Strictly-Extrusion

Ensinger/Penn Fibre has developed what it claims is a first: thermoformable PPS in sheet and roll form. The company says the crystalline material is suitable for thick- and thin-wall forming of parts requiring a high level of heat and chemical resistance, plus hardness and rigidity at elevated temperatures (melt point is 288 to 315 C), good electrical properties, inherent flame retardance, and dimensional stability. Target applications include fluoropolymer replacement, where the sheet can reduce material costs by at least 30%.
The monolayer sheet and roll grades are based on Fortron PPS from Ticona. The line includes neat and glass-reinforced versions and grades containing impact modifiers, tougheners, and other additives. Sheet and roll widths run to 48 in, and thicknesses are between 0.010 and 0.25 in. Optional backings of glass fiber, polyester fabric, and other materials that create a gluing surface are available.

In the past year, Coperion Werner & Pfleiderer GmbH & Co. KG, Stuttgart/Germany, received the order for the biggest system worldwide for compounding and pelletizing of Polypropylene (PP). This system is designed for a throughput rate of 55 to 60 tons/hr, which corresponds to the production capacity of a modern world-scale plant, and consists of:
• a twin-screw MEGAcompounder ZSK 380 Mc powered by a motor with more than 14 MW,
• an automatic non-stop screen pack changer as well as
• the largest PP underwater pelletizer with an intensively heated die plate.
• This compounding and pelletizing system will be installed in Plock/Poland, the biggest Polish petrochemical site. The complete PP plant will be erected and operated by Basell Orlen Polyolefins, a joint venture of PKN Orlen S.A., a Polish chemical company, and Basell Polyolefins, the world’s largest producer of Polypropylene and the licensor of many polymerization technologies and catalysts.
Since the compounding and pelletizing system is a strategic component of the plant, the decision in favour of Coperion Werner & Pfleiderer was taken by the operating company itself. Once again it has been possible, with the approval of the licensor, to eliminate a gear pump for building up the pressure that is necessary for screening of the melt and for pelletizing. This task will be performed by the screws of the ZSK MEGAcompounder, without a risk of overshearing the different PP grades. In the design phase prior to this decision, comprehensive tests and calculations on energy input were performed by Coperion Werner & Pfleiderer.
The compounding and pelletizing system allows to economically produce different PP grades within a wide viscosity range. Here, the variable speed drive for the compounding extruder plays a key role. Its heart, the Suprex gearbox is a so-called superpositioning planetary gear box adding the power and speed of a fixed-speed motor to a variable-speed motor. Thanks to this drive, variable operating screw speeds are possible which allow stress-free compounding and pelletizing of the complete range of PP grades within a wide viscosity range, with low energy input and, at the same time, high throughput rates. Commissioning / start-up of the compounding and pelletizing system is scheduled for early 2005.

As one of America’s premier thermoformed packaging resources, Placon Corporation takes pride in giving customers a competitive advantage by excelling in product design, quality and manufacturing. In accordance with this mission, Placon augmented its manufacturing strength in mid-2003 with the installation of a custom Davis-Standard sheet system. The system, located at Placon’s plant in Madison, Wisconsin, has enabled the company to bring the majority of its sheet extrusion in-house. Placon is especially pleased that the system has exceeded output expectations by more than 30 percent the guaranteed hourly rate of low bulk density PET reclaim material. The line is capable of processing PET ranging from 100 percent post consumer waste to virgin APET resins, further enhancing Placon’s responsiveness to customer demands.
According to Dan Mohs, vice president of the Placon Products Division, “Davis-Standard is one of the industry’s leading suppliers of sheet systems for processing PET. The performance of our system is indicative of their reputation, product offering and engineering capability. In addition to the excellent rates, the line’s adaptability allows us to align the right material with the needs of our customers and markets we serve.”
Placon is among the top 25 thermoformers in the U.S., supplying a range of thermoformed packaging products to the food, retail and non-sterile medical
markets worldwide. The company designs both custom and stock packaging solutions, including packaging for hardware, health and beauty items, medical devices and fresh food products. Placon’s packaging, which is primarily clear, can be found at any major mass merchandiser or supermarket. Customers range from Fortune 100 companies to entrepreneurial companies just getting started.
“One of our largest strengths is our knowledge of the marketplace on both the custom and stock side of the business. For custom work, we design better packaging upfront to give our customers greater shelf impact and generate brand awareness,” explained Mohs. “On the stock side, we focus on mass appeal and anticipating our customers’ needs so that we always have product ready to ship.’
The Davis-Standard system, from extruder to rollstack, extrudes thin gauge sheeting in a thickness range of .007 to .070 inches (.178 to 1.78mm) in multiple widths up to 60 inches (1,500mm). The sheet is wound and then thermoformed in-house. Placon’s operation is unique in that they are always looking to manufacture alternative materials to reduce waste. The company has been thermoforming RPET material for over 10 years, leading the industry in that regard.
“Davis-Standard has been extremely helpful and responsive,” added Joanne Reinhold, Placon’s manufacturing manager. “They are one of the few vendors that helped as much as possible during start-up and have been helpful after installation. From the beginning, they understood what we were trying to accomplish and had the technical capability to get the job done.”
For more information about Placon’s product line, contact Laura Stewart, manager of marketing and customer service at [email protected] or visit www.placon.com. For more information about Davis-Standard’s sheet systems, contact Al ---bacher, Davis-Standard business director, at [email protected]