34 TRADE SHOW REVIEW PETplanet Insider Vol. 22 No. 12/21 www.petpla.net The right tools and expertise to help with your rPETgoals! Agr is uniquely positioned to support your venture into rPET bottle manufacturing with a powerful combination of Process Control tools, Process Consultants, and decades of industry experience. AGRINTL.COM • +1.724.482.2163 More homogenous injection brings benefits Stand 2105 in Hall A2 at the Fakuma trade fair was the showcase for Promix, an equipment manufacturer for plastics processors from Winterthur in Switzerland. Dr Markus Murr, Sales & Market Manager, showed us the PET mixing nozzle launched in the spring that offers constant material homogeneity and better temperature distribution during the injection process in preform manufacturing. The mixing nozzle should simultaneously optimise several areas in preform creation. At the trade fair stand, the manufacturer showed this type of mixing nozzle in cross-section to enable viewers to better visualise the technology; this offered a view of the internal, mesh-like strutting that ensures the advertised homogeneity. “The mixing nozzle was designed for quick injection times and high pressures. Its use in high-cavity moulds should prevent aberrations from local AA concentrations so as to ensure a more homogenous AA content in the preform through better dispersion in the melt flow,” explained Dr Murr. “So savings can be made for example on AA blockers, which lowers production costs. Consequently, any migration of the blocker into the food would also of course be prevented.” According to Promix, the use of the PET mixing nozzle could frequently mean that AA blockers might not be needed at all. “On average, local AA peaks can be reduced by 20-30% whereby all cavities are within the permitted limit values,” continued Dr Murr. Incidentally, the mixing should also achieve a better temperature distribution overall within the preform thus fostering more homogenous wall strengths. This nozzle should also help to optimise colour distribution for coloured preforms. To illustrate this point, the manufacturer presented two plastic examples at the stand, one made with a conventional nozzle and one with the Promix nozzle. This latter showed a significantly more uniform colour. “To avoid colour streaks or inconsistencies in preforms, the processor often adds more colour,” said Dr Murr. “When using the nozzle, colour use and therefore the related costs can also be reduced.” And these optimised results are also achieved when using recyclate. If rPET is included in the mix, the improved homogenisation of the rPET flakes in the melt flow should likewise improve the colour distribution in the resulting coloured preforms. According to Promix, the PET mixing nozzle should be easy to retrofit into existing injection moulding equipment. www.promix-solutions.ch Promix’ stand at Fakuma Promix PET mixing nozzle
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