Platt Polymer Technology Co., Ltd. (Bensheim, Germany) launched the Somos Perfoamer physical plastic foaming system at the Fakuma Plastics Industry Fair in Friedrichshafen, Germany last week. The system includes conditioning and impregnation units, which process the pellets and feed them directly into the injection molding machine. Hans Schnell, senior technical expert in projects and processing, said: "The successful development of the Perfoamer system has given plastic processors the advantages of the Plastinum foam injection molding process on an industrial scale, a process jointly developed by Linde and Kunstoff-Institut Lüdenscheid. "
The polymer pellets were dried and maintained at the optimum processing temperature in the conditioning unit, and then impregnated with CO2 in an adjacent autoclave. A PLC control system that is well compatible with Industry 4.0 projects ensures consistent process quality. The CO2-doped pellets are stored in a 250-liter tank and then transferred to an injection molding machine. The Perfoamer system is compatible with almost all injection molding machines.
Plastinum foam injection molding technology (basic version) was developed to combine the advantages of physical and chemical foaming. Linde said: "The technology is simple to install, requires little modification to the injection molding equipment, and costs 60% less than traditional physical foaming systems."
Most polymers, including bio-based and engineering-grade materials, purely sensitive thermoplastics, and composites, can be processed by the Somos Perfoamer system. According to ProTec, foaming can reduce the weight of a material by as much as 60%, but the exact situation depends on the type of material. The company added: "In addition, an increase in carbon dioxide content will lead to a decrease in polymer viscosity, which will improve melt fluidity and increase production efficiency."
ProTec polymer processing technology will provide plastics processing companies with material handling and recycling technology and LFT pultrusion lines.