FKuR starts operation of a new compounding line from KraussMaffee

FKuR Kunststoff GmbH in Willich, Germany, has started to operate an additional line for the production of biopolymers delivered by Hannover-based KraussMaffei Berstorff. This is the third compounding line the producer of biodegradable and biobased polymer compounds has bought from KraussMaffei Berstorff. The renowned machine manufacturer has already sold a total of ten customized lines in this growth market.

"Thanks to the fact that biopolymers are biodegradable and/or made of renewable primary products, they have firmly established themselves in the market over the last few years", explains Lars Darnedde who is responsible for process engineering in the field of biopolymer compounding and processing at KraussMaffei Berstorff. "The global production of biopolymers increased from 249 kt in 2009 to about 1,160 kt in 2011 and experts expect the figure to quintuple to about 5,780 kt by 2016", adds Lars Darnedde. The most common bioplastics are bio PE and PET as well as starch and PLA blends.

The biopolymer expert FKuR is one of the pioneers in the field of biopolymer compounding at international level. In close co-operation with the Oberhausen-based Fraunhofer Institute UMSICHT, FKuR has developed a wide range of biodegradable and/or biobased compounds. The company already uses two extrusion lines, each equipped with a KraussMaffei Berstorff ZE 50 UTXi twin-screw extruder for the development and production of these special polymers. In view of the increasing market demand, FKuR has now purchased a third line, that is equipped with a ZE 75 R UTXi and designed for output rates of up to 1,000 kg/h.

KraussMaffei Berstorff has supplied FKuR with a perfectly tailored package solution - starting from material metering, customized compounding section up to the sacking system including platform. In addition to the well-known twin-screw extruder benefits - i.e. excellent homogenization and careful plasticizing – the R-series twin-screw extruder used in this case features a large free screw volume. This ensures reliable feeding of the powdered starting materials and subsequent compounding with high output rates of up to 1,000 kg/h in biopolymer production. The new and highly flexible line is designed for processing a wide range of different formulations with variable filler contents. These materials are mainly used for all types of flexible film and sheet, i.e. agricultural, household and hygiene film as well as for thermoformed and injection-molded products.