PET extrusion for emerging markets

A leading Korean producer of polyester fibres has placed an order with Amut for the supply of a complete plant for the production of 3-layer PET sheet. The emerging markets today require systems characterised by a high level of technology and automation, flexibility and the capacity to produce articles ensuring high added value. Amut's system, which can produce sheets with a net width of 1500 mm in thicknesses ranging from 100 to 1200 microns and at a rate of more than 1000 kg/hour, meets these needs with solutions that provide a high quality product and significant energy savings.
The core of the system is a twin screw HT90 extruder with a screw diameter of 90 mm, 44 L/D ratio, and a very high vacuum system which uses dry pumps. It produces the internal layer of the sheet from up to 100% recycled material (coming from thermoforming waste or post-consumer bottles) and it ensures a limited a loss of viscosity during the extrusion process. It has two material loading stations, a deduster, a gravimetric feeder, a metal detector, and an automatic screen changer with backflush system incorporating eight breaker plates. An EA 60 single screw extruder with a 60-mm screw diameter, equipped with an energy-saving dryer of the last generation, is instead used for the external layers.
The line also includes: a layering device; a head; a horizontal calender with three cylinders each with a diameter of 70 mm; a thickness measuring device; a system for spreading a special fluid (used in place of the corona treatment) to guarantee an excellent adhesion of the printing ink to the sheet surface; an accumulator; a winding station for jumbo rolls; and an in-line cutting unit.