The situation a good year after the product launch is encouraging: the PET Laserfilter has already been sold a number of times in the inline sheet, strapping and pelletising sectors. More and more processors find the smooth handling of PET melts with degrees of contamination over one per cent, stable pressure consistency and particularly long screen service life convincing. Interested processors can test their own material on the demonstration inline sheet system of Erema and Amut in Novara, Italy, from the end of May and experience the PET Laserfilter live in action.After more than twenty years of the Erema Laserfilter being used in polyolefin recycling it was modified accordingly for the PET sector and presented just over a year ago. The Laserfilter is now being used more and more rather than the piston filter particularly in the direct processing of PET flakes to make semi-finished or end products. Robert Obermayr, head of the Erema business unit Powerfil, attributes this to the higher process stability through constant pressure operation. Whereas the maximum level of contamination which can be handled by a piston filter lies between 0.05 to 0.1 per cent, the Laserfilter processes input material with a degree of contamination of over 1 per cent. "With regard to the increasing contamination in post-consumer materials this means greater flexibility with the input materials," says Obermayr.
Customers also appreciate the quality and process benefits of the Laserfilter due to the long screen service life from five to twelve weeks. The daily screen change by the operator which is necessary with a piston screen changer is no longer required and this drastically reduces the risk of operating error. Another benefit of the Laserfilter is that the flow-oriented working principle avoids the formation of 'black spots'. The user also benefits from the lower melt losses which is achieved thanks to the newly developed discharge unit. Whereas the normal figure for piston filters is 1 to 2 per cent, with the Laserfilter it is just a fraction of this.
Live PET Laserfilter test
A new demonstration inline sheet facility - including PET Laserfilter – will be available for customer trials at the Amut headquarters in Novara from the end of May. The post-consumer flakes will be processed in the new demonstration facility - a direct combination of Vacurema technology and the AMUT inline sheet plant - in a single process to make food contact grade thermoforming sheet. The launch will be celebrated at an Open House from 28 to 31 May. A free shuttle service between the trade fair in Milan and the Amut headquarters in Novara will be available for Plast Milan attendees from 29 to 31 May.Source: Erema
