October 4 2023
John Whaley, Vice President - Key Filters , Gabriela Martin, Marketing Coordinator
Continuous belt screen changers are advanced machines designed to efficiently remove impurities and contaminants from the polymer melt during the manufacturing process. This equipment is utilized in various industries, including plastics, rubber, and chemical processing, where maintaining consistent product quality and minimizing downtime is critical to maintaining a smooth, cost-effective operation. When it comes to the removal of contaminants from a polymer melt, however, continuous belt screen changers do more for a business than enhancing product quality alone. This higher quality is also achieved at lower cost due to uninterrupted melt filtration that ensures steady-state process continuity, improved product yield, and maintenance cost reduction over time. Detailed below, you will find the ways in which continuous belt screen changers simultaneously result in both better product quality and lower maintenance costs, immediately driving up the value of a business following installation.
Key Benefits for Achieving Better Quality Products:
Enhanced Filtration Efficiency- Continuous belt screen changers employ a continuous filtration process that ensures consistent removal of contaminants and impurities from the polymer melt. This results in improved product quality by minimizing the presence of defects and irregularities caused by foreign particles.
Uniform Product Characteristics- By maintaining a consistent flow of clean polymer melt without process and pressure disruption, the machine optimizes product uniformity across the full range of production throughput. This is particularly crucial for industries such as plastic extrusion, where variations in material composition can lead to inconsistent product dimensions, appearance, and mechanical properties.
Reduced Defects and Scrap- Contaminants present in the polymer melt can lead to defects in the final product, resulting in increased scrap rates and decreased yield. Continuous belt screen changers help minimize these defects, leading to a higher product yield and reduction of waste.
Improved Surface Finish- In sheet or profile extrusion, impurities in the polymer melt often have a negative impact on the surface finish of the end product. By effectively removing contaminants, continuous belt screen changers contribute to achieving a smoother and more aesthetically pleasing surface on the final product.
Lowering Maintenance Costs:
Reduced Downtime- Traditional screen changers require manual intervention for screen replacement, leading to production downtime. Continuous belt screen changers, on the other hand, feature an automated screen changing process which can be performed while the machine is still running, minimizing downtime and maximizing production efficiency.
Longer Screen Lifespan- The continuous belt design distributes the filtration load evenly across the entire screen surface, reducing the wear and tear experienced by individual screens. This extends the lifespan of the screens and reduces the frequency of replacements, thereby lowering maintenance costs over time.
No Operator Involvement- With automated operations and self-clearing mechanisms, continuous belt screen changers do not require operator intervention as traditional screen changers do. This elimination of intervention reduces labor costs and allows operators to focus on other critical tasks.
Continuous belt screen changers possess the unique ability to simultaneously enable quality enhancement and cost reduction by removing contamination while maintaining optimum process conditions without disruption. The benefits of enhanced filtration efficiency, uniform product characteristics, reduced defects and scrap, and an improved surface finish attest to the direct impact this melt filtration technology has on finished product quality. At the same time, the equipment also reduces short- and long-term maintenance costs for a business through its reduced downtime, longer screen lifespan, and absence of operator involvement. Overall, the continuous belt screen changer improves a company’s operations at every step, resulting in greater product quality and higher operating margins than non-continuous melt filtration technologies.
To learn more about Parkinson Technologies’ Key Filters brand of continuous belt screen changers, or to find which machine would be best suited to fit your specific business needs, please fill out the form below.
