Extrusion International 1-2017

19 Extrusion International 1/2017 New High Output Extruders and Sheet Extrusion Lines Milacron Holdings Corp. (NYSE: MCRN), the industrial tech- nology company serving the plastics processing industry an- nounced its entry into the polyolefin sheet extrusion market. Polyolefins make up the highest volume of thermoplastic products in the world and uses range from rigid materials to industrial food packaging and waterproof film. Research and development are increasing the variety of polyolefins, and as a result, they are steadily replacing traditional materi- als in many applications. In the second quarter of 2015 Milacron delivered its first poly- olefin thick sheet extrusion line consisting of a PAK400 single screw extruder and a PAK650 single screw extruder. The twin machines increased the output rates to 2,100 lbs/hr (950 kg/hr). This represents a new product category for Milacron’s extru- sion offering. Milacron has since delivered a second line in the second quarter of 2016 and has additional systems to deliver in early 2017. The first Sheet Extrusion line has been in operation for 12 months, running 24/7 and the customer is reporting excel- lent performance. Milacron has installed in-line embossing ca- pability to these sheet extrusion lines, eliminating the need to emboss offline, saving the customer another setup and elimi- nating the need to reheat the sheet, which can result in ad- ditional stress, and cause possible warping. These new sheet lines are engineered and installed by Milacron. This advance- ment allows Milacron to broaden their capability in packag- ing, medical and other high-output sheet applications. Milacron is known for their injection molding prowess and industry brands Mold-Masters, Uniloy, DME and CIMCOOL, all well-known entities within the plastics and manufacturing community. Included in this portfolio are some of the indus- try’s most innovative extruder designs, a major part of the Milacron portfolio since 1972. Brian Marston, President, Milacron Extrusion explains how Milacron’s extrusion offering differs from many of their competitors, “Milacron’s lineup of extrusion systems are de- signed and built in house, we are producing the equipment in our Cincinnati, OH, Ahmedabad, India and Jiangyin, China facilities. Our demonstration and development laboratories have made a science of optimizing processing via natural compression. This creates a highly customizable approach for our customers: one that increases productivity, output and accuracy, while reducing costs.” Marston went on to explain Milacron’s depth of extrusion expertise, “From extruders, to new and rebuilt extrusion barrels and screws, pipe heads, dies and downstream equip- ment, with Milacron, you get powerful, reliable solutions that meet unique customer needs.” www.milacron.com the event allowed us to show our customers in India the breadth of our product offering, as well as how we can provide new parts, upgrades and modifications, all of which are designed to help them optimize their opera- tions and lower production costs. The facility also helps Maag expand its footprint in Asia, which is one of the world’s fastest-growing regions for plastics manufactur- ing and processing.” What the attendees observed was a workshop that is fully equipped with a functioning rotor-grinding operation that includes the most modern sharpening equipment for strand pelletizers in India. The facility will also offer pump and pel- letizer repair services and process support. Seven full-time employees currently work at the facility, all of whom have been trained at Maag’s operation in Germany, which al- lows them to produce the highest level of equipment quality and service for their customers. Also on display at the Open House were pump, pelletizer, pulverizer and screen-changer technologies from Maag and the recently acquired Gala and RE Scheer, the operations of which have been fully integrat- ed into Maag. www.maag.com