Innovation, efficiency, economy, reproducibility, upscaling & modularity – under the slogan “future is now”, for Collin, these keywords are taking center stage during this year’s K-exhibition appearance. The company presents: Cast/calendering-MDO line with a length of 12 m, including a wealth of innovative individual components, the new E Entrance series extruder, the Collin multi-inspection, a 5-layer coextrusion line and a Collin Medical Line.
The Collin GmbH intensely deals with subjects and challenges of the plastics industry and incorporates this in its product and line development under „future is now“. “With our know-how, we guarantee that, already today, our customers develop, test or produce their products of tomorrow”, explain DI Dr. Friedrich Kastner, CEO Colllin and Corné Verstraten, CSO Collin.
Highlight Calender-MDO line – 12 meters of innovation
Greatest highlight, in two ways, is a line with a total length of 12 m, which exactly corresponds to the Collin product philosophy of modularity, because it consists of the following, innovative and partly brand new individual components:
- Compounder Type ZK 25 P – with optimized throughput and torque
- High speed Torque Extruder Type E 30 T – one of the Collin innovations 2016
- Extruder Type E 30 P with new features/extras
- 5-layer feedblock with a 500 mm slot die
- 3-roll calender with gap control
- Take-off unit with start-up winder and COFIS film inspection
- MDO with double stretching gap
- Take-off module with various features (e. g. edge cutting, film edge control)
- Collin turret winder, adapted to Collin lines
So to speak, the complete line consists of Collin innovations and improvements as for example the controls for extruders, calenders, MDOs and winders. The system acquires all parameters and records them for evaluation.
For the K-show, the speed of the calender is max. 38 m/min and the MDO has a speed of max. 100 m/min., of course, higher speeds can be realized on demand. Furthermore, the line can be delivered as high-temperature version”, explain Kastner and Verstraten.
Advantages of the Calender-MDO-line – convincing in every meter:
- A higher degree of automation due to motor-driven gap adjustment of MDO and calender as well as the new turret winder.
- Moreover, the motor-driven gap adjustment guarantees higher reproducibility.
- Larger range of throughput because of the Extruder Type E 30 T. Thus, this results in a considerably larger process window.
- Here, modularity is decisive, since, depending on the requirement, the components can be combined according to the modular principle of Collin. components can be combined according to the modular principle
- With the new Collin auxiliary winder, which can wind both, web material and edge cutting material, starting the machine is considerably easier.
- Furthermore, with the turret winder it is possible to keep the line running, also with long testing or production runs. Thus, process stability and reproducibility can be increased. Moreover, it is not insignificant that personnel costs can be reduced.
- Production-related speed allows better upscale possibilities.
Special model Extruder T Torque – the unique high-speed machine
The special model high-speed Extruder Type E 30 T combines the advantages of Type P, however, its output is increased because of a higher speed and torque. “Especially for the development of screw geometry and feeder for this high-speed model, an enormous technical competence was required – for laboratory tasks, the Extruder Type T is unique”, happily say Kastner und Verstraten. The T series is also available in other Collin sizes.
Also our P series, driven by an innovative compact gear motor, whose drive electronics and control are directly integrated in the base frame, can be used in a wide range of applications: for R&D or production. Different types of downstream equipment can be connected to the extruder. Furthermore, depending on the customer requirement, there is a variety of supplementary equipment as well as features.
Innovation Turret Winder – the flexible all-rounder
Especially in laboratory and pilot operation, an optimal quality of the film bobbins is becoming increasingly important. On the one hand, to better predict the characteristics of the films after winding and on the other hand, to guarantee the processing with production lines.
“Different from classical production winders, here, versatility and flexibility are required. Different films or compounds with a different thickness have to be wound faultlessly.” Latest winding algorithms ensure that different materials with a different thickness, strength and width can be wound faultlessly. In principle, three modes are available: 1. Central winding, 2. Contact winding with adjustable pressure and 3. Gap winding with adjustable gap (0 - 300 mm).
Moreover, features of the innovation turret winder are the motor-driven lifting of the bobbin by means of the shaft, the modular design with contact slide and fly cutter as well as the very compact design.
E Entrance series Extruder – the economic entry-level machine
The E Entrance series extruder is the basic version for first steps into extrusion. Designed for laboratory operation and tests in R&D, these compact lines are an alternative to the Collin P Professional series extruder.
The E Extruder is mounted on a movable electrical cabinet, which contains the power electrics, connections and the main switch. Therefore, the Collin extruders are very compact and functional. Furthermore, Collin scores with several size versions. According to the modularity principle, the Entrance extruders can be integrated into different Collin lines.
Innovation Multi-Inspection – the comprehensive online-quality control
“The innovation multi-inspection of our product line Polytest Line is used for the analysis of recycled plastics material but also of the processing of virgin materials, compounds or masterbatches. Our aim was to develop and manufacture a compact, robust and cost-efficient online-measuring device. The modular design of the measuring system allows the adaptation of the measuring method to the corresponding requirements of our customers”, explains Kastner.
In principle, the Collin multi-inspection system contains three main modules – a rheological melt characterization, an optical film inspection and a mechanical film control:
- Real-time monitoring of the melt viscosity in the form of the MVR, iV-value or the apparent viscosity.
- Statistical error detection (gels, blackspots, …) in the film
- Color monitoring in the film by CIE L*a*b system
- Detection of external polymers by NIR analysis
- Determination of stress-strain values in a film tensile test
Via an upstream melt pump, the multi-inspection system is provided with a constant melt flow and the pressure required for the rheological characterization is built up. The compact design and the options to use the multi-inspection online and directly at the extruder or offline in the laboratory also convince. The modular design of the multi-inspection unit allows an individual configuration of the line, however, for the customer there are still many upgrading possibilities.
Highlight 5-layer Coextrusion Blown Film Line – the compact multi-layer line
At the K, Collin also presents a 5-layer blown film line, which, due to its compact design, finds its place in the smallest spaces. The very low material consumption is accompanied by a high degree of information – from the screening of different materials, testing masterbatches, blow-up ratio, color examination, multi-layer films to further defects in the film.
The advantage of the blown film line is that the cooling ring and the blown film die can easily be dismounted and furthermore, the 5-layer blown film die can easily be cleaned. In a modular way, the Collin line can quickly be retrofitted to a mono or 3-layer line or upgraded to up to 13 layers.
New Medical Line Extruder E 12 – the ideal and small processing machine
With the extruder E 12 x 25 D, Collin also represents a new development in the product category Medical Line. “We present a small line with the new extruder, a strand die 1 x 2 mm, a water bath, a medical belt take-off and a strand pelletizer. The advantage of the Medical Line E Extruder is, that our customers can process smallest batches”, say Kastner and Verstraten.
Besides the very good process control, extrusion at very low temperatures is possible – this is mainly essential for certain medical additives. The Collin Medical Line lines are characterized by an extreme accuracy, cGMP/FDA validated production, GAMP5 validation and quick cleaning and are generally custom-made.
