The new MAX³ High Intake Feed system for Baker Perkins’ range of MP powder coating extruders can lead to a throughput increase of up to 30%. A patent has been applied for this new development, which can be retrofitted to existing machines.

 

MAX³ addresses the restricted output and torque surges caused by material building up in the extruder feed port. This happens when particles hit the intake screws and ‘bounce’ back into the infeed area, rather than flowing into the machine. As the material trapped in the infeed area builds up, it becomes progressively more difficult for air to escape, which reduces even further the flow of material into the extruder barrel. The torque load increases until either the blockage clears - and the cycle repeats - or the machine cuts out.

 

The most common way of dealing with the problem is to reduce the feed rate of material into the extruder: but this leads to lower output. Baker Perkins’ solution was to re-design the feed port and screws to improve the flow of material into the extruder barrel and the air out of it. The extruder is still ‘starve fed’, but at a higher rate.

 

Trials in several customer factories have shown a throughput increase of up to 30%, depending on the formulation being used.

A major benefit is that lightweight, low density materials and fines are handled much more efficiently, eliminating the need for side feeding. This reduces capital cost, floor space and running costs: side feeding forces product into the screws causing high levels of wear.

 

The new system can be retrofitted to top-feeding machines and side-fed machines can be converted to top feeding.

 

The MAX³ is available with MP30, 40, 50, 65 and 80 barrel diameter machines; and also the MPX24 Integra laboratory and small batch machine.

 

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