In-Line recycling extruders for edge trims

Economic processing of edge & bleed-trim (without dust)

The production of any film and Non woven will be more economic, when the material losses will be reduced to a minimum.
This is the case, when the production line will run trouble free along with minimum edge-trim and when these trims will be fed back to the process directly.

Especially for the feed-back of these trims, Sikoplast offers a system, called: ‘Sikorex’, which is already established in the market for more than 20 years. More than 200 lines –worldwide- are in operation.

The investment will be paid back in a period of less than 12 months due to the very obvious advantages, that is our opinion, however to determine this more precise, we’ll have to check deeper, as each case is a bit different to the other.

Edge & bleed trim are coming up during the production of cast or chill-roll film, blow film, thermoforming sheet film, BOPP. BOPET.. as long as with Non woven.

Often, the trims are guided via a blower (or directly) to any crusher and further to a hopper, where the flakes will be mixed with virgin granules and will be directly processed in the main extruder of the production line.

This procedure has several disadvantages: the capacity of the scrap is limited (exception: thermoforming sheet) to 5-15 % of the total capacity of the line, caused by the dust, ‘fish-eyes’ or other quality problems will occur, especially along with high transparent film, the material can be thermical harmed and especially, by processing PET or PA, the scrap will increase the moisture and this will guide to further quality problems.

To avoid all this, the trims are guided along with the Sikoplast solution via a draw-Inn device (or via any suction blower and adequate piping system) directly into the recycling extruder, converted into melt and fed via a melt pipe directly into the production extruder.

The lay-out of such an extruder, the design of the conical feed zone in combination with a single screw (copied by many competitors) still makes the difference and the basis for any Sikoplast recycling line.Depending on product demand and / or clients tasks, it’s possible to add any screen changer or metering pump into the system, this will be decided in each case individually, as our lines are really tailor made.

Recycling Extruder are designed in such a way, that the feeding section will have an essential bigger diameter than the melting part.
Possibly lay-out: 100/50; 120/70; 140/90 or 180/110mm.
For special applications (e.g. processing of EPS scrap), the feeding zones of the relevant extruders will have a bigger diameter than the before mentioned ones.

Between the two listed diameters, there will be a relative short connecting part, L/D. app. 1,5 D.

Upon request, the recycling extruder can be equipped with a second, independently controlled draw-Inn device, to process simultaneously to the trims material of full width.

By doing so, it’s more than obvious, that the handling of the production machine will more than simplified, and partly, the regranulation system can be saved.

By considering a metering pump, it will be possible to determine exactly the scrap portion, which will be fed back, as this will be very much different for each product.