Milacron tailors extrusion screws to meet needs of sustainable materials

Part 4 of a series on extruders for sustainable materials.

As more companies process a growing variety of sustainable materials, extrusion equipment suppliers have to tailor their products to meet demand. 

Related: Entek sees increased demand for compounding extruders; CPM's specialized machines help meet sustainability goals; Graham customers devoting extruders full-time to bioplastics

“Milacron has experienced this shift in the industry more so in the last five to six years in the manufacturing sectors we equip and service,” said Kurt Waldhauer, VP of extrusion sales. 

Milacron excels at adapting specialty screw designs to accommodate unique material streams, Waldhauer said. 

“Specialty screw designs are fundamental in processing recycled plastics in both our single-screw and twin-screw extruders,” he said. “The level of complexity is recognized in our customized screw designs to extend efficient mixing and compounding properties.” 

Specialized screw designs also are essential when processing sustainable plastics or bioplastics. 

“Each bio-resin or recycled resin will differ in characteristics and each will call for a unique process to optimize part quality or OEE [overall equipment effectiveness],” Waldhauer said.  

Milacron helps processors adapt as new resin recipes hit the market. 

“As long as we are aware of our customer’s end goal, we can create or provide specialty screws that will combat their unique processing needs,” Waldhauer said. 

Milacron machines are designed to be modular, which allows for adjustments for processing a variety of materials and end products, he said.  

Milacron LLC,  Batavia, Ohio, 513-536-2000, www.milacron.com