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Looking back on ten successful years with Coperion

7/19/2011

Treffert starts operation of three new ZSK twin screw extruders

Treffert GmbH & Co. KG, Bingen/Germany, receives three new ZSK MEGAcompounders with 26 mm screw diameter from Coperion GmbH, Stuttgart/Germany, formerly Werner & Pfleiderer, and has already commissioned them. With these latest additions to its production set-up, Treffert now operates a total of 22 ZSK twin screw extruders for the production of masterbatch and special compounds. The three new extruders will be used for the production of high-grade pigment masterbatches for the plastics processing industry. Two of the ZSK 26 Mc extruders are destined for the pre-mix process. The third one is equipped with a ZS-B side-feeder and several gravimetric feeders for the split-feed process.

The success story began ten years ago, when Treffert developed a new strategy for modernizing and standardizing its masterbatch and compound production at its two factories in Bingen/Germany and Ste-Marie-aux-Chenes/France. The baseline of the strategy was the concrete requirement for a compounding technology that would continue to be valid for years to come. This meant that the extruders would not only have to cope with all possible processing requirements but also be flexible enough for present and future compounding applications. The targets of Treffert's strategy are quality leadership both in compounds and in additive and pigment masterbatches and market leadership as the most innovative supplier.

In the beginning, Coperion provided a ZSK rental extruder, thus enabling Treffert to thoroughly test its performance and behaviour with all relevant formulations and output rates. Peter von Hoffmann, General Manager Business Unit Compounding Systems Engineering Plastics & Special Applications, sums up the results as follows: "The ZSK twin screw extruder met Treffert's criteria in all the predefined situations. This encouraging result marked the beginning of the longstanding cooperation between our two companies."

As a specialist in the production of additive and pigment masterbatches and special compounds, Treffert must also be able to produce small and medium-sized batches economically. This requires a compounding technology with a high degree of availability and efficiency. In this regard the ZSK extruders offer specific advantages: the closely intermeshing twin screws are self-cleaning and there are no stagnant zones in the entire process section, which means that little cleaning is required when changing over from one colour to another and changeover times are therefore very fast. The excellent self-cleaning behaviour of the system is particularly important in the case of compounds destined for medical technology, an application
where cleanliness and product purity have the highest priority.

The process section of the ZSK is easily accessible for maintenance and cleaning purposes.

Quick-release features permit easy removal of the die head and the twin screws - only two retaining bolts have to be unscrewed. Thus it is possible for Treffert to process formulations requiring a different screw configuration with only a negligible changeover time. A further saving in time is achieved by preheating the replacement die head to operating temperature prior to installation. The removed machine parts are cleaned separately, i.e. independently of extruder operation.

One of the most important features of the ZSK extruders is the constant screw diameter ratio of Do : Di = 1.55, where 'Do' is the outer diameter and 'Di' the inner diameter of the screw. The constant screw diameter ratio permits a reliable scale-up of production parameters between all extruder sizes installed in Treffert's production facilities - from ZSK 26 to ZSK 50. But that is not all: uniform production conditions - and hence product quality - are ensured at both production sites, while the scale-up of production parameters makes for greater flexibility when it comes to selecting a machine for a particular production batch.

A further point in the ZSK's favour is the modular design of the process section, which facilitates the individual configuration to the specific requirements of every application. In the production of masterbatch with highly abrasive ingredients, wear resistance is considerably improved by the fitting of oval barrel liners manufactured from Supermet 60 PLUS. This measure guarantees the high quality of Treffert's products over the long term.

The overall modular design of the ZSK enables Treffert to configure the extruder to new formulations or changes in process-related requirements. A typical example, triggered by the ever growing need to sustain natural resources, is the use of plastics based on renewable raw materials. Executive partner Heinrich Treffert says: "Our particular priority in the future will be to develop our competence in the production of materbatches and compounds based on renewable raw materials. ZSK twin screw extruders are perfect for this area of application."

With the continuous further development of compounding technology and its process engineering know-how, Coperion has proven to be the perfect partner for Treffert - not only during the past ten years but also for many years to come. "An innovative masterbatch producer needs an innovative partner who can supply the necessary machine technology," says Heinrich Treffert, evaluating the essence of a successful cooperation from both sides.

Websites: www.coperion.com and www.treffert.org

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