Page 48 - Plastics News June 2018

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Coperion’s newly developed FLUIDLIFT ecoblue

operion’s newly developed FLUIDLIFT ecoblue® is a Christian Soretz, Head of Product Management for
Cquality and efficiency-enhancing pneumatic conveying Materials Handling at Coperion, explains: “FLUIDLIFT
process for plastic pellets which is suitable for both, new ecoblue® effectively combats the problem of conventional
installations and retrofitting existing systems. Compared pneumatic conveying systemsthat generate varying but
to conventional designs, the process generates much less usually considerableamounts of attritionin the form of
dust and streamers, which improves the quality of the dust or streamers. These may form layerson the inside of
product and reduces waste. Its lower power consumption the pipesand accumulationsof dust in reception bins and
also allows plastics manufacturers and compounders silos, which can spontaneously become releasedand lead
to blockages or other deleterious effects. It is therefore
necessary to remove all forms of attrition, which often
costs a considerable amount of manpower and time and
also reduces the production volume. In cases where
material also has to be elutriatedprior to processing,
the production costs rise even further. FLUIDLIFT
ecoblue® minimizes attritionand thus prevents as far as
possible the formation of dust accumulation. This helps
plasticsmanufacturers to achieve consistently high quality
and attractive margins.
to reduce their costs or correspondingly increase their
throughput. Under industrial conditions it has been
possible to reduce the formation of dust and streamers SPS help stop the slip for BOPP film

by between 50% and 98%, at the same time lowering
the pressure loss in the conveyor system and hence the PS Ideal Solutions Inc. of Naples, Florida, has
necessary energy consumption by from 17% to 35%. The key Sdeveloped a powder-coated-steel end stop to support
to significantly reducing both,attritionand pressure loss – a customer using roll racks that dispense biaxially
the pressure difference between product feed and product oriented polypropylene film with a high coefficient of
delivery – is a controlled increase in the relative humidity friction."The end stop keeps the material from slipping,
of the conveying gas. The primary concern of the extensive we shipped the first end stop to the initial customer
investigations which werecarried out while developing about a year ago" SPS owner Joe Di Sabantonio said. SPS
FLUIDLIFT ecoblue® was to prevent any impairment of specializes in custom solutions for metal fabrication,
the end product by minimizing the amount of moisture shipping and storage needs. The firm uses state-of-the-
introduced and subsequently reliably removing it. The art fabrication techniques and extensive engineering and
result of this is that the granulate can be conveyed at a product design experience in creating auxiliary equipment
very low velocity, so friction between the grains and at including applications for film handling equipment,
the wall of the pipe is substantially lower than in previous rolls, stacking and packing. SPS is growing fast as the
designs. Ultimately, this new process ensures a dry, almost economy improves.
dust-free end product without any need for complex DiSaban t on io
additional measures. In general, FLUIDLIFT ecoblue® projects 2018 sales
offers a advantageous alternative wherever attrition- of $5 million. That
sensitive products are conveyed and the generationof dust would be a 2 0
is undesirable or might even interfere with subsequent percent increase
processing of the manufactured pellets. This extends the from last year's
range of applications frombulk plastics to application- results. SPS employs
specific high-performance compounds. Our new process about 10 people in
proves to be particularly advantageous when handling Naples.SPS utilizes the production services of family-
products for upmarket technological applications such owned contract manufacturer BMG of Kansas Inc. in
as films, high-purity granulates and optical components. Hesston, Kan. About 70 people work at BMG.

Plastics News June 2018 48