In order to build a plant for the extrusion of sheets for food packaging with high productivity and low unit costs, MEAF Machines, a Dutch producer of packaging machines, found a solution using an innovative combination of convenient raw materials, applications to improve product functionality and of course, Leister components. The new machine includes two Silence blowers, four LHS 61L SYSTEM heaters and four wide slot nozzles: silent, efficient and reliable, these components played an important role in creating a winning solution, satisfying the manufacturer and the end user.
MEAF Machines, a Dutch packaging company, produces machinery for the extrusion of plastic films and sheets and thermoformers. The company is well-known for its versatility and capability of providing turnkey production plants.
A client of this manufacturer was interested in purchasing a new plant, with the objective of optimising the production process for food packaging film, and suggested that MEAF take Leister components into consideration. The client had previously used a plant that included Leister LE 10000 heaters and SILENCE blowers and was impressed by their efficiency and reliability: he did not therefore heistate and recommended their use for the new plant.
The specifications of the new production system were designed to allow a remarkable increase of production capacity and at the same time a lowering of unit costs. For this reason MEAF chose to rpovide the equipment with an “antiblock” applicator.
This device applies a Teflon and water emulsion and successively dries the sheets in a unit with precision controls. This process is a valid alternative to co-extrusion, a costlier process that uses plastic additives and is generally used for applications that add functional properties to the material (antiblock, antistatic and more).
APET or PET-A i s amorphous and melts at a lower temperature with respect to PET-C, which has a partially crystalline structure, and may be machined in a larger range of temperatures without risking the characteristic “sharkskin” surface defect. Decisive factors backing the APET choice were the high adaptability to thermoforming processes and the inferior cost with respect to PET-G.
The antiblock properties are requested for the production of flexible packaging and sheets. Antiblock additives make it possible to reduce adhesion (blocking) between two sheets of material, allowing greater ease in handling the sheets both during production as well as during the successive use of the products.
MEAF followed the client’s advice and once more invested in the hot air technology provided by Leister.
Using a combination of cutting-edge Leister heaters and blowers, the drying process can easily keep abreast of the considerably increased production rate, while the control function is include in the plant’s PLC. Leister elements included in the pkant are two Silence blowers, four LHS 61L SYSTEM heaters and four wide slot nozzles.
SILENCE blowers are aptly named, since with only 61 dB8A) emissions they are really very silent; yet they supply large volumes of hot air and may be installed with any orientation..
SILENCE has been designed purposely to allow use with pre-heated air (between 100° and 200° C) and can function without any problems with an environmental temperature of up to 75°C.
In industrial processes a blower often supplies many heaters, but in MEAF’s plant each couple of LHS 61 L SYSTEM heaters corresponds to a single SILENCE blower.
LHS 61L SYSTEM heaters are the ideal choice for applications requiring high performances. Easy to integrate in the plant, they are fitted with protections against overheating, including alarms for both the heating element and the appliance itself; heating is regulated with a power meter. The appliance may be remote-controlled with an analog interface, can be provided with open and closed circuit control modes and with LED displays showing present and target values.
The MEAF line with antiblock applicator handles A-PET sheets with variable thickness (from 0.15 to 1.2 mm). Entirely made of stainless steel, it includes rollers and sprayers. The pressure that keeps the rollers close is applied by a pneumatic system; the plant includes a 60-litre tank with circulation pump. The two pumps for applying the antiblock liquid include level indicators for extraction and filling and alarm signals; a control unit for autonomous functioning is included.
The winning combination of a low-cost raw material (APET), an efficient process (antiblock applicator) and high-performance hot air technology (Leister heaters and blowers) sped up the production process and reduced costs, much to the satisfaction of end users involved (personnel of the client companies). For the makers of the plant, the ease of installation of Leister products was a great help and enabled them to save time and money.
Leister for over 60 years has been a leading supplier of industrial heaters and machines for plastic welding; cutting edge technologies, a wide and complete product range and qualified sales personnel allow clients to find the ideal solution to every requirement in sectors as diverse as building and packaging.
