Extrusion International 3-2023

27 Extrusion International 3/2023 The RF5 XHL technology relies on the specially pat- ented BiCo process. This combines two different raw materials in one fiber in the spunbond process, creat - ing a bimetallic effect and optimally crimping the fiber. This results in a weight reduction of up to 25 percent for fiber sizes at 1.0 denier. At the same time, thickness increases by up to 30 percent compared to state-of-the- art material. The new RF5 XHL lines are also equipped with partic- ularly energy-efficient components, enabling resource- saving nonwoven production at high line speeds. To re- duce production waste to a minimum, all raw materials are made of polypropylene (PP), for simple and efficient inline recycling. In contrast, common mixed-material fabrics made of PP/PE or PET/PE are very difficult to recy - cle. In addition, to meet the ongoing demand for more sustainable nonwoven products, RF5 lines also process bio-based raw materials on request. Kdesign: World's best blown film technology at Chinaplas 2023 InadditiontotheReifenhäuserbusinessunits,Kdesign– the world's leading supplier of controlled air rings – was also represented for the first time at the Reifenhäuser joint exhibition stand at Chinaplas this year. Kdesign has been part of the Reifenhäuser Group since the begin- ning of 2021 and presented how blown film lines with Kdesign components achieve more output, better film quality and less production waste. Special high - light: visitors to the booth had the possibility to try out Kdesign's offline thickness measurement system "KDvision-Lab" on site. Digitization sustainably increases overall equipment effectiveness On top of this, Reifenhäuser launched a digital of- fensive at Chinaplas that aims to sustainably support plastics producers in optimizing their overall equipment effectiveness. RE: GmbH, the digital start-up of the Reifenhäuser Group, has developed a solution that con- nects the entire production from the first to the last me - ter of the film or nonwoven roll – cross-vendor. The core of this digital solution is the powerful c.Hub Middleware and the ExtrusionOS Suite. At Chinaplas, RE: and Reifenhäuser showed customers how to keep an eye on their data in real time, analyze it, quickly trou- bleshoot, and ultimately optimize their processes. And this is how Reifenhäuser's new digital solution works: the c.Hub Middleware connects, gathers and harmonizes data from ERP/MES systems and assets as well as peripherals of different ages, types and vendors. Thus, the c.Hub becomes the "single point of truth" for all data. Whether management, quality department, maintenance or operator, anyone can access the data, add contextual information, and draw useful conclu- sions at any time and from anywhere. Customers can choose between ExtrusionOS bundles for different use cases, such as quality management, maintenance, or troubleshooting. These bundles in- clude features such as product-specific alarms, EFSA/ FDA reporting, and helpful tools for operators, e.g., to optimize product changeover. Reifenhäuser Group www.reifenhauser.com RF5 XHL is the evolution of the proven RF5 platform, targeted at super soft and drapeable nonwovens for the hygiene industry (Picture: Reifenhäuser) The motorized screwdrivers of the PAM option adjust and regulate the die flex lip automatically with high precision (Picture: Reifenhäuser) Kdesign's controlled air rings for blown film lines set performance benchmarks in terms of output and film quality (Picture: kDesign)