Extruders offer high dispersion performance and suitability to a range of recipes

Powder Bulk Solids Staff

January 20, 2022

3 Min Read
Powder_Coating_COPERION.jpg
Image courtesy of Coperion

Kansai Helios Group has expanded its production of coatings at two locations--Helios Coatings Italia and Helios Coatings Deutschland--using a Coperion twin screw extruder at each site.

Two ZSK Mv PLUS extruders with 43-mm screw diameters for powder coating production were installed practically concurrently--one at the Riese Pio X location in the Venice region of Italy and the other at the Buchholz, Germany site. Kansai Helios specifically decided on Coperion's twin screw extruder technology, due to its high dispersion performance and its suitability to a broad range of recipes. Kansai Helios values how Coperion ZSK extruders fulfill high quality requirements, as well as their efficient operation and flexible options when manufacturing powder coatings.

The Kansai Helios Group is among the leading producers for industrial coatings worldwide. Since 2017, the group has been a part of the Kansai Paint Group.

Twin Screw Extruders for the Future

With these two ZSK twin screw extruders, Kansai Helios is expanding its powder coating production around a technology that has built in flexibility for future challenges. ZSK extruders’ speed, residence time, and throughput can be modified quickly and individually for the requirements of new powder coating recipes.

Coperion’s ZSK Mv Plus twin screw extruders have already been used successfully for manufacturing high-quality powder coatings for years. Extruders in this series stand out particularly for their deep cut screw channels with a 1.8 Do/Di (outer to inner) screw diameter ratio, resulting in a large free screw volume. Powders with low bulk density and poor intake behavior--often used in powder coating manufacturing--can be fed into the process in large quantities. At the same time, thanks to the ZSK Mv Plus’s twin screws, even recipes with high filler content are intensively dispersed while still being gently handled. Distribution of individual raw materials in the powder coating premix proceeds reliably and homogeneously. The result is a high-quality powder coating.

All of the ZSK extruders’ connections, water supply, and cables are protected by easy-to-clean casings and are still easily accessible. The closely intermeshing twin screws ensure optimal self-cleaning in the process section, making recipe changes quick to execute.

Coperion has equipped the ZSK 43 MV PLUS extruders for Kansai Helios with a number of smart features to simplify machine operation; both twin screw extruders are operated using the new, user-optimized CSpro control system. Complexity of its user interface is greatly reduced in comparison to previous versions, without losing any well-known functionalities and it can be operated intuitively by touch. Information can be inserted on demand. The risk of possible operator error is markedly reduced, thus increasing the ZSK extrusion equipment’s efficiency.

Additionally, both of the extruders have been equipped with electronically secured maintenance doors at the gearbox lantern. As soon as the extruder’s screw shafts come to a complete stop, service personnel can open the gearbox lantern without tools. The screw shaft coupling can be accessed safely and quickly, leading, for example, to a clear reduction in downtime during machine maintenance and a resulting increase in the machine's efficiency.

About the Author(s)

Powder Bulk Solids Staff

Established in 1983, Powder & Bulk Solids (PBS) serves industries that process, handle, and package dry particulate matter, including the food, chemical, and pharmaceutical markets.

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