Brabender's TwinLab-C 20/40: Compounding system on a small scale

Brabender TwinLab-C 20/40

The compact twin-screw extruder was specially developed for laboratory use and is the ideal companion for the development of recipes and processes.

The TwinLab-C 20/40 can be used in a remarkably wide range of applications, from feasibility studies and material developments in research institutes and industry to analysis of material behaviour during a process and developments in the field of recycling.

In addition, the laboratory compounder can be used in quality control and for the production of very small quantities, for example for the production of samples or test specimens.

The laboratory extruder is suitable for compounding samples with or without fillers or additives, e.g. from thermoplastics, engineering plastics, thermoplastic elastomers, ceramic materials or metal oxides.

Laboratory instrument with high savings potential

The advantages of laboratory-scale compounding are obvious: the sample quantities are many times smaller than would be the case on a production machine. The use of materials remains low, which is particularly important with expensive or difficult to obtain materials. The disposal costs for test materials are also lower.

Another significant advantage is that the ongoing production process does not have to be interrupted for tests to be carried out, which saves considerable downtime costs. Furthermore, due to its compact design and low throughput rates, the test setup on the laboratory compounder can be adapted quickly and easily if required, for example if a recipe needs to be changed.

The TwinLab-C 20/40 offers the greatest possible flexibility for various applications, including a wide range of die heads and modular screws. The tests can be performed with different L/D ratios. The various openings can be flexibly equipped with dosing systems, thermocouples, pressure transducers, liquid/gas pumps or a vacuum pump.

What can be measured or analyzed with the TwinLab-C 20/40?

Pressure sensors, thermocouples and the motor voltage are used to measure material temperature, material pressure and the load or torque. In addition, the residence time of the material in the extruder and optionally the viscosity of the product are determined.

The measured values provide information about the relationship between the extruder settings and process parameters and the resulting product properties. In addition, the horizontally hinged liner allows the evaluation of the process and the selected screw configuration. This information can be used to efficiently optimize a process or product.

The measurements are carried out in a user-friendly manner using the web-based MetaBridge software via a touch screen. The software allows multiple users to access the measurement results from different locations and end devices.