Your systems supplier for all pellet shapes

AERO / CENTRO / DUROEffi cient pellet drying technology for all applications

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Processes, systems and machines from Automatik Plastics Machinery are well known for economical production, fl exibility, and out-standing reliability. With an installed base of more than 8,000 pelletizing systems for both virgin polymer and compounding applications, the company helps its customers achieve the maximum level of profi tability. In many cases, the pellet cutting operation occurs underwater – in particular, with the USG strand pelletizing and SPHERO® underwater pelletizing systems. For these applications Automatik Plastics Machinery has developed three diff erent types of pellet dryers:

AERO impact dryersCENTRO centrifugal dryersDURO belt dryers

Thus the company is the only supplier in a position to provide impartial advice on the best drying solution to meet your exact needs.

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BASIC PRINCIPLE OF PELLET DRYING The drying operation as part of the pelletizing process consists of three individual steps:

1. Pre-dewatering: Up to 95 % of the process water is removed by gravitational force.

2. Primary drying: Water drops adhering to the pellets are largely removed through airfl ow or mechanical movement.

3. Final drying: The residual heat of the pellets is used to evapo-rate the remaining surface moisture.

The right solution for every pelletizing applicationDrying technology from Automatik Plastics Machinery

Name AERO impact dryers CENTRO centrifugal dryers DURO belt dryers

Type of pelletizing system USG USG or SPHERO® SPHERO®

Product applications All virgin polymers e.g. PET, PA, PMMA, PC

All compounds and virgin polymers Abrasive or sensitive compounds

Pre-dewatering Gravitational separation through a slotted screen

Primary drying Impact against curved screen sections as pellets are hurled through a bending fl ight channel

Impact of pellets against inner surface of cylindrical screen

Airfl ow (suction) through perforated conveyor belt

Pellet conveyance Pellets are hurled through the fl ight channel by blower-powered airfl ow

Pellets are lifted and hurled by a spinning rotor with inclined lifting blades

Pellets rest on conveyor belt

Final drying In downstream equipment, e.g. classifi er

Reverse fl ow of air as pellets are discharged (suction blower)

Evaporation section on conveyorbelt or spiral cooling conveyor

Maximum pellet throughput Up to 15,000 kg/h Up to 22,000 kg/h Up to 6,000 kg/h

Special features Very high specifi c blower power; no moving machine parts

Pneumatic interlock; low energy consumption; optimum access for cleaning

Suction at very high airspeed

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Pellet dryers AERO / CENTRO / DURO

View into AERO dryer showing pre-dewatering unit and curved screen

Cylindrical pellets

Three types of dryers to choose from:Impartial advice on the optimal and most cost-eff ective drying solution to meet your exact needsEverything from a single sourceAll machine parts coming into contact with the product are made of corrosion-resistant materials

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Wide range of operating capacities, from small quantities up to 22,000 kg/hFor virgin polymers and compounds, for cylindrical and spherical pellets, for pro-ducts with any fi llers or reinforcements, for standard size and micro pellets

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YOUR BENEFITS WITH OUR DRYING TECHNOLOGY

DURO dryer with SE suction unitView into CENTRO centrifugal dryer

SPHERO® pellets

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Gentle drying of plastic pelletsAERO impact dryers

The AERO dryer provides for gentle, low-impact separation of cooling water in connection with USG underwater strand pelleti-zing systems. The pellets are conveyed and dried without moving mechanical parts. Over several decades, many customers have valued the unique benefi ts of the AERO dryer, in particular for virgin polymer production – consistently high pellet quality, easy handling, and maximum operating availability.

FUNCTIONINGThe slurry of pellets in water moves from the cooling section into the integrated pre-dewatering deviceBlower-powered airfl ow moves the pellets fi rst through the pre-dewatering chute, then through a bending fl ight channel where they are hurled against three curved screens

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The remaining surface water evaporates using the residual heat of the pelletsA drop separator dewaters the exhaust airThe collected water is recirculated back to the process loop

YOUR ADVANTAGES WITH AEROVery gentle drying of the pelletsExtremely low residual surface moisture, depending on the polymer and its hygroscopic propertiesThe separated water is recirculated back into the process loop, thus reducing water consumptionFast and easy cleaningEnvironment-friendly dewatering of exhaust air

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Slotted screen for AERO 800 AERO dryers in a production facility

AERO 800 dryer for USG systems Functional diagram of an AERO dryer

AERO 800 impact dryer

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Pellet dryers AERO / CENTRO / DURO

Energy-effi cient drying with minimal required spaceCENTRO centrifugal dryers

The CENTRO series of dryers is suitable for use with both SPHERO® underwater pelletizing and USG underwater strand pelletizing systems. Well thought-out and highly accessible components, such as the core rotor device, serve to provide excellent operating cha racteristics and effi cient servicing. The extremely compact design combined with the clever idea of dismounting the rotor element through the opening of the dryer door make CENTRO the centrifugal dryer with the lowest space requirement on the market.

