Coperion and Coperion K-Tron at K 2019

Stuttgart, July 2019 – In keeping with the motto “Making more out of your plastics”, Coperion and Coperion K-Tron will exhibit a variety of new and continuing developments of their technological solutions for plastics processing at K 2019 (16-23 October in Dusseldorf, Germany) at Booth B19 in Hall 14. Coperion will demonstrate how, by using energy and other resources responsibly, even plastics can be manufactured sustainably. The focus will be on recycling and upcycling, as well as processing of biodegradable plastics. General topics include further simplified handling, increased process efficiency and cost savings, as well as responsibility-conscious handling of resources both for complete turnkey systems as well as in the individual areas of compounding, pelletizing, feeding, and conveying. 

Front and center are two further developed high-end ZSK Mc¹⁸ type twin screw extruders with side feeders and side devolatilization. Moreover, Coperion will exhibit a representative of its high-performance SP strand pelletizers, now markedly improved in handling, as well as an especially reliable Smart Weigh Belt feeder SWB. Coperion K-Tron’s new V200 vibratory feeder will celebrate its European premiere and will be presented as part of a running system. Furthermore, Coperion will exhibit its energy-efficient FLUIDLIFT ecoblue® pneumatic conveying process, and will address the topic of technology solutions for integrating its products into customer-side Industry 4.0 environments. Among the eye-catching items at the booth will be two significantly re-designed ZSK Mc¹⁸ extruders with 45 and 70 mm screw diameter and a specific torque of 18 Nm/cm³. Optimized mechanical and electrical features provide better operating comfort and even greater efficiency. Both twin screw extruders are equipped with ZS-B easy type side feeders as well as ZS-EG easy type side devolatilization. Both the ZS-B as well as the ZS-EG significantly reduce the time needed for maintenance tasks, thanks to the easy design that enables quick removal from and re-installation to the process section for cleaning or screw changes with just a few hand movements. Instead of three-part covers, these extruders are now equipped with single-part heat insulation covers which are very easy to handle and can be detached without removing the cartridge heaters.

The ZSK 70 Mc¹⁸ will be on display with a K3-ML-D5-V200 type vibratory feeder and an accompanying ZS-B easy with a K-ML-SFS-BSP-100 Bulk Solids Pump™ (BSP) feeder. The smaller ZSK 45 Mc¹⁸ will be equipped with a gravimetric K2-ML-D5-T35 twin screw feeder and an accompanying ZS-B easy with a K-ML-SFS-KT20 twin screw feeder for high accuracy feeding at low feeding rates.

With the dual bearing SP 240 strand pelletizer, Coperion Pelletizing Technology will exhibit one model from its SP series, completely reworked for greatly simplified handling. Its new cutting gap adjustment technology makes fine adjustments simpler, faster and more precise; adjustments can be done by hand, with no tools. Furthermore, it markedly reduces maintenance downtimes.

The redesigned K3 Vibratory Feeder line from Coperion K-Tron will be presented to the European market for the first time. The K3-ML-D5-V200 vibratory feeder will be displayed in action as part of a recirculating system – with automatic refill provided by a P-Series vacuum receiver and a compact vacuum pump. Vibratory feeders are ideal for feeding recycled material or flakes as well as for the addition of glass fiber in compounding processes. They are practically maintenance-free, since there is no wear on the mechanical parts. P-Series vacuum receivers can be used to convey a wide range of bulk materials – in conveying only applications such as hopper loading, as well as loss-in-weigh feeder refill applications. The P-Series receivers are constructed of stainless steel and features include steep cone angles to ensure excellent discharge and band clamps for quick disassembly.

Also on display is Coperion K-Tron’s SWB-300 weigh belt feeder as a comparatively simply constructed, extremely reliable gravimetric feeder for high accuracy and efficient process control. Weigh belt feeders of this type can reliably feed large volumes of bulk materials with various flow properties and as such are well suited, among other things, for processing of recyclates.

At the center of its solutions for material handling is FLUIDLIFT ecoblue®, a pneumatic conveying process for plastic pellets that increases efficiency and minimizes degradation. In contrast to conventional designs, it reduces abrasion and thus avoids development of dust or strands to a considerable degree, maintaining product quality and reducing waste accumulation. Moreover, FLUIDLIFT ecoblue® enables plastics manufacturers to lower costs and increase throughputs, thanks to low energy consumption.

With their exhibits and the topics being addressed at K 2019, Coperion and Coperion K-Tron aim to underscore that both proven and new technologies offer versatile starting points with regard to increasing productivity in plastics processing. Furthermore, they can provide important contributions to improving sustainability as energy efficiency increases and systems are designed such that they too will be suited for the particular demands of plastics recycling.