. The company says another benefit of the Laserfilter is that the flow-oriented working principle avoids the formation of ‘black spots’. “The user also benefits from the lower melt losses which is achieved thanks to the newly developed discharge unit. Whereas the normal figure for piston filters is 1 to 2%, with the Laserfil- ter it is just a fraction of this,” said Erema. During the Plast 2018 exhibition in Milan, Italy, in


May, there will be a demonstration inline sheet facility, including Erema’s PET Laserfilter, working at the headquarters of Amut in Novara. The post- consumer PET flakes will be processed in the new facility – a direct combination of Erema’s Vacurema technology and Amut’s inline sheet plant – in a single process to make food contact grade thermoforming sheet. Nordson of the USA says its BKG HiCon V-Type 3G melt filtration system is being used by German extruder Cyklop at its facility in Cologne. The company uses PET bottle flake to extrude packag- ing strapping tape. Cyklop replaced a hydraulically powered backflush screen changer with the HiCon V-Type 3G, which has reduced the company’s operating costs because it needs 30% fewer backflushes and requires screen changes 40% less frequently, said Nordson. It is being used on a production line with throughput rates of 450 to 550 kg/h. The piston backflush system is suited to pressure constant processes, such as strapping, film and fibre extrusion, and can manage processes with a high proportion of contami- nants. Bernd Causemann, Cyklop’s Plant Manager, said the HiCon V-Type 3G requires less maintenance


and operator supervision than the older Nordson system it replaced. “The system is


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