Pelletizers and dicers: product lines reviewed.

AST (AUTOMATISMI SPECIALI PER THERMOPLASTICI SRL)

See Welding Engineers, Inc.

AMERICAN LEISTRITZ EXTRUDER CORP.

Offers corotating and counterrotating twin-screw extruders, and complete hot-face pelletizing lines for compounding, reacting, devolatilizing, and scrap reprocessing from under 50 lb/hr to 5000 lb/hr.

ANDRITZ SPROUT-BAUER, INC.

Offers a vertical-ring-die pellet mill available with v-belt or gear drive from 25 to 700 hp. Dies are available in varying thicknesses and hole diameters plus drive-speed variations to pelletize a wide range of plastics.

AUTOMATIK MACHINERY CORP.

Offers a complete line of strand pelletizers with capacities from 200 to 14,000 lb/hr. The USG 150, 300, and 600 series of underwater strand pelletizers are available in either horizontal or vertical configurations. Units lead the polymer strands into a cutter with 5-15|degrees~ inclination from horizontal or vertical. Strands are self-starting, and cooling time can be adjusted to facilitate cutting hard-to-cool polymers. Each horizontal pelletizer comes with a fully automatic start-up system that allows die cleaning without stopping the polymer flow.

For automatic dry-strand pelletizing, company offers its ATG 150, 300 and 600 series. After strands are cooled, a water separator and air knife ensure that the polymer strands enter the pelletizer water-free, eliminating the downstream pellet dryer.

Company now also offers its completely new-design ASG series of strand pelletizers, which reportedly offer outstanding maintenance advantages, as well as long lifetime. The machines come in six widths: 50 mm (2-in.), 100 mm (4-in.), 200 mm (8-in.), 300 mm (12-in.), 450 mm (18-in.) and 640 mm (25-in.). They are available with mechanical speed variator and inverter drive. New ASGs will be available from Automatik's Charlotte, N.C., facility, where complete rotor resharpening capabilities, spare parts, and field service are also based. Custom materials of construction are available on all machines for pelletizing special materials. Casting heads, cooling baths, air knives and preconveyors are also offered.

BATTENFELD BLOWMOLDING MACHINES, INC.

Offers dual-diameter repelletizing systems for PE film and PET bottle scrap.

BERINGER CO., INC.

Offers a water-ring pelletizer for thermoplastics. Hot die-face cutting is said to make the process insensitive to polymer flow interruptions. Unit's water-ring cooling chamber immediately quenches pellets to prevent agglomeration, and company's "flex blades" are said to eliminate the need for blade adjustment. System's advantages over cold-cutting processes such as strand pelletizing and strip dicing are said to include reduced noise, lower operating and maintenance costs, and less required space. Advantages over other hot-die cutting processes, such as underwater pelletizing, are said to include lower energy consumption, easier start-up, and insensitivity to process variations. Models are available with rates to 5000 lb/hr.

BERLYN CORP.

Supplies strand pelletizers with capacities up to 5000 lb/hr. Also offered are underwater pelletizers and accompanying cooling and dewatering devices.

BERSTORFF CORP.

Offers pelletizers and complete systems, including water-ring pelletizers from 50 to 16,000 lb/hr for most filled and unfilled polymers. Pelletizers are said to be easy to start and operate, and are reportedly energy-efficient with minimal labor requirement. Besides the standard model, there is a low-residence-time model for moisture-sensitive materials such as nylon.

Company also offers underwater pelletizers for various polymers from 6600 to 55,000 lb/hr and hot die-face and water-spray pelletizers for PVC to 8800 lb/hr.

BLACK CLAWSON CO.

Offers a line of six underwater models and three water-ring pelletizer models to handle rates from 100 to 60,000 lb/hr. Small systems for reclaim, product development, and testing are also manufactured. Typical applications include polyolefins, nylon, crystal polystyrene, polyurethane, hot-melt adhesives, highly filled polymers, elastomers and scrap reclaim. Also, ultra-high concentrations of pigments and very high-melt indexes can be handled, since molten strand strength is not a limiting factor.

