Inhouse recycling of film production waste

A powerful automation package, modern connectivity solutions and a short delivery time are some of the plus factors attained through a high level of standardisation. The new inhouse recycling system INTAREMA® ZeroWastePro, which EREMA presented for the first time at K 2019, is specially designed for PE and PP film production waste processed in inline or offline. Up to 100% of the recycled material can be fed back into the main production process.  

 

The stability of the process, the consistently high quality of the recycled pellets produced, and a high degree of automation are of key importance to the processing of production waste. The new ZeroWastePro has been designed precisely to meet these requirements. The Austrian recycling machine manufacturer implements its patented Counter Current technology and the equally proven Smart Start operating concept with which all INTAREMA® machines are equipped. In addition, components specially designed for film applications - featuring optimised screw geometry and quality-optimising inhouse controls - which are included in the ZeroWastePro standard, ensure a decisive increase in quality. For example, the newly developed automatic adjustment of the pelletising speed using appropriate parameter combinatorics enables the production of granulate in even more consistent bulk density and shape than before.

 

Straightforward operation and modern connectivity solutions

"One of the essential requirements on our development agenda was to further simplify the overall handling of the new recycling machine," says Andreas Dirnberger, Business Development Manager Inhouse and Industrial, EREMA Group. This concept of simplicity has been implemented consistently, starting with installation and integration into existing film production through to the use of modern assistance systems for ongoing operation. 

 

The new ZeroWastePro also offers impressive connectivity solutions, such as the Smart Service Package, which is included for the first 12 months free-of-charge and provides practical remote access services as well as BluPort, the new digital customer platform. From a cost-effectiveness point of view, the recycling machine has a particularly short delivery period, which, depending on the version, ranges from three to four and a half months once the order has been released. This has been made possible by the extensive standardisation of the system components and the optimisation of internal processes. Machine operators also benefit from the reduction in primary raw materials used and lower disposal costs, which means that the investment costs pay for themselves in a very short time.

 

 

Hot die face pelletiser with air cooling

EREMA presents a further innovation for the inhouse segment with a new concept consisting of hot die face pelletiser with air cooling and an improved pellet transport system. In addition to an optimised design to simplify maintenance and operation, the entire system has been flow-optimised using computer analysis. The new pelletiser system is particularly suitable for recycling machines such as the INTAREMA® K series that are operated in combination with blown film lines. Depending on the composition of the films, higher throughputs can be achieved when processing PE films without additional air exchange. 

 

In addition, multi-polymer films with a PP content of up to ten percent can be processed using this configuration. "With the help of this next stage of development we are once again able to achieve significant cost savings for our customers. The infrastructure needed for using of water as a cooling medium is no longer required. In addition, hot die face pelletising requires less energy and space," explains Mr. Andreas Dirnberger.