Investment in latest technology can make long term savings
Extrusion machinery manufacturer, Boston Matthews, discusses how you can reduce your energy costs and improve production through investment in the latest extrusion technology.
More than just saving energy costs
In today’s global market, manufacturers and processors must monitor and scrutinise all costs in order to remain competitive. What many organisations fall foul of is the false economy of making do with existing older machinery which encompasses older technology. An investment in the latest production technology is always appealing but not always easy to justify. However, when examined closely, substantial savings can be made across the whole production operation other than more efficient use of power and not to be forgotten a higher quality product.
Energy Saving Technology
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Extruders with Energy Efficient AC Technology:
Extruders fitted with the latest AC Vector Technology provide precision speed holding and maximum efficiency. AC motors are considerably more energy-efficient than the DC alternatives.
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Extruders with Direct-Drive Technology:
Extruders and Co-Extruders fitted with Direct-Drive Motor to Gearbox Technology ensure maximum power transmission is achieved whilst achieving greater accuracy and eliminating the need for a belt and pulley arrangement. A belt and pulley arrangement used by some alternative extruder manufacturers will stretch and therefore result in slippage, causing wasted energy and inaccuracy.
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Precision Extruder Temperature Control:
Complete control over the temperature heating and cooling zones not only maintains the best conditions for good production from an extruder but can greatly reduce energy costs at the same time. If temperature control is not kept within a tight scale, massive amounts of energy is wasted trying to maintain the set temperatures by the constant turning on-off of heaters and fans. A barrel heating system that does not work in isolation to one another eliminates any conflict and potential energy waste.
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Screw Design:
There is no such thing as a "general-purpose screw.” The importance of the screw design is always apparent but is even more so when producing tolerant sensitive products or processing certain polymers. The correct screw design will produce the best possible homogenisation of the material without any over shear and degradation while producing the most efficient output.
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AC Vector Caterpillar Haul-Off’s:
Caterpillar Haul-Off’s which incorporate the latest AC Flux Vector Technology achieve considerably higher levels of precise speed holding. AC Technology is not only more energy-efficient, but with more precise speed holding less scrap and off-spec material waste is generated. The performance of the Caterpillar Haul-Off is critical to the overall accuracy of the entire extrusion line and should not be understated.
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Close Tolerance Accurate Cutting:
Servo-technology enables a higher level of cutting accuracy to be achieved. This reduces the amount of scrap material produced as well as the amount of compound material required – a further use of machine energy. The elimination of any secondary cut operation to achieve the required cut lengths further reduces the need for any additional energy-consuming machinery.
FEBRUARY 18, 2021 / SARAH DAVIES - Plastikmedia