Balaji Furthers Its Extrusion Coating and Laminating Capabilities with Rajoo Kohli

Coperion Solutions for

Odour Reduction During Recycling

The demand for plastic recyclates from post-consumer waste is growing. However, odours are always a typical challenge. Removing them is a prerequisite if plastic recyclates from post-consumer waste are to be used for the manufacture of new products.

The recyclate must meet high standards not only mechanically, but also in terms of sensory properties. However, plastic recyclate from post-consumer waste frequently exhibits unpleasant odours.

Coperion offers various technology solutions to efficiently remove these unpleasant odours. While the ZSK highperformance extruder predominantly removes the highly volatile, lowmolecular-weight substances, special deodorisation systems, in some cases together with the Coperion Bulk-XChange (BXC) heat exchanger, ensure the complete removal of unwanted odour from the plastic recyclate.

Odour Reduction in the Extruder

Before recyclates can be processed, plastics waste must first be cleaned, separated and sorted, and finally shredded. The resulting regrinds can then be added to the compounding process via conveying lines and feeders. In Coperion’s twin screw extruder ZSK, raw materials are melted and homogenised in the process section. In addition, the melt is intensively devolatilised here before it is conveyed to the extruder discharge. Volatile substances in small or large quantities are reliably removed, depending on the severity of the substance or odour.

Several features are responsible for this intensive degassing within the Coperion extruder: the high torque of the extruder, its optimally matched process parameters, and the constant surface renewal of the melt by the co-rotating twin screws.

The volatile substances and disturbing odours are efficiently discharged via degassing domes as well as atmospheric vents on the process section. Depending on the recycling process, a ZS-EG twin screw side degassing unit can also be installed. This technology also reliably removes odours while keeping the melt completely in the process section even at maximum specific torque, improving product quality significantly.

Odour Reduction Through Deodorisation Systems

In addition to odour reduction within the twin screw extruder, Coperion offers solutions for devolatilisation of bulk materials downstream of the extrusion process. To some extent, recyclate can still contain a certain amount of volatile materials that cause unpleasant odours. In order to remove even these difficult-to-volatilise odours,

Coperion’s ZSK twin screw extruders ensure efficient removement of unpleasant odours in plastic recycling applications.

Coperion’s ZS-EG twin screw side degassing unit reliably removes odours while keeping the melt completely in the extruder process section even at maximum specific torque.

the product is continuously devolatised in deodorisation systems. In this process, parameters such as residence time, temperature and gas volume are decisive for the significant increase in product quality.

Depending on the plant design, Coperion’s BXC heat exchanger can be used to heat the recyclate to be deodorised and thus accelerate odour reduction. In addition, the BXC can be used to cool the recyclate back to a temperature at which gentle onward transport is ensured.

In Coperion’s Test Centres, tests can be carried out both for degassing during the extrusion process and for deodorisation of the recyclate.

Sustainability

A Big Value-add of IML

Denzil K. Antony

Director, Technorobotic Machines Pvt. Ltd., Palghar

“The role of IML in sustainability was one of the major factors that pulled us into the IML industry. The more people become aware of this topic, the more they would see value in IML,” communicates Denzil K. Antony, in dialogue with POLYMERS Communiqué.

Q. Having been a part of the plastics industry for over 25 years, please share your biggest learning of doing business in this industry.

We have definitely learnt one thing i.e., “Change is the only constant.” We need to adapt to the ever-changing demands of our customers in order to survive. In order to address this, we have a team of engineers who are constantly doing research and development.

Q. In the year 2016, what prompted the organisation to gear up for offering a complete automation solution for the moulding machine manufacturers with the launch of the IML Robot Series?

As I said before, we strongly feel that in order to survive we needed to change. We were primarily a screen printing machine manufacturer and we needed to diversify to minimise our risks. We were studying the various other forms of decoration that we can provide to our customers apart from screen printing. That’s when we came across IML technology. We saw that it was an untapped market in India and there were many benefits for the customer; so, we decided to get into IML robot manufacturing in India.

Q. What is the importance of robotics in the success of IML as a sector?

I can go as far as to say that there is no IML without the robots. For IML to grow as a sector, you need access to good quality robots which work reliably. At the end of the day, the entire project’s fate depends on the successful working of the robot. If the robot fails, the entire project collapses.

Q. Your views on sustainability and circular economy, and your business.

We fully support sustainability and circular economy as a company. If we don’t take care of the environment, we will perish very soon. The role of IML in sustainability was one of the major factors that pulled us into the IML industry. The more people become aware of this topic, the more they would see value in IML.

Q. Current penetration of IML in the Indian market. What do you consider its biggest drivers today?

I think we are definitely making great progress when it comes to gaining market share. In some sectors of the FMCG market, IML is now a compulsory requirement. IML being a technologically advanced method of decoration, has a lot of advantages over conventional decoration methods. This is the major driving force for brands to go ahead with IML.

Q. ‘Robots for Every Brand of Machine’ - How challenging is it for a manufacturer as you?

When we started our IML business, there was reluctance from customers due to lack of OEM integration. We decided to offer the same with the majority of the blowing machine manufacturers. We don’t have a standard robot integration protocol as we have in injection moulding machine, owing to the principle of operation being different for different types of blowing machines. The way an extrusion blow moulding machine works is different from how an injection blow moulding machine works, and same is the case with injection stretch blow moulding. We have painstakingly developed a protocol with all the leading blowing machine manufacturers so that our customers do not face any problems. Our biggest proof of this synergy with the OEMs was displayed at the PLASTIVISION 2020 exhibition where we had a live demo of extrusion, injection, stretch blow moulding as well as injection moulding IML running for the world to witness.

Q. The role of IML solutions in your business today; how do you see the next 3 years?

We see huge potential for growth in our IML portfolio. We have been consistently growing year on year since inception. In the next 3 years, we feel that our IML business will contribute a healthy 40% to our company’s revenue.

Q. The biggest apprehension that companies have in accepting IML or robotics for IML, your views...

I wouldn’t say apprehension, but the primary reason many IML customers are not able to go for IML is because their existing machine does not have the necessary mould opening. Increasing the mould opening of a machine at the customer end is a very difficult task. So, I request everyone reading this article that if you are planning for IML even at a later stage, please select the right blowing machine for the job. Q. Please share your future plans for expansion / diversification.

I think we are definitely making great progress when it comes to gaining market share. IML being a technologically advanced method of decoration, has a lot of advantages over conventional decoration methods. This is the major driving force for brands to go ahead with IML.

As part of our expansion plan, we are pleased to announce that we are now supplying robots even for injection moulding IML. This, we believe, was the need of the hour as we had a huge demand from our existing customers for the same. We do not plan on doing any more diversification, but rather focus on strengthening our existing product portfolio. We want to be specialists in our field of work for which we need to spend considerable resources, which is just not possible if we diversify more.

Q. Your next big launch that the industry should look out for...

As a stepping-stone to success, we have launched our very own high-speed multi-cavity injection moulding IML robot. Previously our customers had to rely on foreign brands for the same. But we are

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