Pregis invests USD 80 million in a new film extrusion facility in South Carolina.

The blown film extrusion facility in Anderson, SC/USA, will create 120 new jobs and is expected to be operational in September

Extrusion

Kunststoffverarbeitung: Verfahren

Extrusionsblasformen

Blasformen

Blasfolienextrusion

Kunststoffverarbeitung: Maschinen und Komponenten

Extrusionsanlagen

Film Extrusion Facility Will Create New Jobs

With innovations in metrology, processing and automation, the film industry is again pursuing the goal of process optimization and digitalization this year. But efficiency and sustainability are also the focus of the machine manufacturers, who will be serving up pioneering innovations at K 2019.

The Circular Economy – Sustainable yet Efficient?

Flachfolienanlagen

Flachfolien- und Plattenextrusion

Verpackungstechnik

Logistik

Folienabzug- und -aufwickelmaschinen

Faserverarbeitung

Extrusionswerkzeuge

Werkzeuge für die Kunststoffverarbeitung

Folien

Halbzeuge und Zwischenprodukte

Kunststoff-Halbzeuge

Folienreckanlagen

Folienblasanlagen

Kreislaufwirtschaft

A Perfect Concept All Round

World premieres, technological advancements and joint projects: there was plenty of evidence at K of the impressive progress made in sustainable solutions in extrusion in many different directions over the past number of years.

During the daily machine show, Windmöller & Hölscher demonstrated a fast product changeover per autopilot. When K finished, the line was delivered to IsoFlex Packaging, in Nashville, TN/USA.

16:9

In the field of film extrusion and processing the number one topic at this year's K was the circular economy and sustainability.

Messe K-Kunststoffmesse

kunststoffe-international.com

Schröder, Susanne

A Common Goal: The Circular Economy

Brückner Maschinenbau has developed mono-material packaging solutions to close the life cycle of plastic packaging as requested by brand owners and legislations.

Examples of monomaterial plastic packaging based on biaxially stretched films of PP, PET or, more recently, PE.

Messe Interpack

Kunststoff-Recycling

Kunststoff-Aufbereitung

kunststoffe.de

How Recycling Goals Can Be Achieved

Over 60 customers took part at the Colines Open House 2021 and the presentation of the new Polyblown 2600 mm 7-layer multipurpose blown film line.

Over 60 customers took part at the presentation of the new Polyblown blown film line.

Open House at Colines

Brückner Maschinenbau focuses its trade show presence on higher plant efficiency and sustainable film production.

BOPP and BOPET are among the most popular packaging films. They are now produced on lines at speeds of over 600 m/min.

Faster and Wider BO Lines

Way2K: Interview between VDMA and Peter Steinbeck, CEO of Windmöller & Hölscher KG

“We have the role of an ambassador”, says Peter Steinbeck, CEO of Windmöller & Hölscher KG.

“We Have the Role of an Ambassador”

Uniloy Inc., a blow molding machine and mold technology company, launched the all-electric Uniloy UCS.E continuous extrusion shuttle machine for the production of bottles, containers, and technical parts.

The UCS.E line is suitable for the production of bottles, containers, and technical parts

All-Electric Extrusion Shuttle Blow Molding Machine

A special rubber gasket is now available to seal the parting line between head and die. First pilot projects have shown several promising benefits. The technique is suited for pipe extrusion, film blow molding and extrusion blow molding. 

Rohr- und Profilextrusion

Ring-shaped Dies: Tilting Technique Improves Centering and Other Features 

Jenn Chong Plastics Machinery Works Co., Ltd., TaiPao City, Taiwan, presents the JC-CX series multilayer co-extrusion blown film machine. 

Multilayer Co-Extrusion Blown Film Machine 

JC-CX Series 

The increasing volume of plastic waste and the growing pollution of the oceans by such waste have brought the sustainable handling of plastic products into the focus of society and politics. Both recycling and bioplastics can be a part of a strategy for greater sustainability, but they are not free of side effects. In order to avoid irrational decisions, it is important to assess their effects comprehensively.

