Laboratory twin-screw takes pellets.

A very small laboratory-model twin-screw extruder has been introduced by Coperion Werner & Pfleiderer, Ramsey, N.J. The ZSK 18 MegaLab has a shaft diameter of only 18 mm and a center distance of only 21 mm. Previously, Coperion's smallest lab unit had 26-mm shafts. The ZSK 18 has throughput of only 77 to 88 lb/hr and can process batches as small as 200 to 300 g. On the other hand, the "18" has channel depth of 3.2 mm, allowing it to process pellets despite its small size. It also has individual screw elements on the shafts and comes in a 10-barrel version with 40:1 L/D and a six barrel, 24:1 version. It has very high torque of 2 x 38 Nm and speeds of up to 1200 rpm. It is driven by a miniature version of the Positwin gear box used on the larger MegaCompounders. The gear box comes from PIV Drives in Germany (a unit of Brevini Riduttori in Italy). It also has a space-saving, four-motor drive from K.A. Knoedler GmbH in Osfildern, Germany. Tel: [phone] * PTDirect: 789LZ

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