After more than twenty years of the EREMA Laserfilter being used in polyolefin recycling it was modified accordingly for the PET sector and presented just over a year ago. The Laserfilter is now being used more and more rather than the piston filter particularly in the direct processing of PET flakes to make semi-finished or end products. Robert Obermayr, head of the EREMA business unit POWERFIL, attributes this to the higher process stability through constant pressure operation. Whereas the maximum level of contamination which can be handled by a piston filter lies between 0.05 to 0.1 per cent, the Laserfilter processes input material with a degree of contamination of over 1 per cent. "With regard to the increasing contamination in post-consumer materials this means greater flexibility with the input materials," says Obermayr.
Customers also appreciate the quality and process benefits of the Laserfilter due to the long screen service life from five to twelve weeks. The daily screen change by the operator which is necessary with a piston screen changer is no longer required and this drastically reduces the risk of operating error. Another benefit of the Laserfilter is that the flow-oriented working principle avoids the formation of 'black spots'. The user also benefits from the lower melt losses which is achieved thanks to the newly developed discharge unit. Whereas the normal figure for piston filters is 1 to 2 per cent, with the Laserfilter it is just a fraction of this.
Live PET Laserfilter test
A new demonstration inline sheet facility – including PET Laserfilter – will be available for customer trials at the AMUT headquarters in Novara from the end of May. The post-consumer flakes will be processed in the new demonstration facility – a direct combination of VACUREMA® technology and the AMUT inline sheet plant – in a single process to make food contact grade thermoforming sheet. The launch will be celebrated at an Open House from 28 to 31 May. A free shuttle service between the trade fair in Milan and the AMUT headquarters in Novara will be available for Plast Milan attendees from 29 to 31 May.
EREMA GROUP
Besides EREMA itself, the EREMA Group comprises 3S, PURE LOOP (January 2015) and UMAC (beginning of 2016). With EREMA subsidiaries in the USA, China and Russia plus around 50 representatives in all five continents, the EREMA Group has a reliable network to realise customised recycling solutions for international customers. Around 500 people around the world now work for the Austrian company group which is headquartered in Ansfelden near Linz.
www.erema-group.com
