New extrusion die for XPS foam boards with a width of 1,200 mm

07-Apr-09

Hanover-based KraussMaffei Berstorff GmbH has developed the new wide extrusion die 600 for foam insulation boards with a width of 1,200 mm. The company says that die is perfectly suited for Schaumtandex twin-screw/single-screw extruder combinations ZE/KE featuring an output capacity of more than 1,000 kilograms per hour. The Schaumtandex configuration composed of a co-rotating ZE twin-screw extruder and a KE single-screw extruder ensures optimum product quality and is suitable for processing all blowing agent systems used worldwide - in particular environmentally friendly types. In addition to the extrusion system as such, KraussMaffei Berstorff is in a position to offer the complete plant technology involved in the subsequent processing of XPS foam boards with a width of 1,200 mm. According the company, optimum flow channel geometry inside the extrusion head ensures even melt distribution over the entire width. At the discharge from the die, the material expands to a width of 1,300 to 1,350 mm and is subsequently calibrated to the desired board thickness in a special calibrating unit. The board thickness can be freely varied within a range of 30 to 60 mm; a solution for major thickness is currently in the development phase. The corresponding downstream equipment is designed to cool, cut and mill the boards to the desired dimensions. Also, the precision of the 4-zone oil heating/cooling system and additional heating cartridges provided in the border areas, controlled heating or cooling of the KraussMaffei Berstorff wide extrusion die can be rapidly effected. This feature is of decisive importance to enhance the product quality and ensures at the same time a reduction of the start-up phase. An additional thermal insulation shell prevents the heat from leaking to the outside.