Strictly-Extrusion

Key Filters, USA, has announced that they have modified the design of the model KCN screen changer specifically to match the discharge geometry of the twin-screw extruder.
The active geometry of the filter is oval shaped. This allows the extruder screws to be brought into the screen changer to within ¹” of the screen. This reduces residence time in the screen changer, speeding color change-over and allowing for processing of thermally sensitive materials. It also allows the screw to be pulled through the screen changer without disassembly of the filter. Key Filters is a manufacturer of engineered polymer filtration products, including continuous, hydraulic and manual screen changers for the plastics extrusion industry. The company is located in an 80,000 square ft. modern facility, and is affiliated with Parkinson Technologies and Marshall & Williams Plastics Machinery.

A new breaker plate for highly contaminated resin has a wavy, corrugated shape machined into the upstream side to increase its surface area. When used with a correspondingly wavy screen pack, the Corr-Ex plate increases the polymer filtration area by 60%, says PATT Filtration Inc., St.- Eustache, Que. Corr-Ex comes in five basic models for outputs from 50 to 30,000 lb/hr. Greater filtration area means less frequent screen changes, PATT says. The new device is being used in compounding and pipe extrusion.

Two additional options for the acceptable disposal of scrap film are coming into being in the UK.
Waste management specialist SRM – part of the Heidelberg Cement Group – is about to start up a factory to process dry organic waste into Profuel, a fuel for cement kilns. The factory will handle materials considered too expensive or difficult to recycle and which are currently sent to landfill. The plant is being built at Ketton in Rutland, and its output will be used by Castle Cement, on whose land the factory stands.

In Wales packaging waste specialist ENVY of Mid-Glamorgan is extending its packaging film waste recovery service to South Wales. The company says that while most companies have developed a basic segregation system for on-site packaging waste, finding a regular and reliable collection service has been more difficult, particularly for small volumes. ENVY has a reprocessing arrangement with British Polythene Industries. It collects film packaging waste with limited contamination such as pallet wrap, shrink wrap and bags, baled or unbaled, and can provide the necessary documentation required under the Packaging Waste Regulations.

Battenfeld’s lattice basket die has proved useful for polyolefin, ABS and PS processing. The die remains unaffected by material viscosity changes. This is the main advantage of the die and ensures steady processing characteristics across the entire material range and reliable product quality for all pipe dimensions. Other advantages include a low pressure build-up and low melt temperatures even at high mass flow rates. Battenfeld’s PO125/450 SI lattice basket die which is displayed at the exhibition is suitable for mass flow rates of 450 kg/h and outer pipe diameters ranging from 10 to 125 mm.

DuPont has invested Eur 3 million in multilayer films research by installing a Windmöller & Hölscher five layer line, extensible to seven layers, at its European Technical Centre in Geneva.
Among materials used in multilayer films made by DuPont are Surlyn ionomers, Nucrel acid copolymers, Elvax EVA copolymer, Bynel adhesive resins and Elvaloy AC ethylene-acrylate copolymers.

ExxonMobil Chemical is planning to buy out its partner in Advanced Elastomer Systems, Solutia. Both companies hold 50 per cent of AES, which is best known for its Santoprene thermoplastic elastomer. ExxonMobil says its bid ‘demonstrates ExxonMobil Chemical’s commitment to having the broadest portfolio of polymers based on ethylene and propylene’. Terms and timing of the sale are not being revealed.

Pliant Corporation, headquartered in Schaumburg, Illinois, one of North America’s leading producers of value-added films and flexible packaging products for food, personal care, medical, agricultural and industrial markets, purchased a 10-color ASTRAFLEX flexographic printing press from Windmoeller & Hoelscher Corporation in Lincoln, RI. The 52″ wide 10-color ASTRAFLEX press, designed to produce consistently high quality at maximum speeds, is expected to be installed at Pliant’s Canadian in the fall of 2002. Pliant Corporation also operates several VAREX blown film extrusion systems with OPTIFIL P2 automatic gauge control from Windmoeller & Hoelscher.

Davis-Standard Corp., USA, lost money in 2001, as sales sank 35 percent. Davis-Standard, which makes extrusion and blow molding equipment, is the plastics machinery unit of Crompton Corp., a chemicals and additives producer traded on the New York Stock Exchange. Crompton issued its fourth-quarter results Feb. 1.

The Plastics Group of America recently completed a US$1 million project by installing an automated twin-screw compounding extruder and feeding system, adding 17 million pounds of annual processing capacity. The system had to be modified to fit the building, but by cutting through floors and adding electric and water lines, the company was able to set up a modern system.

Holland Colours, the manufacturer of colorants, and Zebra-Chem, a German company that specializes in blowing agents for the PVC pipe industry, has signed an agreement for the distribution of its products. Under the agreement, Holland Colours will exclusively distribute Zebra-Chem’s blowing agents under the trade name Holocell, in all countries outside Europe. Holland Colours says that for the first 12 months of the co-operation the focus will be on North, Central and South America through its existing distribution network. The company adds that it will offer the Holocell blowing agent next to its existing range of colorants for PVC pipe applications, such as Holobatch.