Re-designed twin-screw extruders improve operator comfort and machine efficiency
Two significantly re-designed twin-screw extruders will be showcased at the Coperion (Stuttgart, Germany) and Coperion K-Tron booth at K 2019 in Düsseldorf, Germany, on Oct. 16 to 23. The ZSK Mc18 extruders with a 45- and 70-mm screw diameter and 18 Nm/cm3 torque feature optimized mechanical and electrical systems and improved operator comfort and efficiency. They both are equipped with ZS-B easy type side feeders as well as ZS-EG easy type side devolatilization units. They can be seen at booth B 19 in hall 14.
The ZSK 70 Mc18 will be on display with a K3-ML-D5-V200 type vibratory feeder and accompanying ZS-B easy with a K-ML-SFS-BSP-100 Bulk Solids Pump (BSP) feeder. The smaller ZSK 45 Mc18 will be equipped with a gravimetric K2-ML-D5-T35 twin-screw feeder and accompanying ZS-B easy with a K-ML-SFS-KT20 twin-screw feeder for high accuracy feeding at low feeding rates. Maintenance time on the ZS-B and ZS-EG twin-screw extruders has been reduced, thanks to a design that requires minimal operator effort to access the process section to perform cleaning tasks or screw changes. The extruders are now equipped with single-part heat-insulation covers that are easy to manipulate—they can be detached without removing the cartridge heaters.
The aforementioned re-designed K3 vibratory feeder line from Coperion K-Tron will have its European debut at K 2019. The K3-ML-D5-V200 vibratory feeder will be displayed in action as part of a recirculating system; automatic refill will be provided by a P-Series vacuum receiver and compact vacuum pump. Vibratory feeders are suited for feeding recycled material or flakes as well as adding glass fiber in compounding processes. They are practically maintenance-free since there is no wear on the mechanical parts, said Coperion.
Coperion K-Tron’s SWB-300 weigh belt feeder also will be exhibited at the stand. It is an extremely reliable gravimetric feeder for high accuracy and efficient process control, according to Coperion. Weigh belt feeders of this type can reliably feed large volumes of bulk materials with various flow properties; as such, they are well suited for processing recyclates, among other applications.