By Ron Shinn
German company Collin Lab & Pilot Solutions GmbH demonstrated a new blown film line that is just 16.4 feet (5 meters) high and can produce five-layer film up to about 2 feet wide.
The line is called Pilot Line BL 600 Professional. It is well-suited for processing recycled materials. By using a multi-layer blown film die, with optimized distributor disc, the line can also process metallocene polyolefins, which are typically very difficult to process.
The blown film line uses four extruders. One extruder has an adjustable melt splitter to guide the melt into two different distributor discs of the die, which results in two layers, Collin said.
The line includes a newly designed Collin extruder E 30 PL with height adjustment from 13.8 inches to 59 inches extrusion height.
Another new machine in the film line is the ZK 25 P compounder with an online viscometer for continuous monitoring of material quality. The online viscometer is especially useful when processing recycled material, Collin said.
Collin also unveiled a medical tube line with a new VKT 3000 vacuum water bath. It is designed for production of precise medical multi-layer tubes.
The extrusion unit also uses the ZK 25 P extruder along with a lift extruder, strip die and the new, modular water bath. The bath has closed water circulation and a vacuum calibration unit. The line guarantees the highest precision of roundness, as well as constant tube diameter with up to five layers, the company said.
The water bath is followed by a diameter measurement, takeoff and the latest Collin winder for tubes and strands.
The water baths are available in different lengths. Several water bath units can be arranged one after the other if needed, up to 49 feet in total length. Speeds of up to 656 feet per minute are possible.
Ron Shinn, editor
Contact:
Collin Lab & Pilot Solutions Inc., Tucker, Ga., 678-325-6708, www.collin-solutions.com
Ron Shinn | Editor
Editor Ron Shinn is a co-founder of Plastics Machinery & Manufacturing and has been covering the plastics industry for more than 35 years. He leads the editorial team, directs coverage and sets the editorial calendar. He also writes features, including the Talking Points column and On the Factory Floor, and covers recycling and sustainability for PMM and Plastics Recycling.
