Special Stainless Steel Conveyor for Mixing and Conveying Dusting Agent for Plastic Colorant

General Description

LioChem is a leading manufacturer of specialty chemicals used in quality printing inks, plastic colorants and adhesives. For this project, they required a new system to combine and convey TPO, TPV, or TPE plastic pellets with Equistar "Microthene FN510-00" dusting agents. This agent has benefits to the plastics for Liochem’s plastic colorant products including making them rugged for the inclusion of additives later in the process, improving the uniformity of flow, adding a silken feel to the end product, and making them more abrasion resistant. The system consisted of two K-Tron volumetric feeders and the KWS mixer/conveyor. The products were accurately metered, mixed and conveyed to a hopper that functioned as a tank for a vacuum conveying system. KWS worked with Coperion K-Tron, a leading processing equipment and system engineering firm, and their manufacturer’s rep, PME Equipment, to develop the ideal solution for this project.

Design Parameters

KWS Advantages

Coperion K-Tron and KWS have worked together on many successful projects. They knew they could count on the experience and quality of KWS to design and build a stainless steel mixer/conveyor to meet their application needs. KWS reviewed the specifications and suggested improvements to help with the system design. The improvements included special mixing flights to promote aggressive mixing of the plastic pellets and dusting agent, easily removable covers for wash-down and cleaning and prewired safety switches to ease in field assembly. KWS excels at manufacturing polished, stainless equipment by taking the proper measures to ensure the material is welded, formed, and handled correctly. Engineers at Coperion K-Tron and KWS worked together throughout the project to ensure that every detail was addressed and that the mixer/conveyor fit perfectly in their system. This relationship continued throughout the design phase and ensured all of their needs on the project were met.

Special Features

Coperion K-Tron required a mixer/conveyor that would accurately mix and convey the plastic pellets and dusting agent to the vacuum conveying hopper. KWS utilized a special flight design with cut-and-folded flights. KWS engineers designed structural supports for the mixer/conveyor so they wouldn’t interfere with the downstream hopper. A flexible nylon discharge chute was selected so plastic pellets with dusting agent would discharge from the mixer/conveyor and be gently loaded into the vacuum conveying hopper and not create excessive dust. The design also included a limit switch for the conveyor cover along with a zero-speed switch that was prewired in conduit to a junction box at the KWS facility.