PREFORM PRODUCTION PETplanet Insider Vol. 24 No. 04/23 www.petpla.net 16 Continuous vacuum drying technology Preparing rPET for preform production Preform production is a critical step in the manufacturing of PET bottles. One key aspect of preform production is the drying of PET granules or flakes prior to injection moulding. The DRV vacuum dryer by PET Solutions is designed specifically for drying PET flakes or granules, using a combination of heat and vacuum. The machine was built on the basis of three registered patents which allows it to treat amorphous material through a continuous vacuum dehumidification process. When using rPET for preform production, some issues may arise that need to be kept in mind to ensure its long-term viability as a material. Although superior to virgin PET in terms of sustainability aspects, a number of problems may arise associated with rPET when being processed. So can for example the quality of rPET vary significantly depending on the source and the recycling process used. Contamination, such as food residue or other type of plastic, can also affect the quality of the recycled material and make it less suitable for certain applications. When preparing the material for injection moulding, vacuum drying has become an increasingly popular method for the drying process. Vacuum drying is claimed to offer several advantages over other drying methods, particularly for materials that are sensitive to heat or that require gentle handling: One major advantage of vacuum drying for preform production is that it can help to prevent degradation of the PET material. Vacuum drying also leads to a uniform drying of the material, as the reduced pressure helps to remove moisture evenly throughout the PET. This can help to ensure consistent quality of the final preform product. Furthermore, vacuum drying can be more energy-efficient than other methods, as the reduced pressure requires less energy to remove moisture from the PET. Overall, vacuum drying is regarded as a reliable and efficient method for drying PET material in preform production. Its advantages in terms of temperature control, speed, uniformity, quality and energy efficiency make it an increasingly popular choice in the beverage industry. Heat/vacuum combination One vacuum dryer solution for PET preform production is the DRV vacuum dryer by PET Solutions. This specialised piece of equipment is designed specifically for drying PET flakes or granules using a combination of heat and vacuum. The combination of heat and vacuum in vacuum drying allows for faster drying times, which can help to increase production efficiency. PREFORMS Continuous vacuum drying technology by PET Solutions
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