Extrusion Know How

Maximize the Cooling Capacity of Your Extrusion Line

Maximizing output in extrusion requires a thorough understanding of not only the cooling requirements of the extruder but of the extrudate as well.  

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How Polymer Melts in Single-Screw Extruders

Understanding how polymer melts in a single-screw extruder could help you optimize your screw design to eliminate defect-causing solid polymer fragments.  

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Is a Gear Pump Right for Your Single-Screw Operation

As with everything else, there are pros and cons, but more of the former. They provide processors higher rates while decreasing the temperature of the extrudate while enabling downgauging.    

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Extrusion

Stop Shopping for a 'Jack of All Trades' Extruder

Some processors try to find “fits all” extruders to cover all processing possibilities. But you’d have to grossly overpower it to achieve this, and that’s expensive up front and will result in inefficiencies over time.  

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The Importance of Barrel Heat and Melt Temperature

Barrel temperature may impact melting in the case of very small extruders running very slowly. Otherwise, melting is mainly the result of shear heating of the polymer.

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Optimizing Barrel Temperatures for Single-Screw Extruders

If barrel temperatures are set correctly and screw design is optimized, the extruder will be operating at peak performance, providing maximum profitability. If not, bad things can happen impacting quality and profitability.  

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Single vs. Twin-Screw Extruders: Why Mixing is Different

There have been many attempts to provide twin-screw-like mixing in singles, but except at very limited outputs none have been adequate. The odds of future success are long due to the inherent differences in the equipment types.

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Roll Cooling: Understand the Three Heat-Transfer Processes

Designing cooling rolls is complex, tedious and requires a lot of inputs. Getting it wrong may have a dramatic impact on productivity.

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Troubleshooting Screw and Barrel Wear in Extrusion

Extruder screws and barrels will wear over time. If you are seeing a  reduction in specific rate and higher discharge temperatures, wear is the likely culprit.   

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sustainability

Looking to Run PCR on a Single Screw? Here’s What to Keep in Mind

Just drop it in and mix it up? Sorry, there’s a lot more to it than that. Here is some of what you need to consider.  

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Plastics Size Reduction
Process Cooling
Blending & Dosing