FUNCTIONINGAfter the great majority of process water has been separated in a pre-dewatering chute, the pellets are fed into the bottom of the CENTRO drying chamberThe spinning rotor with its inclined lifter blades drives the pellets in an upward spiral toward the pellet discharge openingThe adhering process water is hurled away and escapes outward through the cylindrical screen

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The combination of centrifugal force, airfl ow in the reverse direction, and the residual heat of the pellets reduce surface moisture to a minimum, depending on the polymer type and its hygroscopic characteristicsThe collected water is recirculated back to the process loop

YOUR ADVANTAGES WITH CENTROVery low energy consumptionCompact design with optimized access for cleaning and main-tenancePneumatic interlock of dryer doors for safe and easy servicingIntegrated pre-dewatering chute provided as standard equipmentEasy exchange of all parts subject to wear, e.g. rotor bladesCan be integrated into process water systems

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Functional diagram of a CENTRO dryer

CENTRO 150 integrated in a PWS process water system

Mounting the screen on a CENTRO 50

Easy access to the rotor for cleaning and servicing

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The best solution for abrasive or sensitive compoundsDURO belt dryers

DURO belt dryers are designed for direct connection to SPHERO® underwater pelletizing systems. Abrasive or brittle pellets, glass-fi ber reinforced materials, or compounds with high chalk compo-sitions can be dried gently and effi ciently using DURO, producing pellets with extremely low residual moisture. The small number of moving parts results in virtually no wear. The DURO belt dryer can be quickly and easily cleaned, making it particularly suitable for frequent product changeovers.

FUNCTIONINGThe slurry of pellets in water is fed through the pre-dewatering chute, which removes up to 95 % of the process waterThe pellets are evenly distributed onto the perforated conveyor beltSuction through the perforated belt at high airspeed removes surface water from the pelletsThe residual heat of the pellets assists in evaporation of the remaining surface moistureThe pellets may be further cooled in subsequent components, e.g. a spiral cooling conveyorThe collected water is recirculated back to the process loop

YOUR ADVANTAGES WITH DURONo movement of pellets against dryer components Lower production cost due to long life span of all parts coming into contact with pelletsExtremely gentle pellet handling ensures high product quality and keeps dust to a minimumReduced energy consumption, no additional heating required

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Functional diagram of a DURO dryer

DURO 500 belt dryer

DURO 500 with spiral conveyor in a production facility

DURO dryer in operation

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Pellet dryers AERO / CENTRO / DURO

Technical dataDrying technology from Automatik Plastics Machinery

AERO 500 AERO 500 AERO 800 AERO 1000

Throughput rates 4,000 kg/h 7,500 kg/h 10,000 kg/h 15,000 kg/h

Water throughput 20 m3/h 35 m3/h 40 m3/h 50 m3/h

Motor power (blower) 11 kW 18.5 kW 30 kW 2 × 18.5 kW

Air throughput 45 m3/min 90 m3/min 100 m3/min 2 × 90 m3/min

Operating pressure 800 daPa 800 daPa 1,000 daPa 800 daPa

The technical data depend on the polymer, pellet weight and pellet size.

DURO 500 DURO 1000 DURO 2000 DURO 3000 DURO 4000 DURO 6000

Throughput rates 500 kg/h 1,000 kg/h 2,000 kg/h 3,000 kg/h 4,000 kg/h 6,000 kg/h

Water throughput (using integrated pre-dewatering) 5 - 15 m3/h 15 - 25 m3/h 20 - 45 m3/h 25 - 45 m3/h 25 - 50 m3/h 30 - 80 m3/h

Motor power (conveyor belt) 1.1 kW 1.1 kW 1.1 kW 1.1 kW 1.1 kW 1.1 kW

Air throughput (suction) 20 m3/min 40 m3/min 60 m3/min 90 m3/min 125 m3/min 140 m3/min

Motor power (blower) 3 kW 7.5 kW 15 kW 18.5 kW 30 kW 37 kW

Pellet temperature 100 - 140 °C60 - 80 °C (with spiral conveyor)

LABORATORY FOR TRIALS AND DEVELOPMENTS AVAILABLEAutomatik Plastics Machinery has the largest and best-equipped pelletizing lab in the world. With four lines spread over 2,000 m2, we can replicate the production conditions specifi c to any compounding process and optimize the machine confi guration. We even have the only drop pelletizer available in any laboratory environment. Let us take the guesswork out of your process.

Part of the laboratory with three extrusion lines

CENTRO 50 CENTRO 150 CENTRO 300 CENTRO 800 CENTRO 1600 CENTRO 2200 CENTRO 4000

Throughput rates 500 kg/h 1.500 kg/h 3.000 kg/h 8.000 kg/h 16.000 kg/h 22.000 kg/h 40.000 kg/h

Water throughput (using integrated pre-dewatering) 20 m3/h 35 m3/h 45 m3/h 70 m3/h 120 m3/h 120 m3/h 250 m3/h

Motor power (rotor) 1,1 kW 4 kW 5,5 kW 7,5 kW 11 kW 15 kW 22 kW

Air throughput (blower) 10 m3/min 27 m3/min 27 m3/min 27 m3/min 74 m3/min 74 m3/min 125 m3/min

Motor power (blower) 0,13 kW 1,1 kW 1,1 kW 1,1 kW 3 kW 3 kW 5,5 kW

www.automatikgroup.com

Your systems supplier for all pellet shapes

Automatik Plastics Machinery GmbHOstring 19 · 63762 GrossostheimGermanyT + 49 6026 503 - 0F + 49 6026 503 - 109info@automatikgroup.com

Your partner worldwide, with offi ces in Brazil, China, Malaysia, Taiwan, USA, ...To fi nd our offi ce or representative nearest you, please visit www.automatikgroup.com.

The data and illustrations in this brochure refer to the date of printing. Automatik Plastics Machinery reserves the right to make any necessary changes at any time and without special notice. Machine designs, processes and innovations of Automatik Plastics Machinery are protected by patents.

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SPHERO® pellets Cylinders Droplets