Accessories include heated and non-heated die plates, cleanable pellet dryers, temperature-control panels, water-recirculation systems, and pellet heating. Systems are of modular construction for rapid disassembly and simple maintenance. They are further reported to offer safe and quiet operation, far less operator attention than strand systems, no airborne dust, and freedom of component location. Company maintains demonstration facilities.

STEWART BOLLING CO. INC.

See Kobelco Bolling Inc.

C.W. BRABENDER INSTRUMENTS

Offers laboratory pelletizer for continuous direct pelletizing of one to four parallel-extruder profiles with 1- to 5-mm diam. Input speed is 0 to 45 ft/min and cuts 1/8-in. or 1/16-in. pellets. Machines feature mobile stand, anodized steel-cutting chamber, hardened cutting blades, electrical safety, and a design that accommodates single or multiple, round or square strands; and a 5-ft water trough and water-removal system.

CARL G. BRIMMEKAMP & CO., INC.

Offers die-face pelletizing systems for up to 1400 lb/hr. Washing systems can also be provided for extremely dirty reclaim materials. Underwater and dry-face pelletizers can be provided, along with laboratory strand and eccentric die-face pelletizers.

BROWN PLASTICS ENGINEERING CO.

Manufactures strand pelletizers for small production, laboratory, or school use. The pelletizer has a 2-in. face with driven pull rolls coordinated with a driven rotor. The unit is available in both plain and stainless steel. Company also rebuilds pelletizers and other size-reduction equipment.

BUSS AMERICA, INC.

Offers strand pelletizers in three sizes for outputs up to 12,000 lb/hr and up to 120 strands of 1/8-in. diam. for nylon, polyester and reinforced materials.

CONAIR JETRO THE CONAIR GROUP, INC.

Offers 11 sizes of strand pelletizers, from 6 x 4 in. to 12 x 32 in. Standard pelletizers feature a milling-type rotor with helix-angled cutting edges to allow running speeds of 500 rpm or slower without loss of production. Each cutting edge is Stellite. Top and bottom feed rolls are designed to prevent strand bunching and roll deformation. No stripper bar is needed.

Special units with carbide rotor knives and solid carbide bed knife are offered for cutting glass- and mineral-filled materials.

Either type of pelletizer may be fitted with an optional Strand Tamer conveyor device, which controls brittle or unruly strands and prevents tangling on the feed table. Driven rollers prevent overlapping and undue wear on feed rolls.

Newest entries include an underwater pelletizer for up to 2000 lb/hr, with a simple four-knife design that is said to be easy to clean and service. Also new is a water-slide strand pelletizer with an inclined water table designed to ease start-up of the strand pelletizing line. The unit handles up to 20,000 lb/hr.

CUMBERLAND ENGINEERING DIV. JOHN BROWN, INC.

Manufactures a full range of pelletizers and dicers for plastic compounding, production and reprocessing operations. Company's Quietizer strand pelletizers are designed for minimal noise and low maintenance and are available with bolt-on knives or Stellite helical rotors. Widths are 6, 8, 11, 12, 14, 17, 20, 26, and 32 in. Units are capable of throughputs over 12,000 lb/hr. Retrofit kits are available to update older pelletizers to advanced cutting technology and acoustical engineering.

Low-cost, versatile 6-in. pelletizers are available for short production runs or continuous production up to 1500 lb/hr.

Company states that its Marathon pelletizer for engineering plastics gives exceptionally long production runs. It can process 1 million lb of fiberglass-filled nylon before shutdown for knife resharpening. New, easy-access features allow maintenance to be done on-line in less than one-half hour for increased productivity.

Also available are dicers that produce cubed or octahedral pellets from extruded sheet or ribbon. They are available with infeed widths of 3 1/2, 7, 14 and 20 in., and capacities to 10,000 lb/hr. Options include adjustable-speed drives, special abrasion-resistant knife materials, and auxiliary devices to control unruly pelletizer strands and reduce excessive feedroll wear by abrasive compounds.