If a film is used in the packaging sector, it should be made of at least a recycled material – leading to the common opinion that assumes that materials in circulation are automatically more sustainable. However, a detailed life cycle analysis, which considers all relevant energy and material flows on the basis of a generally valid calculation method, shows that it is not that simple

3D View of Sustainability

Verpackungsmaterial

Recycling

Umweltmanagement

Nachhaltigkeit

Why Recycled Films Are Not Necessarily Sustainable

Founded in 1960, Chem-Trend is a leading global manufacturer of process chemical specialties with a main focus on high-performance mold release agents. Chem-Trend develops mold release agents used for the production of molded components made of composites, rubber, thermoplastics, or polyurethane, die lubricants for application in the die casting industry, as well as purging compounds and inside and outside tyre paints. In addition, Chem-Trend manufactures specialized ancillary products, such as mold maintenance products, mold cleaners and mold sealers for the individual industries.

Chem-Trend (Deutschland) GmbH 

https://de.chemtrend.com/

Additive

Kunststoff Werkstoffe

Biokunststoffe

Blasformwerkzeuge

Faser- und Filamentextrusion

Klebstoffentferner

Chemisches Fügeverfahren

Verbindungstechnik Verfahren

Kunststoffverarbeitung

Lohnfertigung

Dienstleistungen

Lösemittel, Reinigungsmittel, Entfettungsmittel

Reinigen und Vorbehandeln

Oberflächentechnik

Reinigung

Betriebsausrüstung / Betriebsmittel

Reinigungsmittel für Kunststoffe

Spritzgießen

Spritzstreckblasen

Teilereinigung

Thermoplaste

Verarbeitungshilfmittel

Verbundwerkstoffe / Werkstoffverbunde

Werkzeugreinigung, Kunststoffe

According to ST Blowmoulding, Monza, Italy, the ST Aspi 150.3 Duo doubles the production output of blow molded 3D products compared to a single machine without doubling capital and operating costs, while providing high flexibility of use. Like all models in the Aspi series, the Duo machine can also be used for 2D blow molding: each clamping unit is optionally prepared for installation of a blowing unit from the bottom, complete with nozzle and spreaders. 

Double Production Rates without Quality Losses 

Two Different Recipes at the Same Time 

Brückner Maschinenbau has placed an order with Coperion for more than 50 ZSK Mc18 twin screw extruders.

 Plastic film stretching line from Brückner Maschinenbau, in which ZSK extruders from Coperion take over the melting of the compounds

Kunststoff-Verpackungsmaschine

Sondermaschinen

Brückner Maschinenbau Places Major Order with Coperion

Sustainability and efficiency are two of the most important topics in the blow molding industry. At the same time, these trends are being interpreted quite differently by various companies. 

Blow Molding: Formed by Air 

From the French Fry Bag to the Cement Bag to the Plastic Film.

As a system supplier of machinery for the production of flexible packaging made of paper, mesh, and plastic, systems for extrusion, printing, and processing are part of the W&H product range. What’s fascinating is that the family business founded in 1869 has been concentrating on flexible packaging from the outset, continuing to do so to this day. With a shift in focus: while the trade fair highlight in 1914 was a “pointed cap” for medications, sustainable plastic films made of mono-materials are in great demand today. During a site visit to the headquarters in Lengerich, Germany, the “Kunststoffe” editorial staff gained insights into production, assembly, and the technical center.

Windmöller & Hölscher offers a broad range of systems for flexible packaging – from extrusion to processing to printing. Bag machines and paper bag systems are offered in the paper segment, and mesh machines are also part of the repertoire for heavy goods. With its systems for blown and cast films, W&H is among the leading manufacturers in the extrusion sector. Around 2200 employees work in four plants at the headquarters in Lengerich, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.

Pioneering Achievements made in Lengerich

Milestones in the company history include:

<ul><li>1954 the first central cylinder flexographic printing machine</li><li>1967 blown film system with internal cooling</li><li>1989 thickness control in blown film extrusion</li></ul>

<ul><li>Extrusion systems with turbostart: automated starting and stopping in minutes can be realized at the push of a button – with only one operator on the machine.</li><li>Flexographic printing machines such as the Novoflex II , capable of realizing even challenging motifs at speeds of up to 600 m/min.</li><li>The IoT system Ruby for monitoring and analyzing all production parameters of the W&H machines.</li><li> Retrofit solutions for all W&H machines. In extrusion, the machines of other manufacturers can be modernized as well.</li><li>The W&H Academy offering consulting, technical events, internal courses and external training, for example, Lean Management or Performance Check.</li></ul>

