PTi, Bandera Team Up on Energy Efficient "Dryer-less" PET/PLA Sheet Systems

Aurora IL – Luigi Bandera Meccaniche S.p.A., Milan, Italy and Processing Technologies International, LLC, Aurora, IL have announced a strategic business alliance to supply energy-efficient sheet extrusion systems for processing PET/PLA without the use of traditional preconditioning dryers and crystallizers into the North American market.

This process relies on Bandera’s patented High Vacuum Twin Screw Extruder (HVTSE) technology, which allows PET to be processed without the need for raw material drying and crystallizing. The HVTSE extruder de-volatilizes and de-moisturizes the material as part of the extrusion process. The twin-screw extruder will be integrated with downstream systems furnished by PTi, a global supplier of single-screw sheet extrusion systems, as part of a turnkey package. PTi will also provide its TITAN® supervisory control system and UL approved electrical components for delivery throughout North America.

The companies also announced their intention to install a production-scale demonstration line at PTi headquarters later in 2010. “We feel it’s important to have the ability to demonstrate this technology to potential customers under real-world conditions”, said PTi President, Dana Hanson. “Our plan is to have customers send in their own material, or we will have material available for them to trial.”

While widely accepted and implemented throughout Europe and other parts of the world with more than 80 Bandera HVTSE installations—this technology is fairly uncommon to the North American marketplace— until now.

“PTi has been investigating options for ‘dryer-less’ technology in response to growing North American customer interest.” John Chalmers, PTi’s VP of Sales and Marketing stated. “All of our research pointed to Bandera’s HVTSE system as the most efficient, robust, industry proven solution. And since PTi does not manufacture twin screw extruders, we felt Bandera would be interested in selling the HVTSE system under license or a similar arrangement. Our concept was met with a welcome response since Bandera was also seeking a partner for development of the North American market for the HVTSE technology – so we were a perfect match-up.”

While specific details of the agreement remain confidential, Bandera’s VP of Sales and Marketing, Andrea Rigliano stated, “PTi/Bandera have entered into a 10 year exclusive agreement covering North America (i.e.; US, Canada and Mexico). PTi will promote and incorporate Bandera’s patented HVTSE technology into PTi sheet extrusion lines.” These lines will be manufactured, serviced and supported from PTi’s world headquarters in Aurora, IL.

With headquarters in Aurora, IL, Processing Technologies International, LLC serves over 20 countries and is a global leader in high performance sheet extrusion machinery. Established in 1988, PTi continues to supply and service single screw extrusion equipment to industries producing packaging, construction, automotive, lawn & garden, office products, signs & displays, appliances and much more. Engineered to exact standards PTi systems offer an exceptional array of design features resulting in superior equipment performance.

Headquartered near Milan in Busto Arsizio, Italy, founder Luigi Bandera started operations in 1947. Bandera designs and manufactures complete single screw, and co-rotating and counter-rotating twin screw extrusion lines for blown film production, foils and sheets. Bandera has always developed innovative ideas which have contributed to the evolution of the plastic material processing industry.


   
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Sheet Extrusion System suits inline thermoforming/roll stock in Russia

Since March 2010 mm-agencies have been representing PTI in Eastern Europe and Russia, the system has been receiving a high level of interest from producers in the region with several projects under consideration. The systems adaptability and fast start up times offer real advantages to producers.Offered in monolayer or co extrusion formats, GLOBALINE® produces sheet from materials such as PP, PS, PET, and polylactic acid in widths of 40 or 60 in. It can be configured for production outputs between 650-3,900 lb/hr. Design includes linear bearing mounted frame infrastructure; pivoting extruder base via hydraulic jacking system, simplifying screw removal/maintenance; and touch screen controls. Available in NPE version for inline thermoforming or full-length for producing roll stock.


   
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PTi Introduces New REVOLUTION® Roll Stand

Aurora IL – PTi has introduced a new member to their family of REVOLUTION® Roll Stands. The new REVOLUTION® H-Stack features a horizontal roll configuration. The horizontal configuration is particularly well suited to processing materials with low melt strength. When working with low melt strength materials processors have always struggled with material sag and non-uniform sheet cooling due to the sheet contacting the lower roll in a vertical roll stack. With a Horizontal roll configuration, the material can be accurately placed between the cooling rolls insuring that the material is “nipped” on both sides at precisely the same moment.
Additionally, recent developments in applied Horizontal roll stack technology have yielded previously undiscovered benefits in the area of clarified polypropylene thin sheet production.
As with all REVOLUTION® Roll Stands, each roll is individually direct driven and configured with linear bearing guided roll actuation. These features, standard to PTi’s REVOLUTION® family of Roll Stands, provide the precision and repeatability required to process sheet of the highest quality specification.
With headquarters in Aurora, IL, Processing Technologies, LLC (PTi) manufactures a wide range of single screw extrusion systems for applications that include Sheet, Film, Foam Sheet, Compounding, Pipe, Profile, Co-Extrusion systems and Reclaim. PTi offers the Trident Series® Extrusion Systems in bore sizes ranging from 1.50” through 15.00” diameters and L/D ratios ranging from 7:1 through 48:1. All Trident Series® Extrusion Systems come complete with standard computer controls or with the TITAN® Integrated PLC Computer Control System. Each PTi system is customized to the specification of the customer’s current need and designed with today’s most advanced technology.