D&S MANUFACTURING CO., INC.

A 9-in. dicer produces octahedral or cubical pellets from continuous plastic strips 1/8 in. or 3/32 in. thick x 9 in. wide by feeding the strip in a horizontal plane through feed rolls into a rotary cutter and its mating bed knife at an angle of 45|degrees~. A simple guide-rail adjustment allows the use of a 3-in. minimum-width strip. Output can exceed 7000 lb/hr. Rotary cutter and bed knife may be changed in 30 min. Main base is a heavy-duty steel weldment said to prevent vibration.

J.H. DAY CO./TAYLOR-STILES

Company's strand pelletizers and dicers can handle a wide variety of materials. Dicers can feed extruded sheet or ribbon through circular slitting knives that cut the stock into strips, and then through a rotary cross-cutting head that reduces the strips to square pellets. Pelletizers feed extruded strands directly into the rotary cross-cutting head that reduces the stock to uniform pellets. Machines are recommended for use with PVC, PP, and other plastics and are said to require little energy. Various capacities and capabilities are available.

EGAN MACHINERY DIV. JOHN BROWN, INC.

Company's underwater pelletizing system is suitable for all polyolefins, ABS, and polystyrene. The horizontal unit features a steam- or oil-heated die plate and hydraulic or DC drive. Egan supplies a complete package, including a water-tempering system of its own design. Machine parts in contact with material are made of stainless steel. Capacity ranges from 2000 to 45,000 lb/hr. The pelletizer is carriage-mounted and thus easily adjusted for extruder alignment. The water chamber is designed for easy access. Rigid-head and flex-head knife mounting and micro-adjustment of knife position are also featured.

FARREL CORP.

Offers a range of underwater pelletizers from 1000 to 80,000 lb/hr. Typical materials processed include LDPE, HDPE, PP and PS. Options include standard, heat-channel, and heat-exchanger pellet plates for either steam or oil heating. Cutter motors may be electric or hydraulic. A dry-face pelletizer is offered when cutting and pellet cooling take place in air for very temperature-sensitive materials or polymers where water contact is to be avoided.

A slash-by, air-ring pelletizer and a new line of jet-ring (water-ring) pelletizers are also available.

GALA INDUSTRIES, INC.

Offers its underwater pelletizer designed to pelletize polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, PVC, nylon, thermoplastic rubber and other thermoplastics at rates of 20 to 6000 lb/hr. Pelletizing systems include dryer, tempered water system, control panel and power panel, and are reported to be competitively priced relative to comparable strand lines.

Advantages cited are low-operating and maintenance costs, low noise level, and production of smooth, uniform pellets without fines. Centrifugal dryers are sold as part of the system and separately. Dryers are capable of drying from 20 to over 100,000 lb/hr. Options include polymer diverter valves and quick-opening clamps.

HARTIG PLASTICS MACHINERY

See Battenfeld Blowmolding Machines, Inc.

HENION INTERNATIONAL, INC.

Offers a complete line of new 9- and 18-in. dicers, dicer cutters, bed knives and adapters. Services, including knife resharpening, repair, and machine rebuilding are offered. Pelletizer solid rotors and underwater pelletizer knives are also available. Resharpening, repair, and Stellite welding services are also offered for solid rotors.

HUTCHEON MACHINERY, INC.

Supplies used and rebuilt pelletizers and dicers for strand, slab, underwater, water-ring and dry-face systems. Sizes range from single-strand laboratory units to 5000 lb/hr production units.

HYDRECLAIM CORP.

FF Series dual-diameter repelletizing systems are offered for polyethylene film scrap. Hot-face die cutting and air cooling provide consistent pellet sizes of virgin-quality material. Units can shred, grind, fluff, and feed LDPE, LLDPE, HDPE film to the extruder at speeds of 1000 lb/hr.

