Extrusion International 2-2024

51 Extrusion International 2/2024 SHEET EXTRUSION – CASE STUDY “Because of rising energy costs, energy efficiency was high on our list and MEAF’s machines are prob- ably best in class when it comes to that. Once we made our decision, we were pleasantly surprised by the level of support we received. Being new in the sheet extrusion business, we had tons of questions. MEAF answered all of them and provided us with all the info we needed and more,” he concludes. “This new line perfectly fits the current global trend to produce ever more with 100% Post Consum- er Recycled (PCR) material such as bottle-flakes and works also with other thermoforming regrind,” says Roald de Bruijne, Sales Manag- er at MEAF. “However, the process needs to ensure that the cleaning and decontamination is properly done in order to adhere to the strict FDA/EFSA regulations. This requires processors to invest sub- stantially in dedicated equipment to upgrade their sheet production. At MEAF we believe our afford- able, energy-efficient and flexible solution allows our customers to make the transition to recycled ma- terial more easily.” Kreyenborg’s IR-CLEAN® is spe- cifically designed as a cost-effective solution for the direct reprocessing of post-consumer PET flakes for food packaging, combining crystal- lization and drying in a single pro- cess. The system operates without vacuum technology and can be ret- rofitted on existing extrusion lines. The efficiency of the cleaning pro - cess has been verified by a Letter of Non-Objection from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), while tests have shown compliance with the European Food Safety Au- thority (EFSA) criteria for the use of recycled materials for direct food contact packaging. Roald continues: “At MEAF we already have a good reputation for energy efficient, affordable and flexible extrusion machines. When it comes to the use of R-PET for packaging, bottle-to-bottle is relatively easy as the mechanical properties of the regrind are pretty stable. However, the tray-to-tray recycling process is a lot harder. We are therefore now working hard on the development of a compact unit for IV level increase that can be fully integrated in new and exist- ing extrusion lines. This will further support customers in their transi- tion toward true circularity.“ MEAF Machines B.V. Industrieweg 10, 4401 LB Yerseke, The Netherlands www.meaf.com MEAF Machines has recently installed a first R-PET extrusion line for the production of meat packaging at Pack Klaipėda UAB in Klaipėda, Lithuania (Source: MEAF) “We found MEAF to have the same output at a much smaller footprint than competitors’ offerings,” says Darius Kontrimas, CTO at Pack Klaipėda (Source: MEAF)