Extrusion International 5-2023

44 Extrusion International 5/2023 FAKUMA 2023 High-Efficiency Technologies for Processing and Recycling Plastics At Fakuma 2023 Coperion and Herbold Meckesheim will present innovative product and process so- lutions that make both the compounding and the re- cycling of plastics markedly more efficient and increase the product quality achieved. One eyecatcher at Fakuma booth is the preconfigured Pro - Rate™ PLUS-S feeder. It serves as a representative of Coperion’s com- prehensive technology and process expertise in all compounding tasks. From raw material handling to con- veying, feeding, melting, dispersing, homogenizing and devolatilizing up to pelletizing, Coperion delivers both high-efficiency individual com - ponents as well as complete systems. The added value from the merger of Coperion and Herbold Meckesheim, specialist in mechani - cal recycling of plastics and plastic waste, is evident at the booth in a virtual PET recycling plant that both companies have created. This virtual plant presents one of the complete solutions for plastics recycling that Coperion, together with Herbold Meckesheim, is now making avail - able from a single source. It demon- strates the entire process and at the same time allows a glimpse into nu- merous key components and their functions. Moreover, rotors from Herbold Meckesheim granulators will be on display in several sizes and for vari- ous applications. The rotor concept with the cutting geometry is a deci- sive reason for the high efficiency of Herbold Meckesheim’s granulators. Plastics Recycling Plants from A Single Source Alongwith individual components, Coperion and Herbold Meckesheim now build entire systems for plastics recycling. From mechanical process- ing – size reduction, washing, sepa - rating, drying and agglomerating of plastics – to bulk material handling as well as feeding and extrusion all the way to compounding and pel- letizing, such plants cover the entire plastics recycling process chain. Since their merger, both companies have continued to develop and optimally attune their technologies for indi- vidual process steps so that entire systems excel in operation with ex- tremely high efficiency. Coperion and Herbold Meckes- heim realize solutions for mechani- cal recycling of post-industrial and post-consumer waste, chemical re - cycling, solvent-based recycling, and deodorization, tailored to the type of plastic being processed. Repre- sentative of their expertise in these various plastics recycling processes, Coperion and Herbold Meckesheim will be showing a PET recycling plant simulation at Fakuma. Booth visitors can look directly into all process steps and view the construction and func- tionality of key technologies. Pivotal for the high efficiency of Herbold Meckesheim’s granulators are both the rotor concept and the cuttinggeometry, individually adapt - ed for the task and the raw material. Herbold Meckesheim granulators work with true double cross cutting action: not only the rotor knives are mounted at an inclined angle, even the stator knives are creating a clean cut with a constant gap across the entire knife width. The end prod- uct is a regrind with very good flow characteristics, lowfines percentage, and high bulk density that can be easily reintroduced into the process. With their complete systems, Coperion and Herbold Meckesheim create especially efficient solutions for plastics recycling (Photo: Coperion, Stuttgart/Germany) Coperion ZSK twin screw extruders are equipped with numerous new features that ensure high-efficiency plastics compounding (Photo: Coperion, Stuttgart/Germany)