Plastics recycling: Upgrade helps unit recycle even heavily printed plastics

An update to its established TVE series of plastics recycling machinery will let companies re-use or source scrap plastics that contain much higher levels of ink, binding agents, other additives and incidental contaminating materials, according to Erema, a leading manufacturer of plastics recycling machinery.

How much higher? The company, based in Ansfelden, Austria, claims that the upgrades added to the TVEplus enable these to be up to three times as efficient in removing from the plastic melt the gases generated as inks and other contaminants burn. Plastics processors, and maybe most especially processors of thin films and sheet, often have steered clear of recycling such waste because can even traces of these contaminants that survive a reclaim process can cause bubbles, blisters, and film tears. Its new system delivers near-virgin quality pellets to users, says Erema.

Erema introduced its TVE series of recycling machinery more than a decade ago. These include melt filters placed ahead of a degassing system. The TVE already has proven itself as suitable for handling scrap with large amounts of contaminants at higher production rates and quality than other vented extruders, claims the manufacturer. The TVEplus is the result of modifications of the TVE in design and process engineering that allows an increase in degassing efficiency and an improved homogenization process.

The TVEplus series is available to handle throughputs from 250 to about 2500 kg/hr.