Extrusion Days: Safe, Efficient, and Dependable — from Batchwise to Continuous Production for Chemical Applications

Stuttgart, November  2018 – Over 150 participants from approximately 15 nations came to Stuttgart, Germany on 13 and 14 November 2018, accepting their invitations to the 2018 Coperion Extrusion Days. In keeping with the motto “Batch to Conti”, the conference took up an often-discussed current topic in the chemical industry, surrounded in controversy, that offers enormous savings potential, while reliable information regarding its safety and dependability often remains unavailable. Presentations by internal and external experts, plant tours, and live presentations gave professionals in attendance new insights into the basics of modern extrusion with co-rotating twin screw extruders and their enormous performance gains — relative to production volume — versus batchwise mixing and homogenization processes. Such understanding serves to aid participants in decision making for their own uses. A central focus of many presentations was on maintaining constant formulations to meet specifications using application-specifically optimized extruders, feeding systems, and monitoring systems. Concrete case examples demonstrated successful conversions from batch to extruder technology and the significant increases in production capacity enabled thereby, with at least equal product quality and, in any case, significantly better quality consistency.

A ZSK 34 Mv PLUS twin screw extruder was the central element in a demonstration of HMPSA (Hot Melt Pressure-Sensitive Adhesive) manufacturing.  In this example, a Roll-ex  system masticated rubber balls on hand as a formula component so far as to enable continuous extruder feeding.

Use of a demonstration extruder with a transparent plastic housing allowed Coperion Stuttgart's research & development team to give visitors the ability to see for themselves how differently designed mixing elements ensure complete mixing of two fluids with different viscosities. A CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) flow simulation shown in parallel demonstrated the broad agreement between theory and practice. Coperion is implementing this process in order to evaluate newly developed screw elements and mixtures, among others.

“In the meantime, continuous processes are being implemented in many industries for countless applications and mixtures. The advantages of consistent quality at concurrently higher efficiency nowadays are also attractive arguments for many users in the chemical industry to potentially change over from batch processes to continuous production”, said Oliver Beiser, Team Leader of Chemical Applications of Coperion’s Compounding & Extrusion Division.

The variety of questions raised in the forum, as well as the animated discussions during breaks between event blocks, demonstrated how great the need is for information in this field, and how that need extends far beyond what is available. Time and again, participants expressed amazement at the versatile possibilities shown, even in their own companies, to increase productivity with short-term ROI and increased quality consistency. Of particular note for participants was a comparison of scrap quantities that Guido Arzt, member of the global process team at Henkel Adhesives & Sealants, elucidated during his presentation.

Moreover, during one extensive plant tour, participants at the 2018 Extrusion Days gleaned an impression of Coperion’s vertical integration at its Stuttgart location, ranging from screw element and extruder barrel manufacturing to final assembly of twin screw extruders.