Extrusion International 6-2018

32 Extrusion International 6/2018 EXTRUSION TECHNOLOGY The new and innovative fleXXcover for twin-screw ex- truders is a solution that offers more safety for the opera- tor, even easier handling and a high degree of flexibility. „We have taken a completely new approach in terms of machine cover,” says Managing Director Sven Wolf. „In- stead of being made of metal, our fleXXcover is made of a glass fiber textile that offers a variety of advantages.” The design study of this revolutionary development could be seen on the new twin-screw extruder ZSE 40 iMAXX. „The ZSE iMAXX series already includes machines with 27 and 35 mm screw diameter. The expansion by a further size is the logical consequence,” says Wolf. fleXXcover – newly interpreted machine cover The appearance and surface texture of the new cover are striking: it is made of a PTFE-coated glass fiber textile, a heat-resistant material suitable for extrusion process- es. “The fleXXcover has a lower heat conductivity than metal. This results in a lower surface temperature.” The machine cover is designed in four parts: two cover halves above the process section, two above the drive unit. They are attached to the base frame by means of plug- in connecting bars and fixed in place using pneumatic tensioning elements. Wolf explains: “This type of setup allows very simple handling. A single operator is able to remove each of the four parts without any additional tools.” The removed cover can easily be rolled up, stored and exchanged. The combination of material, fixation German Leistritz Extrusionstechnik GmbH presented for the first time the design study of the ZSE 40 iMAXX twin screw extruder with innovative full cover at the Fakuma Design study: the ZSE 40 iMAXXwith fleXX cover (Image © Leistritz) World Novelty: ZSE 40 iMAXX with FleXXcover Among others the Leistritz elongational rheometer for intelligent process monitoring was showcased (Image © Leistritz) and simple handling makes cleaning very convenient. “Since this is a more economical option than metal cov- ers, each of the four cover parts can be purchased more than once if required, for example if the process setup is changed.” Leistritz side feeders or degassing units inte- grated into the process setup are also covered with the material. “We presented this ingenious solution for the