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Pelletizing got much smarter thanks to the new Industry 4.0-engineered system that (BPM) introduced in Mat at NPE2024.

BPM’s new “Smart Pelletizing” has been designed inside and out from a digital manufacturing perspective to provide a wealth of process data. This Industry 4.0 pelletizing system tracks, controls and saves everything — from material recipes to process parameters (line and rotor speed, pellet length changes) and operator activity from logging on to start to emergency stops and more.

As BPM explains, users can input material recipes and all the machinery adapts automatically. These easy-to-save and easy-to-recall recipes are an important part of this display. Moreover, all important events are logged.

BPM displayed its complete smart pelletizer system, centered on its AXP08 pelletizer and water bath system, all driven by a versatile, easy-to-use master control that serves up much more than process information.

According to BPM, the master controller provides operators with an extraordinarily detailed remote window into the pelletizer’s operation — and does much more than just run the machine. The system has been populated with valuable on-machine resources that can be accessed through a tablet and the large control screen. All relevant documentation referring to machine maintenance and troubleshooting can be found right on the machine. Maintenance training videos and parts drawings are quickly and easily accessible — right by the machine. This control system also helps us support customers in non-English speaking countries.

Another key component of BPM’s “Smart Pelletizing” system is the camera caliper tool, which provides throughput estimates in pounds per minute.

Even air knife process data is measured to control CFM per strand and monitor vacuum levels to indicate when filters must be changed.