JAPAN STEEL WORKS AMERICA, INC. SUB. OF JAPAN STEEL WORKS, LTD.

Offers underwater, hot-face and strand pelletizers. The underwater pelletizer has a die lined with abrasion-resistant material.

Hot-face pelletizers have a maximum capacity of 8800 lb/hr. Strand pelletizers have throughputs up to 7700 lb/hr. Strand dies incorporate a polymer flow-control device. Company also offers a centrifugal pellet dryer.

KOBELCO STEWART BOLLING INC.

Custom-designed strand and strip dicing lines complement the company's line of standard and custom hot-melt-feed extruders. Underwater and dry-face pelletizing systems are also available for the full line of extrusion equipment.

KILLION EXTRUDERS, INC.

Makes strand pelletizers for lab or small-scale production. Bench and floor models are available. Feed throats range from 2 to 4 in. Units feature variable-speed drive and heavy-duty design.

LEISTRITZ AG

See American Leistritz Extruder.

LITTLEFORD BROS., INC.

Company's pelletizing system is a prefabricated package plant designed for continuous pelletizing of rigid and flexible plastic compounds. It combines a resin scale system, high-intensity compounder, optional extruder, hot-face pelletizer, material conveying system, fluidized-bed pellet cooler, and integrated automatic controls.

MORIYAMA CORP.

Moriyama FR is a hot-face pelletizing system for a wide variety of materials, including thermoplastic elastomers, LDPE, HDPE, soft PVC, rigid PVC, PP, ABS, color concentrates, etc. This unit combines tapered twin screws with a single straight screw so that materials can be fed directly from the dispersion or internal mixer, saving time and labor, and providing continuous, automatic pellet production. System is suitable for highly filled polymers. Common bed construction is said to make installation simple and low-cost.

PLASTIC SYSTEMS, INC.

Offers complete die-face pelletizing systems that include die, cutter, and air or water cooling systems, said to provide easy maintenance and high performance through a range of 100 to 3800 lb/hr. Die design and patented water cooling system are said to produce pellets free of strings, agglomerates, and fines.

PLASTICS EQUIPMENT MARKETING SERVICES

Offers production and laboratory pelletizers 2 in. and larger.

POMINI, INC.

Now directly serving North America, this Italian-based firm offers three types of pelletizing heads to be used with extruders or gear pumps. The products are:

* Underwater pelletizer, which has outputs from 1000 to 50,000 lb/hr for polyolefins and PS. Options include heat exchanger and heat-channel pellet plates for either steam or oil heating.

* Water-ring pelletizer, ranging from 1000 to 10,000 lb/hr for any grade of polyolefins, either virgin or compounded.

* Dry-face pelletizer, ranging from 1000 to 8000 lb/hr for thermally sensitive compounds such as cable compound, PVC, and other nonwater-compatible polymers.

RANDCASTLE EXTRUSION SYSTEMS

Offers two lines of strand pelletizers:

* Micro-pelletizer--Makes pellets 0.02 x 0.02 in. and 0.06 x 0.06 in., enabling better feeding of small extruders in the 1/4- to 1/2-in. range. Pelletizer converts to a two-roll puller or torque winder. Cantilever design permits ready access of working components for cleaning and maintenance.

* Two-inch wide, three-function pelletizer--Both nip rolls, whose pressure is pneumatically adjusted, are mechanically driven for superior pulling of strands (including irregular or slippery strands) and, therefore, reportedly last longer. Quick-change components mean fast removal of working parts for complete cleaning or replacement. Pelletizer has quick-change parts that convert it to a two-roll puller with both nip rolls driven for pulling of rod, strips, tubing and profiles. Unit also converts to a single-spindle torque winder in minutes.

REIFENHAUSER-VAN DORN CO.

Manufactures PVC hot-face pelletizing systems. Systems include a twin-screw extruder, die, hot-face cutter, transport blower and pellet cooler. Models are available with a maximum production rate of 3300 lb/hr.

