CONTROLS AND MONITORING | TECHNOLOGY
material to the production stream. The instrument is light, and the measurement head can be re- moved from one extruder and placed on another one, if required, with little downtime. According to the company, the MBR is a compact online capillary rheometer for the continuous measurement of melt flow rate and viscosity in polymer production – the measuring head can be directly integrated with the extruder. The MBR is around 150 mm wide, making the system one of the smallest online rheometers available. Weighing just 30 kg eliminates costly mounting arrangements. An innovative die lock system facilitates die changes and contributes to user-friendliness. Depending on the operating mode, a number of measurements are possible. These include melt index MFR or volume index MVR, with or without temperature compensation, as well as Flow Rate Ratio (FRR) – the ratio of two consecutive MFR/MVR measurements that corre- spond to laboratory tests with different weights. Shear rate, shear stress and viscosity can also be measured. The results are provided in various ways includ- ing coloured display on the PC screen, protocol on the test value printer, provision of analogue outputs from 4 to 20 mA, host connection via serial interface, and database access via network (to be implemented by the customer). The system is also available for use in hazardous areas zones 1 and 2 with the classification ‘Gas-Ex: Ex II 2G Ex h IIC/IIB T2 Gb X’ and ‘Dust-Ex: Ex II 2D Ex h IIIC/IIIB IP65 Ta, max Db X’. The company also offers the Real Time Rheom-
eter (RTR/RTS), which is a suitable instrument for processors with a large product wheel, running a wide range of melt indexes, using high throughput extruders. They are available in standard, or in explosion-proof versions, such as: Class 1, Division 2, Groups C+D, temperature class T2, or in the same version as the MBR. The RTR/RTS is a continu- ously measuring capillary rheometer for use in online quality control and because of its internal bypass, capable of collecting near instantaneous data points. As such, the unit is used for production monitoring of high and low viscosity polymers in the production and control of reactive processes. As a return melt system, the RTR returns the measured melt to the product line after testing. Collin Lab & Pilot Solutions is developing new
measuring methods, such as NIR systems, ultra- sonic measurement and optical coherence tomog- raphy (OCT), for inline measuring equipment. This is of particular interest in the recycling field and the control of stable material properties on the
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end-product. These include methods for deep machine learning and AI-algorithms that allow a new point of view on inline measurements and the results that they generate. With closed loop control systems, active process control can now be achieved. The company highlights the key purposes of an
inline measurement system as monitoring the process for quality assurance, keeping the process stable, and targeted process and/or product adaptation. “Viscosity measurement remains key for process monitoring,” says Friedrich Kastner, CEO/Managing Partner of Collin Lab & Pilot Solutions. “However, the main influences driving new developments are big data collection in the process and the use of AI-techniques for analysing this data. This will give a good under- standing of the coherences in the process and the product properties. Subsequently, it will also provide the possibility of active process and product control.” The latest developments from
Collin Lab & Pilot Systems include an online rheometer to measure shear rate depending on real viscosity curves of plastics, as well as an online viscometer to monitor the viscosity stability in a closed loop device. In addition, an online Multi-Inspection System can measure the viscosity of a melt, and which then forms a small flat film. Gels are measured and impurities in the film identified by a camera inspection system. The colour of the film can be measured and NIR analyses the composition, while tensile properties of the film can also be measured. The Multi-Inspection System is a modular
measuring device, adds Corné Verstraten, CSO/ Joint Partner, Collin Lab & Pilot Solutions, and so it is possible to extend this system. Future develop- ments will measure the haze and gloss properties of the extruded film and measure the composition with a highly sophisticated infrared system. Compounding machinery manufacturer Coperion has observed increased customer interest in inline measurement technology for years and sees significant potential in plastics recycling. “Most big players in the market producing large batches already use various kinds of inline measurement as an established part of production,” say Johannes Heyn and Mareike Tabeling, Development Engi- neers in Coperion’s R&D department. “For exam- ple, these can be flow measurements for more precise process control or viscosity measurements
November/December 2021 | PLASTICS RECYCLING WORLD 41
Above: The Multi-Inspec- tion System is a modular measuring device from Collin Lab & Pilot Solutions
IMAGE: COLLIN
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