Technology to the Third Power on 10,000 Square Meters

Three technology centers, for extrusion, printing, and processing, provide space for training, R&D, and customer projects on a total of 10,000 square meters. Systems in various sizes and versions operate in the extrusion technology center. These include:

<ul><li>A Varex II blown film system, capable of producing films with up to eleven layers. In the technology center, it is equipped with both an annealing unit and a waterworks, ready for all film types and customer requests.</li><li>A Filmex II system for cast films. Here the focus for W&H is on films for barrier applications and on stretch films.</li><li>An Aquarex also has its place here, in which the bubble is cooled with water from the outside. The system works “upside-down”: The die head is in the upper section, the outfeed is on the bottom. Direct shock freezing produces soft films for processing that would result in relatively stiff films using conventional technology.</li></ul>

The Film Stretcher Is Particularly Important for Sustainable Films

Packaging made of just one polymer family – for example, PP or PE – is easier to recycle and therefore more sustainable. “However, this only works when I alter the properties of the inherently soft PE,” emphasizes Dr. Lennart Ederleh, Technical Sales Director at W&H. In addition to high puncture resistance, the film has to exhibit adequate stiffness for printing. This is made possible by a technology used with both cast films and blown films: in the machine direction orientation (MDO) film stretcher, the heated film is stretched in the web direction to equalize thermal tension, and then cooled again. Stretching alters the molecular structures, in turn influencing properties such as transparency and stiffness.<a ref="tango:{5CA9C0D7-A656-4647-8832-96FD9A8C279A}"/a>

What special know-how is required for film production? “The art of extrusion is to harmonize all components of the machine for optimal overall performance,” says Ederleh. “The best extruder, calibration head, or outfeed is of little use when the interplay of the components does not work. Our strength is that we are familiar with the details of every process step.”Der Blaskopf: Das Herzstück der Blasfolienanlage

The Die Head: the Heart of the Blown Film System

The die heads are produced in a separate hall: This high-precision work with µm accuracy demands a sure instinct. The die heads are shaped using various machines and tools. Manual work continues to be indispensable here for an exact result. The free-form surfaces are manually polished with up to one year of labor input. Another department handles maintenance of the die heads. Many customers have their die heads overhauled here.Last but Not Least, Assembly

Testing the performance of every extruder with its control cabinet and running in the die heads is performed at test stands. Even when final acceptance is performed at the customer site, this is where the extruder first sees the melt. Rotation speeds, pressures, and torque values are adjusted. The practical test in the system for running in die heads and cooling rings lasts three to four hours until all tolerances are met.

Windmöller & Hölscher KG  

https://www.wuh-lengerich.de

View into the heart of a Varex II blown film system.

2022-05-16 FB W&H vor Ort

Windmöller & Hölscher was founded in 1869 by Hermann Hölscher and remains a family business to this day. Around 3000 employees at all sites combined generate approximately EUR 920 million in annual sales (as of 2020). The focus has always been on machines for the production of flexible packaging made of paper, mesh, or film today. W&H is represented in more than 100 countries around the world. The company deploys around 450 service technicians. Customer training, continuing education, trade fairs, and events are offered by the in-house W&H Academy.

www.wh.group

An eye-catcher at the trade fair back in 1914: W&H patented the first machine in 1877 for the in-house production of a “pointed cap”, commonly used for medications at the time. The photo was taken at the 1914 Bugra trade fair in Leipzig, Germany.

Upon entering the extrusion technology center in Lengerich, the blown film system immediately catches the visitor’s eye …

The Optimex II can produce films with up to five layers.

On the opposite side, the Filmex II produces cast films.

 W&H has been educating young people since the company’s founding. More than 1500 trainees have started their careers with W&H since 1980.

More exact than a hair’s breadth: precision machine tools in production at W&H work with µ accuracy, precise to 0.001 millimeters.

A special department is responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of the die heads.

Example of a retrofit system. Extrusion systems of other manufacturers are also retrofitted on customer request.

Systems for flexographic printing and gravure printing are part of the W&H product range as well. The Heliostar II A is a cost-effective gravure printing machine for all standard applications.

We would like to thank Dr. Lennart Ederleh (right) and Dr. Jonas Schmidt for the exciting tour. “Kunststoffe” editor Susanne Schröder is in the middle.