It’s all in the mix
rPET preform production – flakes and granules in one hopper
Sacmi and its partner Piovan present a new solution that enables an increase in the percentage of flakes in the mixture by up to 70%-75%, with consequent advantages in terms of cost reductions, ease of use and management. A solution that Sacmi proposes for new generation preform presses, starting from the IPS 300 model.
The sustainability ‘r-evolution’ in the PET world has led the major technology manufacturers to evolve their solutions to make a complete supply chain of PET viable and recyclable for food grade options. The possibility of using recycled PET on standard preform production lines has been a key element of Sacmi R&D projects for many years. Already, with the current range of IPS preform presses, it is possible to process up to 100% of rPET in granules and up to 50% of rPET in the form of flakes.
This question is the starting block when presenting the new developments that Sacmi is launching together with its partner Piovan, well-known for its development and production of production process automation systems for the storage, transport and processing of plastic and food-grade powders and polymers.
The solutions typical of this market, except for small percentages, process flakes differently from granules, due to the differences in shape and specific weight. The new solution developed is a technical solution that offers the possibility to skilfully manage the mixtures of flakes and granules without having to resort to using two distinct processing hoppers.
Flakes production
A new step in the IPS plasticisation unit supported by a new single hopper dryer solution which conveys the granule-flake mixture internally. This solution offers:
Firstly, the possibility of increasing the percentage of flakes in the mixture to up to 70-75% (no solution on the market with this configuration can currently operate using these percentages, according to Sacmi).
Secondly, simplifying the process: two hoppers are no longer required to manage the granule and flake lines with all the complexities that this involves in terms of the management of different dryers, temperatures, recipes – but a single solution that is more economical and easy to use.
The new Sacmi IPS 300
Sacmi has been operating on the preform press market for over ten years, expanding its range of solutions, from the IPS220 to the IPS400, and the IPS300, launched in 2021.
The characteristics of this press – which offers a range of possibilities including that of integrating the vision system which continuously controls the production – are accompanied by the development of the auxiliary unit, which will be assembled on it and, therefore, on all the new generation Sacmi IPS units.
Another offer is the maximum versatility depending on the manufactured product and the quality and type of raw material (recycled or virgin) available to the customer. With the new automation developed with Piovan it is possible to work with up to 70-75% of recycled PET in flakes, but also 100% of virgin material or 100% of rPET in granules. All of this on a standard platform, that is, one that does not impose any particular adaptation at a productive or management level.
