The new machine, a KraussMaffei ZE28 BluePower, is also known as the ‘Rolls Royce’ among extruders. It has been modified to fit the monofilament drawing and winding line already in place and can mix polymers with additives in the form of powder, liquid or fibres to create compounds at temperatures of up to 420 degrees. Throughput is possible at three levels of 10, 30 or 50 kilograms. These are typical quantities needed to evaluate new polymer compounds in various applications and sample them to customers.
“These pilot facilities in combination with industrial knowledge are unique in Europe,” says Gerard Nijhoving, CEO of Senbis Polymer Innovation in Emmen. Together with the Northern Netherlands Alliance (SNN), the province of Drenthe and the municipality of Emmen, Senbis is investing a total of € 5.5 million in a major expansion operation that will make various new machines available within the SPIC network.
SPIC stands for Sustainable Polymer Innovation Cluster, a network in which plastics companies at the GETEC PARK.EMMEN (formerly Emmtec) cooperate with nearby universities. The cluster offers technology, expertise and products to companies that want to make plastic products more sustainable. Through SPIC Facilities, the SPIC participants grant third parties access to some of their equipment for research and pilot projects.
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Read more on the website of Chemport Europe
Image: Senbis