SANDVIK PROCESS SYSTEMS, INC.

Offers its Rotoform Process, which continuously forms melts at up to 572 F into small drops, which solidify on a steelbelt cooler into uniform, round pastilles in sizes from 1 mm to 20 mm.

The process offers the following advantages:

* No contact between product and cooling water, eliminating the need for energy to dry the pellets.

* Cooling water is not contaminated.

* No cutters are needed, lowering energy consumption and the need for maintenance.

* Process is dust-free.

The process can be used for products with melting viscosities up to 80,000 mPas at temperatures under 600 F. It is said to be a simple operation and enables fast changeover between different products.

SPROUT-BAUER, INC.

See Andritz Sprout-Bauer, Inc.

STERLING EXTRUDER DIV. DAVIS-STANDARD

Manufactures a complete line of underwater pelletizer systems in sizes from 500 to 20,000 lb/hr. Melt flow is directed downward through a horizontal die plate with cutting blades rotating in a horizontal plane. Blades are driven by a DC scr drive. The drive shaft, passing through the flow diverter, is aligned to maintain the blades squarely against the die-plate surface. The blades are said to be easily removed for sharpening or replacement. When reassembled, precise alignment of the blades against the cutting face is said to be preserved. The complete assembly includes pelletizer and drive, spin dryer, water filtering and tempering system and, if necessary, hot-oil system.

All die plates are oil-heated with polymer flow passages held at precise temperature. The system is said to be substantially quieter than standard pelletizers, typically less than 80 dbA, and more compact than a standard strand die, water-cooling tank, and pelletizer.

VIDEX MACHINERY CORP.

Sells rebuilt and guaranteed pelletizers and dicers from laboratory size to 24 in. wide. Units are available with solid helical cutters for lower noise levels, or with conventional bolt-on knives. Dicers can produce "octapellets" or cubes. Motors for pelletizers and dicers can be mechanical variable-speed, DC/scr variable-speed, or AC single-speed. All equipment can be test-run for customer's final inspection and acceptance.

WAYNE MACHINE & DIE CO.

Company's Yellow-Jacket heavy-duty strand pelletizers for laboratory and production applications are available in 2-, 3-, 4- and 6-in. models. The 2- and 3-in. models have an eight-tooth steel rotor, and the 4- and 6-in. models have a 12-tooth rotor with resharpenable D-2 steel blades. Other features are DC drives from 1 1/2 to 5 hp, aluminum housings, cutter shields, gear drive on rubber and knurled rollers, easy clean-out, safety switch on top cover, emergency stop button, locking casters on stand, and a 45|degrees~ dump chute.

WELDING ENGINEERS, INC.

Company is the exclusive distributor for AST's (Automatismi Speciali per Thermoplastici srl) water-ring pelletizing systems. The systems feature what is said to be an advanced and reliable horizontal discharge method of pelletizing a variety of thermoplastics. Hot die-face cutting makes processing insensitive to polymer flow interruptions, while the unit's water-ring cooling chamber provides immediate quenching of the pellets without agglomeration. The models have throughput rates of 100 through 14,000 lb/hr.

WERNER & PFLEIDERER CORP.

Supplies a variety of pelletizing equipment. Units are available that can be integrated with the company's twin-screw compounders, as well as systems adaptable to any reactor, autoclave, or extruder. The line includes a high-volume underwater pelletizing system with integrated diverter valve, die and screen-pack changer. Other equipment includes a water-ring pelletizer with die plate and cutter assembly.

Company also offers the Scheer strand pelletizing system, a self-stranding, forced-conveyance operation with cutter that can be fitted to accommodate any continuous or batch-mixing or reactor process. The Scheer system sandwiches the strands between two belts for positive conveyance through the water bath, which reportedly eliminates the inherent problems of strand breakage and intermixing of strands. This method reportedly reduces both required operator attention and scrap generation.