Roadshow Takes Compounding Technology into the Field

Daniel Nagl, Coperion Werner & Pfleiderer GmbH & Co. KG

A fully operable, mobile compounding line facilitates practical demonstrations of typical process functions. The "Roadshow" atmosphere appeals to audiences and generates much interest, whether at training events or during trials at the customer's site.

In these days of ever-growing demand on workforce skills, basic and advanced training is an important ingredient for success. Attendees at such events gather "hands-on" experience of technical advances and can familiarize themselves with the latest process improvements. Industry support, although indispensable, cannot always be taken for granted in this context. This is despite that fact that the decisive evaluation of new or improved methods and the dissemination of expertise takes place "on the ground", which is also where the merits of new and advanced systems must be conclusively demonstrated.

These considerations have prompted Coperion Werner & Pfleiderer GmbH & Co. KG of Stuttgart/Germany to build a fully operable and highly versatile compounding line into a semi-trailer to serve as a travelling demonstration unit. The heart of the system consists of a ZSK 26 MEGACompounder twin screw compounding extruder, which can be made up of 7, 9, 11 or 12 barrel modules depending on the compounding task. The machine can thus be configured with an L/D ratio of 28, 32, 44 or 48.

Raw materials are supplied by gravimetric metering, with pellets, additives, fillers and/or colour pigments each being assigned their own metering system. For adding constituents such as fillers or pigments into the melt, the process section is equipped with a twin-screw side-feeder. Downstream of the compounding assembly, the line features a compact granulating system comprising a water bath, blow-off unit and pelletizer. Process management and monitoring is provided by a CScompact switchgear and control unit.

With this "Roadshow" installation, the capabilities of advanced compounding technology - in terms of throughput, product quality and versatility - can be effectively demonstrated under field operating conditions.

Built-in upscaling capability

The ZSK 26 Mc (Pic 1, right top) is the smallest machine size in the MEGAcompounder range, a line-up which includes the largest twin screw machines built anywhere to date. All ZSK MEGAcompounders are protected, in Europe and worldwide, under the recently granted European Patent No. EP 0 852 533 B.

Thanks to its affiliation to the Mc series, this small 26 mm screw dia. compounding machine offers the full range of associated process technology and performance benefits. All machines in this series share a uniform screw and barrel geometry in their process section. The Do/Di ratio between the external diameter Do and the internal diameter Di of the screw is always 1.55. This gives a process chamber with a high specific free volume. Similarly, all specific operating data are matched within the MEGAcompounder series to facilitate upscaling. This is important if the line is used, e.g., for model testing in the design of larger systems.

Roadshow for extensive customer information

Apart from its role in vocational training and further education events, the mobile compounding line is ideally suited for conducting "on-site" trials at customer facilities, or for illustrating the capabilities of the ZSK MEGAcompounder to a prospective buyer. Compared to the conventional tests carried out at Coperion Werner & Pfleiderer's technology centre, the key advantages of "Roadshow" as a testing and sales demo tool are threefold:

• Without any extra travelling costs or effort, trials can be performed in the presence of, and directly witnessed by, staff from all organizational hierarchy levels and functions - from the head of technical operations or production manager to quality assurance personnel and, ultimately, machine operators (especially the latter are not normally present during customer testing at manufacturers' technology centres). The roadshow thus serves as a further training instrument.

• The "Roadshow" is accompanied by Coperion Werner & Pfleiderer's test engineers, who can provide local personnel with valuable on-site support. Many of these experts bring years of experience to their task. (Pic 2, right).

• Even small or recently started enterprises, which at times shun the cost and effort of coming to the technology centre for trials, can now test the new ZSK 26 Mc free of charge for a limited period of time.