This news article was originally written in Spanish. It has been automatically translated for your convenience. Reasonable efforts have been made to provide an accurate translation, however, no automated translation is perfect nor is it intended to replace a human translator. The original article in Spanish can be viewed at Manipulación de material para extrusión de tubos de alta calidad

Koch-Technik provides Linhardt a system full of pellet feed

Material handling for extrusion of high quality tubes

Drafting PU16/06/2008

In the context of expansion of production, Werner Koch Maschinentechnik GmbH, represented by helmut roegele, has completely revamped the pellet feed line for Linhardt Metallwarenfabrik GmbH & Co. Hambrücken KG. The new centralized installation of feeding with visualization of the process joins silos external and internal to using the patented material Navigator with dosing systems management and mixed in extrusion machines.

Each year, in the factory of Hambrücken, approximately 330 employees produce million tubes of high quality and a similar number of various closures for the cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries. Recognised SMEs and large international groups are endowed by the factory of Hambrücken. The company, which started its business in 1947, follows a policy of satisfaction to your customers with products and services of the highest quality. In order to be able to keep this philosophy and to cope with the growing demand for the cosmetic industry, expanded the current installation of 5 lines of extruded feed by extrusion 5 machines main and co-extrusoras additional. The tubes are produced with several basic components, joining the process of extrusion itself, different subsequent handling processes, so that finally finished, printed, sealed and fitted with closing tubes can be packed.

Two systems of management of automatic material of the type Navigator, installed one above the other for reasons of space. They ensure an optimum flow of material in Linhardt.

The manipulation of pellets is especially important in extrusion. On the one hand, the material should be added in correct proportions and on the other, any breakage of the flow of material consequence is long time of start-up and high costs. The material in the new installation of feeding in Hambrücken is currently transported from three external silos through feeding pipes Koch, Navigator to the automatic feeding system. The Navigator, with its 20 lines of material and machines, reconciles the necessary material with the amount required by the machine, carries food and completely clears the intersection automatically. This ensures that in the next transport not access nor material machine incorrect or dust. For small quantities or not stored in silos materials, up to 5 additional material can be fed from containers. If Linhardt needed materials or further machines in the future, the Navigator could be easily expandable to a maximum of 24 materials and machine lines.

Mixed and dosed directly on the machine

The extrusion machines transformed as a rule two main and up to two secondary components, components which are added to load mixer using Koch dosage units. In this case, the mixture occurs directly in the entrance of material of extrusion lines area. One of the 5 lines of this extrusion composed of two extruders main and two co-extrusoras for secondary components, where there are tubes multi layer. Adjustment and management of recipes and all the parameters of important processes for dosing and mixing system are undertaken by a unit of control MCM of Koch. This easy to use control unit has memory for 100 recipes and a module of calibration that calculates the time of dosing automatically after the heavy. The user simply enters the percentages and MCM control calculates automatically necessary dosage times.

Mixing and dosing Koch systems mix mixers of loads up to four components directly in the entrance of the new lines of extruded material area.

Transparent manufacturing process

Currently the consequences of a flawed quality involve risks of high cost in all sectors of the industry. For this reason, the quality of the product and its traceability issues are increasingly present in companies. In order to ensure a control seamlessly from the production process of Linhardt, has joined the central feeding system process display. With this system of visualisation (also of Koch), it is possible to control the entire feeding of material via PC. Existing equipment is integrated completely into the new system. The display system provides the user access to all sources of information throughout the process and the areas of back office.

The graphic representation of the process in real time allows to follow and document the process of manufacture from the external to the mixer silo. All relevant parameters, such as foraging, location of the material in the Navigator stations or recipes in the mixers can be adjusted, reviewed and controlled with this system.

Conditions of clean rooms for sensitive products

In the factory of Hambrücken, vacuum needed to carry the pellets is assured through two vacuum pumps Rotary, each of 7.5 kW. To 350 kg. of material per hour can be transported over a distance of up to 100 m. Vacuum pumps, with appropriate sections of power and elbows, provide a careful transportation of the material, thus avoiding the formation of angel hair. The central supply system works alternating with a bomb of reserve, which is also connected to the system. A reserve bomb can thus supply both systems with vacuum.

In front of the vacuum pump is a security filter, which removes all impurities of 2 ym, so that the installation complies with the most demanding requirements of cleaning, without having to hire additional measures.