   
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GLOBALINE(R)— EFFICIENT, PRE-ENGINEERED SHEET EXTRUSION SYSTEMS

Aurora, IL— PTi’s new product line, aptly named GLOBALINE(R), was developed to fulfill the need in the global market place for a cost effective solution configurable as a compact unit (NPE version) for inline thermoforming or a full length configuration for producing roll stock. The GLOBALINE(R) will emphasize flexibility; allowing processors to efficiently produce smaller runs of sheet from key materials such as PP, PS, PET and polylactic acid, the bioresin known as PLA.

Dana Hanson, President of PTi, said “The GLOBALINE(R) has been engineered to cut delivery times and costs, with lead times trimmed 30%-40% and a price tag that’s much lower than custom designed machines.” “Incorporating a patent-pending, linear bearing mounted frame infrastructure, among other features,” Hanson says, “mechanical system installation can take only two to three days.”
“The GLOBALINE(R) brand is available in two unique platforms distinguished by finished product widths of 1.0 or 1.5 m (40 or 60”),” stated Hanson. “Depending on the application and the customer requirement, the GLOBALINE(R) can be configured for a range of production outputs between 300 - 1750 kg/hr (650 - 3900 lbs/hr). All GLOBALINE(R) systems are available in mono-layer or co-extrusion formats for A/B, A/B/A, A/B/C, and more.”
GLOBALINE(R) is a key part of PTi’s worldwide strategy for expanding in regions such as Russia, Eastern Europe, South America, China and India, said John Chalmers, Vice President of Sales and Marketing. “Rigid Packaging, particularly for food and medical applications is a growing market in those countries”, he said. “We appreciate that in developing markets customers aren't able to dedicate their production to one particular product. GLOBALINE(R) will allow them to run multiple products efficiently on one machine. We're taking a proactive stance to develop a machine that's going to address the needs of these developing markets.''
GLOBALINE(R) features pre-engineered, compact, components that are configurable to customer specific production requirements. The modular design offers many unique features such as:
 Integral Ratchet Actuated Gap Positioning and Display (patent pending)
 Integral Ratchet Vertical Nip Height Positioning (patent pending)
 Linear bearing mounted frame infrastructure for precise retraction and ease of installation (patent pending)
 Universal anti-stat coater for top, bottom and both side coating applications
(patent pending)
 Pivoting extruder base via a unique hydraulic jacking system for ease of screw removal
and maintenance
 Touch screen controls featuring on line tutorial instructions for start-up and shut down sequencing as well as AutoRamp™ automatic - line coordination control
 Individual roll drives
 Quick style electrical plug-ins throughout for ease of installation and maintenance
 Mechanical system installation in 2 - 3 days
GLOBALINE(R) also has applications in markets where extremely short production timelines and cost reductions are the rule rather than the exception. Being a pre-engineered system, the cost is reduced and lead times / speed to market are greatly improved. GLOBALINE(R)’s pre-engineered modular lines can provide solutions for:
— Rapid start-ups with cost containment. Perfect for Contract Packagers or for larger companies needing small, versatile machinery for use in pilot lines for new product development, rapid product deployment or market testing
— JIT(Just In Time) production needs — GLOBALINE(R) is ideal for smaller quantity, decentralized production lines
Headquartered in Aurora, IL, Processing Technologies International, LLC (PTi) manufactures a wide range of single screw extrusion systems for applications that include Sheet, Film, Foam, Compounding, Pipe & Profile and Reclaim Systems. PTi’s machinery is marketed under the brands of TRIDENT(R) extrusion systems; REVOLUTION(R) roll stands; GLOBALINE(R)(R) world standard sheet lines; and TITAN(R) and TITAN(R) Plus Integrated PLC Computer Control Systems. Systems are configured for each application based on specific customer requirements and designed with today’s most advanced technology.


   
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The Benefits of PTi’s TITAN® and TItan Plus® Start-up Automation and Voice Annuciation

Aurora IL – Sophisticated automation and controls with enhanced features like voice annunciation are among the unique benefits of PTi’s extrusion machinery. The TITAN® PLUS Control system enables operators to consistently run complex sheet extrusion systems across a wide range of operator skill sets that are common in today’s production facilities. TITAN® PLUS control systems include full machine control functions such as start/stop functions, drives, temperature loops, machine status display, alarm/faults status, recipe creation, data logging, trending and print screen functions.

Unique to the TITAN® PLUS control system is PTi’s exclusive automatic AUTORAMP™ process control tool which allows for one-button Startup Coordination of complex multilayer extruded sheet lines. AUTORAMP™ provides advanced capabilities to be preset for ease of line start-up; slow down (crawl) and complete shut down functions. The technology is designed to bring an extrusion system up to a desired level of production through a balanced, harmonized, and quick ramp-up. The Auto-Ramp Module can coordinate as many as 14 different drive motors in a seven-layer co-extrusion sheet line. TITAN® Plus system also allows for complete simulations of line control and operations. Line start ups, shut downs and other functions can be practiced and learned in a no-risk environment.

TITAN® PLUS has another automation feature that has increased efficiency in plants: Voice Annunciation. TITAN®’s voice annunciation will automatically TELL you what triggered the alarm condition. Minor or nuisance type alarms verses urgent alarms are easy to identify. PTi offers the voice system in English, Spanish, Russian, and Chinese.

Headquartered in Aurora, IL, Processing Technologies, LLC (PTi) manufactures a wide range of single screw extrusion systems for applications that include Sheet, Film, Foam, Compounding, Pipe & Profile and Reclaim Systems. PTi’s machinery is marketed under the brands of TRIDENT® extrusion systems; REVOLUTION® roll stands; GLOBALINE® world standard sheet lines; and TITAN® and TITAN® Plus Integrated PLC Computer Control Systems. Systems are configured for each application based on specific customer requirements and designed with today’s most advanced technology.
   
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