Strictly-Extrusion

Plastic Engineering Associates Licensing, Inc. of Boca Raton, Florida is pleased to announce its 6th straight year of increased sales since the company’s incorporation in 1998. The company’s main product, Turbo-ScrewsT polyolefin foam feed screw technology, is licensed world-wide and is patented in the United States, Canada, Russia, South Africa, throughout Asia, and the European Community.

David J. Fogarty, President, stated ‘We’ve been averaging 38% sales growth each year since our company’s inception and this past year was no exception. We are very proud of the market acceptance of Turbo-ScrewsT technology. We will be making a major sales and marketing effort into Asia and Eastern Europe in 2005 and we anticipate continued sales growth throughout this coming new year.’

Davis-Standard’s 250mm (10-inch), 30:1 extruder is built for high-throughput applications and efficient operation. The machine’s design offers several advantages including eight temperature control zones for heating/cooling; a high-torque gearbox with two input shafts for running two motors on one screw shaft; and an easily accessible, one-piece welded steel base. A variety of screw designs are available for processing a range of polymers including HMW-HDPE, PET and PP.

The construction of this large extruder makes it ideal for demanding applications such as thick sheet and high output film processes. The machine features two drive motors, one on each side, directly connected by couplings to the input shaft of a three-stage, high-torque gear case. The gear reducer has an integrated thrust bearing for torques in excess of 85,000 Nm. An oil supply unit with control instruments and a temperature controlled heat exchange system ensures trouble-free operation.
The feed section, flanged to the gearbox, is sized for high throughputs and equipped with cooling channels. The one-piece, bimetallic-lined barrel is positioned on two supports to maintain alignment while allowing for thermal expansion. The barrel can be designed for up to 700 bar operating pressure with a rupture disc and pressure transducers for operator safety. The eight barrel heating/cooling zones feature aluminum heaters with unique cooling fins. The
heaters are wired on terminal strips in easily accessible cable channels. Additionally, there are four high-volume, double fans for each barrel zone to optimize temperature control.

The extruder’s rigid base with structural steel construction provides excellent stability and eliminates vibration. The base is positioned by hardened surfaces on ball roller elements to permit height adjustment and compensate for thermal expansion on two axes. A three-zone, circuit water system for the feed section, gear reducer, screw cooling and control instruments is standard on the machine. A screw ejector with a pull system for screw removal is also part of the equipment package.
For more information about this extruder, contact Chris Barton at chris.barton@davis-standard.de.

On December 15, Clariant opened its new Technical Service Center in the Caohejing High Tech Park in Shanghai, adding another milestone to its presence in China. With the new center, Clariant is offering, true to its business strategy, an even more improved customer-oriented service also in Asia.
The center consists of several units: Automotive Center, Textile Technical Center, Leather Testing Laboratory, and related service installations. Customers receive comprehensive technical consulting for the innovative products from Clariant, as well as intensive support in all application questions. This is first-class service, whose primary goal is to enhance the competitiveness and performance of Clariant’s customers.
“The new Technical Service Center allows us to respond to customer inquiries even faster. It also gives us the opportunity to open up new markets and develop new service ideas,” says Werner Wittlin, Managing Director of Clariant Greater China Region. “Our goal is to become the preferred supplier of specialty chemicals in the region. By combining superior customer service with state-of-the-art manufacturing, we will grow together with this dynamic region of the world, where strong growth is expected to continue in the next years.“

Finland’s Huhtamaki has launched a range of Bioware biodegradable packaging products. It claimed to be the first packaging material manufacturer to take this step with food service packaging, with potential seen in areas such as public festivals, catering, daily food and beverage service.
Bioware products include single-use cold drink cups, plates, containers and cutlery based on renewable and compostable raw materials; the company said the cold drink cups are made from Cargill Dow’s corn-based NatureWorks polylactide acide (PLA) resin. The plates and bowls are made in Huhtamaki’s Chinet moulded fibre.
Dietmar Johann, operations and logistics manager at Huhtamaki’s plant at Alf in Germany, said: “We can run NatureWorks PLA on our existing production lines. To achieve this was a challenge which involved the best know how and resources in the group, but with full commitment we succeeded and now the lines run smoothly in industrial scale”.

To further address customer requirements, Davis-Standard recently added torque motors to its equipment offering for some of its high-speed extrusion applications.
The motor’s compact size integrates easily into the extruder design, combining both gearbox and motor functions into one highly efficient machine. Design advantages include a hollow shaft, water cooling, fewer mechanical components and high rigidity. Processor operating benefits include low machine noise, reduced maintenance, flexible installation, increased repeatability and a screw speed capacity between 200 and 300 rpm. This motor is especially advantageous for extrusion applications where it would enable processors to remove the screw from the rear of the extruder, preventing disruption of downstream equipment.
For more information about the torque motor, contact John Radovich at Davis-Standard’s facility in Pawcatuck, Connecticut, USA at jradovich@davis-standard.com or (860) 599-1010.