Extrusion International 2-2018

16 Extrusion International 2/2018 INDUSTRY NEWS High-Efficiency Screen Changer to boost Productivity and Cut Costs in Extruding PET Strapping Tape An advanced melt filtration system from Nordson Corporation has enabled Cyklop, an international supplier of industrial packaging sys- tems for load securement, to increase productivity, reduce downtime, and cut material waste in the production of strapping tape from PET bottle flake. At its facility in Cologne, Germany, Cyklop GmbH replaced an older-model hydraulically powered backflush screen changer with the recently introduced BKG® HiCon™ V-Type 3G system. Cyklop re- ports that the new screen changer reduces operating costs because it needs 30% fewer backflushes and requires screen changes 40% less frequently. Employed in a production line at throughput rates of 450 to 550 kg/hr, the HiCon V-Type 3G system maintains flow and melt pres- sure at constant levels, ensuring uniform product quality, according to Bernd Causemann, plant manager. In the BKG HiCon V-Type 3G screen changer, melt flow from the ex- truder is split at the entry side and guided to four screen cavities on two screen-bearing pistons with screens in each cavity. Each pair of cavities is positioned so that they can filter their respective melt streams, un- til the piston removes one of the cavities from the process to remove contaminant buildup by means of backflushing. In normal operation, polymer is flowing through all four cavities. While one of the screens in the cavities is changed or flushed, the other three – or 75% – remain in the process so that throughput remains uninterrupted. The backflushing cycle is automated. In addition to the two screen- bearing pistons, there is a single hydraulically actuated displacement piston that operates during backflushing. When the differential pres- sure across the screen changer increases to a pre-set level because of contaminant buildup, the backflush sequence for all cavities will be started automatically. For each cavity, the displacement piston retracts, creating a reservoir of filtered molten polymer. This material is then hydraulically compressed and discharged in reverse direction, back through the screen, carrying away contaminant for removal from the system. The sequence is performed for each cavity one after the other. “In comparison with the earlier V-Type system, the height of the new HiCon V-Type 3G screen changer has been reduced by 30%, permit- ting a lower extrusion height,” said Christian Schroeder, global product manager for BKGmelt delivery products. “A single displacement piston is used for backflushing instead of having one for each screen cavity; and hydraulic piping has been optimized.” Nordson Polymer Processing Systems www.nordsonpolymerprocessing.com Cyklop International www.cyklop.de Markets in Spain and Portugal opened up Masterflex is actively expanding its tubing and connector sales operations in Europe andwill also begin the distribution of its prod- uct- and system-specific solutions made of special plastics and high quality textiles in Spain and Portugal. “We consider that there is still considerable potential that we can exploit in Europe and by establishing our own agency in Spain we believe we are firmly on the road to enhancing our business pros- pects in that country,” explains Dr. Andreas Bastin, Chairman of the MasterflexGroup. The groupof companies based inGelsenkirchen, Germany, is thus continuing to extend its international activities. “Spain and Portugal are interesting markets exhibiting a good rate of economic growth in many production sectors that are of relevance to us,” adds Sergio Alvarez, the Masterflex Group Sales Manager Spain and Portugal. The group’s experience in product distributionwill ensure that the products offered byMasterflex and Novoplast Schlauchtechnik will find suitable niches in these strate- gically important markets. According to Alvarez, there is considerable demand for these prod- ucts in the aviation construction, glass and wind power sectors, not to mention the plastics, pharmaceutical and the bulk solids han- dling industries. Important potential applications would include use in cooling and air conditioning systems and in suction transport. This development of business undertakings on the Iberian Penin- sula comes as a result of the expansion of the concern headquarters in Gelsenkirchen. Moreover, the group launched a new website in Spanish at the start of this year that will provide digital support to the sales activities. Masterflex Group www.masterflex.de Cyklop Plant Manager Bernd Causemann: “The BKG HiCon V-Type 3G screen changer requires less maintenance and operator supervision than either the older Nordson systemor a backflush system from a competing supplier. The higher efficiency of the V-Type 3G screen changer means fewer backflushes and less material waste. The system is particularly good in dealing with contamination surges, since the filtration area is regenerated very effectively in a short amount of time.”