Screw Conveyor for Plastic Pellets & Regrind Flakes

General Description

Berry Global provides products that help sustain the world. Through manufacturing processes such as blow molding, film manufacturing, injection molding, resin reprocessing, and lamination, Berry Global provides a vastly diverse array of consumer products for animal & pet care, food & beverages, filtration, and healthcare.

Berry Global expanded production at multiple locations in the US, producing plastic cups and lids for the food service industry including some of the world’s leading fast-food restaurant chains. Coperion K-Tron, an industry leader in volumetric feeding solutions, was selected to provide mechanical conveying equipment for the project. Over many years, Coperion K-tron and KWS have worked as successful partners on several similar projects for Berry Global facilities. KWS supplied mixing screw conveyors for the collection of plastic pellets & regrind flakes from Coperion K-Tron feeders and transfer the materials for further processing. The mixture can then be utilized in a thermoforming or injection molding process to make cups and lids.

Design Parameters

1. Product Type: Plastic pellets & Regrind flakes
2. Material Density: 10 to 50 Lbs. per Cubic Foot
3. Conveyor System Capacity: 300 Cubic feet per Hour
4. Duty: Continuous

KWS Advantages

Coperion K-Tron and KWS sales and engineering teams collaborated to ensure the line expansions would be successful. KWS engineers took the design intent and given process parameters and developed an application-based solution that was unique for Berry Global and repeatable for future line expansions. Engineers from both companies exchanged 3D parametric models to determine proper spacing for the Coperion K-Tron feeders and ensured the equipment would fit together in the field flawlessly.

KWS Special Features

Standard pitch cut flights were used to promote mixing and agitation of the plastic pellets and regrind flakes. Cut flights have notches at regular intervals on the outer edge or periphery of the flight which allows for the materials to backflow in the opposite direction of conveyance. The backflow increases the residence time of the material inside the conveyor allowing for a better mixture when the material is discharged.

KWS provided clear polycarbonate windows in intermediate cover sections of the new mixing screw conveyor. These windows give operations and maintenance personnel a quick, hassle-free way to conduct an in-process visual inspection of the materials as they are being conveyed. Visual inspection ensures the mixture is sufficient for the remainder of the process and real-time adjustments can be made, if necessary.

The KWS direct-drive shaft mount design offered a compact and cost-effective alternative when compared to traditional belt-driven screw conveyor drives. Using parallel helical reducers with integral motors reduced the overall footprint of the conveyors. The drive bolts directly to a CEMA standard trough end and the shaft couples directly to the screw. The direct-drive shaft mount design can be easily accessed for maintenance and replacement. With fewer drive components, the conveyors require less maintenance and fewer spare parts to keep on the shelf.