PETpla.net Insider 01+02 / 2021

MATERIALS / RECYCLING PETplanet Insider Vol. 22 No. 01+02/21 www.petpla.net 19 depending on the intended end appli- cation. Macro- and microscopic melt homogeneity is achieved by means of homogenisation drying, controlled plasticising, gentle filtration and con- trolled vacuum degassing. In the downstream processes, melt can either be granulated first, or fed directly into the product manu- facturing process. Recycled poly- ester, produced using VacuFil, can even be used for more challenging downstream processes, including the manufacture of FDY filaments. In the FDY single-stage process, material is subjected to extreme loads throughout manufacturing; filaments are drawn at speeds of up to 4,500m/min. BBE, headquartered in Rem- scheid, Germany, is a joint venture between Brückner Group GmbH, of Siegsdorf, Germany, a leading manu- facturer of machines for the polyes- ter foil industry, and Oerlikon Textile GmbH & Co. KG, a leading producer of systems for the manmade fibre industry, also of Remscheid, Ger- many. BBE is a pioneer in the devel- opment of processes for recycled materials, particularly polyester flakes, and converting them into contempo- rary, market-appropriate products for filaments, fibres and nonwovens. “What Oerlikon Barmag brings to the table as a technological leader in the field of filament yarn spinning systems, BBE complements with considerable know-how in the area of extrusion and filtration and in systems construction and engineering”, says Dr Klaus Schäfer, CEO of BBE. BBE is the exclusive supplier of extrusion filter technology for various manmade fibre industry polymers, particularly polyester, for its parent companies. Its association with the Brückner and Oerlikon Textile groups means that BBE is very much aware of industry requirements for granulate and melt made from recyclate. The further development of post-consumer PET material and post-production PET material is of special interest to BBE’s parent companies and the driver for bundling their recycling expertise into the BBE joint venture. BBE is co-located with Oerlikon Barmag in Remscheid and is an established manufacturer of compact and flexible systems for the manmade fibre industry. VarioFil R spinning systems have been used for convert- ing rPET granulates and flakes into POY/DTY for both textile and carpet applications. VarioFil systems are also used in production of spin-dyed products made from rPET granulates. The development, construction and assembly of VacuFil and VarioFil units are carried out exclusively in Rem- scheid, in line with the company’s ‘Made in Germany’ philosophy. VacuFil premiered at ITMA 2019 in Barcelona. Numerous tests have sub- sequently been conducted on the pilot system at Remscheid, using waste material supplied by customers; the recycled polyester has been success- fully spun into POY and FDY. Target viscosities and starting materials are achieved with the use of the Visco+ vacuum filter; a reactor is not required. The VacuFil blends large- scale filtration and swift intrinsic viscos- ity build-up for consistent melt quality. The attached vacuum unit, which is automatically regulated between 1 and 30mbar, removes volatile contamina- tion, ensures a controlled IV increase and delivers melt homogeneity, which is vital for downstream spinning perfor- mance. An inline viscosity measuring unit connected to the vacuum system continuously monitors and adjusts IV. This enables producers to generate the specific recycled polyester required for their application. The company says that VariFil’s degasification perfor- mance reduces the need for energy- intensive pre-drying. With a modular structure and a per- formance spectrum from 300-3,000kg/h, VacuFil systems offer a range of pos- sibilities for processing polyester waste. Bottle flakes, agglomerated spinning waste or a mixture can be processed into high-quality rPET granulate or fed directly into downstream processes. The entire recycling process is controlled and monitored by Oerlikon Barmag’s Guide system. The optional 3DD mixer, manufactured by BBE, enables pro- ducers to include additives and easily change rPET ratios in the main melt from between 5 and 50%, to comply with legal standards. Customer requirements can be catered for with different system configu- rations. “Close collaboration between potential operators of the system and our experts ensures that projects are successful. Tests carried out using cus- tomers’ raw material in our small-scale production system guarantee a sophisti- cated process that complies with require- ments. Our process visualisation system ensures customers always have a close eye on the broad operating window and the optimum operating point. Our soft- ware provides essential process optimi- sation information. This saves costs and increases productivity,” says Matthias Schmitz, VacuFil Product Manager. Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, BBE has offered digital videoconferenc- ing to continue providing access to their technology for customers across the world. www.bbeng.de Visco +filter components – the heart heart of the BB Engineering’s VacuFil recycling system