Coperion GmbH, Stuttgart, has implemented a complete system for IonPhasE Oy for the manufacture of inherently dissipative polymers (IDP). The scope of supply included the entire system – from raw material handling through conveying, feeding, and processing the dissipative polymers up to handling the finished products. Inherently dissipative polymers are suitable for a variety of applications where antistatic plastic products are of considerable significance.

The Finnish technology company IonPhasE Oy is a leading manufacturer of static dissipative polymer additives, commonly known as permanent anti-static additives. These serve to control static electricity in plastics. They are used in a variety of industries – wherever anti-static properties are needed, for example in the electrical, chemical, and automotive industries. They are also incorporated in consumer goods that need to be protected from electrostatic attraction, such as air-conditioning units, vacuum cleaners, switches and housings.

Implementing the Complete System
Coperion supplied IonPhasE Oy with the complete system. All key components for the main process steps were developed and produced in-house. All process steps and plant components were also optimally tailored to one another. The project included raw material handling and drying as well as material handling and the feeding equipment. A feeding station with 11 integrated highly accurate Coperion K-Tron feeders ensures continuous dispensing of precisely formulated raw materials into the extruder. The inherently dissipative polymers are compounded in a high-performance ZSK 45 Mc18 compact twin screw extruder equipped with a ZS-B side feeder and a ZS-EG twin-screw side devolatilization. Inside the process section of the ZSK twin-screw extruder the base polymers are gently plasticized and reacted with multiple additives. An underwater granulator UG with optimized flow channels ensures a constant product flow and gentle handling of the product, and also facilitates high throughput rates. The downstream peripherals dry the product, which is then packaged by a semi-automatic bagging system.

Besides supplying all the necessary processing equipment for the production effort, the project also included delivery, installation, and system start-up. A global team, which included experts from international Coperion locations, as well as local employees, ensured that IonPhasE received the process solution tailored to their needs – with due consideration of local ordinances. Coperion service staff were already integrated into the project when the system was installed and started up, so that after it had been handed over to IonPhasE Oy it was possible to guarantee complete local service. At the end of 2016, the system was successfully handed over to IonPhasE Oy, which has since then been using a Coperion production line to process inherently dissipative polymers.

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