Extrusion International USA 4-2022

62 Extrusion International 4/2022 3 SHEET EXTRUSION Laboratory line scores with outstanding flexibility in product development “Our laboratory line offers unparal- leled flexibility in terms of the formu - lations we can use and floor cover - ing dimensions,” emphasizes Janina Roesch. These floor coverings can be produced from virgin or recycled PP material and their mechanical prop- erties can be optimized adding vari- ous fillers like calcium carbonate or talc as well as by incorporating fibers. The plant configuration is suitable for both, thin and extremely flexible floorings with a thickness of 2.5 mm as well as for thick and rigid sheets with thicknesses of up to 6 mm. The wide variety of potential products is ensured by the in-line compounding system and the adjustable polishing calender designed as PlanetCalen- der. Key components: in-line compounder and PlanetCalender For the cost-effective production of the new PP floor coverings KraussMa - ffei uses a ZE BluePower twin-screw extruder that provides a large process window for optimum final product quality even with varying properties of the input material. Thanks to its large free volume and high specific torque, this type of extruder allows unparalleled output capacities to be obtained. Several metering stations and side feeders are arranged along the processing section for in-line feeding of solid and liquid additives to achieve maximum filler loading of the final product without requir - ing any previous compounding. The material is guided from the slot die to the PlanetCalender that is equipped with adjustable rolls to ensure per- fect polishing of floor cov - erings of any dimension. The extruded sheets can either be coated with a laminated deco- rative film and wear protection film in an in-line process or have a decor printed on them in an off-line process, which then re- quires additional sealing. Formulation development in cooperation with ExxonMobil During formulation development, highly flexible Vistamaxx™ poly - olefin elastomers proved extremely advantageous as they allow a high filler and reclaim share to be incorpo - Bundled Expertise for the Production of Alternative Polyolefin-Based Floor Coverings In cooperation with ExxonMobil and additional development partners, KraussMaffei has successfully completed the in-house project for the production of alternative PP-based floor coverings in its R & D center in Hannover, Germany. “Polyolefin-based floor coverings offer a range of benefits that make them extremely popular,” says Janina Roesch, Product & Application Owner Flat and Foam at KraussMaffei. “With our development project we invest in this growing market and support manufacturers in overcoming market entry barriers.” ZE BluePower twin-screw extruder with slot die for the cost-effective production of PP floor coverings