Plastics

Single-stage Production of Expandable Polystyrene (EPS)

Expandable Polystyrene EPS
Expandable Polystyrene EPS
Download large image
Expandable Polystyrene EPS for building insulation
Expandable Polystyrene EPS for building insulation
Download large image

Expandable polystyrene (EPS) is a rigid and tough foam. EPS is often used for food packaging, building insulation, and packing material either as solid blocks formed to accommodate the item being protected or as loose-fill pellets cushioning fragile items inside boxes.

Time-tested, first class Coperion and Coperion K-Tron technology is optimally suited for the single stage production of EPS. Extremely reliable Coperion K-Tron gravimetric feeders provide high feeding accuracy when adding GPPS, EPS, fillers, flame retardants, nucleating agents, color pigments or foaming agents to the process. Due to its intensive mixing behavior and very gentle product handling the ZSK twin screw extruders ensure optimal dispersion of all ingredients. Micropellets are created via an underwater pelletizer and are subsequently expanded or molded.

Key Benefits:

  • Space saving set-up of the system
  • Flexible production with regard to recipe
  • Adjustable pellet size
  • Improved product quality due to twin screw compounding
  • Highly accurate feeding of key ingredients
  • Complete ATEX design available
  • Complete corrosion protected process section available

Typical set-up for single-stage production of Expandable Polystyrene (EPS)

Coperion set-up for the production of EPS

Comprehensive product range

Coperion plastics twin screws

Compounding Machines and Extruders

Coperion offers ZSK and STS co-rotating twin screw extruders. Both extruder lines secure smoothly interacting process steps and gentle handling of the product with maximum productivity.

Feeding Equipment

Coperion K-Tron feeders secure continuous, uniform infeed with a very high short-term accuracy and repeatability. Depending on the raw materials and process requirements, a variety of feeder models and configurations are available. Vibratory feeders, single screw feeders or bulk solids pumps for free flowing materials like granulates & pellets, twin screw feeders for difficult powders such as fillers, flame retardants, pigments or other additives as well as liquid feeders and other special feeders are some of the technologies available to design the right solution for each application.

Coperion plastics rotary valve

Material Handling Equipment

Coperion and Coperion K-Tron have designed a broad variety of material handling solutions for the production of EPS. Our designs include a complete range of solutions: material storage and discharge components, pneumatic and mechanical conveying systems, weighing and feeding systems, and complete process control systems. Conveying solutions can utilize pressure or vacuum, lean or dense phase, depending on the material characteristics and application properties. Material unloading can be handled from trucks, silos, BBUs (big bag unloaders) to sack-tip stations (small bags) to glove box applications for toxic or dangerous materials. Based on the material properties and requirements we are happy to integrate other functions into our systems, such as delumping, sieving or other equipment dependent on your process.

Coperion plastics compounding plant

Plants and Systems

Coperion offers single source systems including all our material handling, feeding, compounding and extrusion expertise. When planning and installing a compounding plant, you have only one contact and benefit from clearly defined project responsibility.

Coperion plastics service

Global Service

Our service structure consists of over 350 service engineers and technicians around the globe who not only look after your machines and systems but also after your business. They see themselves as partners who secure your future.

Downloads

See the latest newsletter edition

Discover more

You want to learn more about single-stage production of EPS?

Contact us

Subscribe to the Coperion Newsletter