EDITOUR PETplanet Insider Vol. 26 No. 09/25 www.petpla.net 14 Sustainable drying and crystallisation with infrared Is the IR technology known from preform heating also an alternative for drying and crystallising virgin and/or rPET flakes? We spoke to Udo Gielen, CEO, and Marcus Vogt, Technical Sales Manager at Kreyenborg in Senden, Germany. The company has been working on this technology for over 20 years. Editour Interview with Kreyenborg GmbH & Co KG // August 14, 2025 We met: Udo Gielen, CEO and Marcus Vogt, Technical Sales Manager Tradition and specialisation Kreyenborg was founded in Münster, Germany, in 1953 and has been active in the plastics sector since 1966. The company became known for its machines and systems in plastics recycling. The first melt filter went into operation in 1967. Kreyenborg set another milestone with the launch of the infrared rotary drum (IRD) in 2004. In 2013, the US company Nordson took over some of the company’s divisions - since then, Kreyenborg has been able to concentrate fully on IR technology, its components and the established construction of mixers and special silos for the recycling industry. Drying in the infrared rotary drum is used both in food technology and in the plastics industry. In the plastics sector, the focus is clearly on the drying and crystallisation of virgin and recycled PET besides other plastics. Functional principle Unlike conventional dryers with hot air or vacuum crystallisers, the Kreyenborg technology does not require either. The infrared light penetrates pellets or flakes and heats them evenly from the inside and outside in just a few minutes. A rotary drum keeps the material in continuous motion, so that it heats up evenly without clumping together. Between the individual infrared heating zones, the system measures the surface temperature of the PET inline and can therefore react directly to changes in the material. Marcus Vogt describes the efficiency of infrared compared to hot air vividly: “Try frying a sausage with a hot air dryer - or over a coal fire.” Performance and quality Kreyenborg has continuously developed the IRD technology for many plastics – and has created a Sponsors to date The infrared elements and temperature sensors are located in the centre of the drum. The drum movement ensures that the material is moved evenly. Drying takes place at the material inlet (left) while the moisture is extracted. The material is crystallised at the outlet (right). F.l.t.r.: Udo Gielen (CEO Kreyenborg), Marcus Vogt (Technical Sales Manager) and Alexander Büchler in front of an open drum. The material is continuously rolled past the infrared elements. by Alexander Büchler Kreyenborg Hall 9 Booth A27
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