Plastic is often seen as the manufacturer of the problem rather than a solution to the problem, such as marine litter, however, the beneficial use of plastic products and their recycling problems are hard to reach in the public arena.
In fact, plastic is a valuable resource that can be recycled in many cases, but the potential of plastic recycling has not yet been completely developed.On the other hand, plastic products made from recycled plastic often face the problem of end-consumers Accept the question.
In the summer of 2017, the VDMA Plastics and Rubber Machinery Association and its member companies in Germany started to include the topic "How Plastics and Rubber Machinery Can Make a Significant Contribution to a Circular Economy." During the Fakuma 2017, VDMA Plastics and Rubber Machinery Association visited Germany Several equipment manufacturers such as EREMA, KraussMaffei Berstorff, WITTMANN BATTENFELD and Sumitomo Demag inquired about the recycling economy approach they took and the implications of a recycling economy for them.
In the spirit of Blue Competence, a sustainability initiative, manufacturers of plastics and rubber machinery address the importance of resource conservation, with the goal of not only serious material handling but also their customers, processors Provide economically attractive technical solutions.
Thorsten Kühmann, managing director of VDMA, explains: 'In our view, the recycling economy has begun to be reflected in efficient production, which involves not only material savings but also efficient use of energy. Fakuma offers great opportunities for specific applications in terms of economic success, by demonstrating not only to prove which plastics have been recycled, but also to prove that today's high quality products can be made from recycled plastic.
Optimize the process through dialogue and holistic negotiation
Manfred Hackl, EREMA Group CEO, said: "I prefer to compare the plastics industry's effective recycling economy to interconnected gear, and from product design through the end of production it is possible to integrate recycle into the existing Therefore, for the EREMA Group, we can not give up the necessary active exchange.As the core competitiveness of EREMA, the extrusion process can neither be separated from the sorting or washing, can not be separated from the use of recycled materials The final product you want. "Hackl believes some political initiatives, such as the EU's recycling economy package, brand leadership and initiatives such as the Ellen MacArthur initiative, are key drivers in bringing the concept of a recycling economy to the plastic industry.
At Fakuma, EREMA highlights technologies aimed at improving the quality of recycled materials, with recent developments relating to improved filtration and odor, as well as the addition of intelligent applications.Facing the future, EREMA will optimize its production processes through holistic negotiations to achieve plastics Maximizing Added Value From the initial concept to the plant, EREMA will advise customers in need of a custom recycling solution that will play an increasingly important role in automation, process optimization and traceability.
Recycled material is made into high-quality remix for high-end applications
At Fakuma, KraussMaffei Berstorff showed how to convert recycled plastic waste into high-end application remixes, which showcased the processing of recycled polyethylene and polypropylene scrap remix These materials can be landfill waste, it can be a homogeneous DSD waste.
Carl-Philip Pöpel, Head of Product Management, KraussMaffei-Berstorff Twin-Screw Extruder, explains the advantages of this new technology: 'Up to now, two separate extrusion equipment , Now it takes only one step to complete.We have eliminated the intermediate regrind granulation step, which not only reduces the energy costs but also reduces the thermal effects because we only melt the recycled feed one time, which is why we can do this for the high end Applications Produce high quality remixes. '
Minimize resources into the plastic processing cycle
In the plastics industry, recycling is as important as a successful recycling economy! Often it is worth reviewing the manufacturing process of plastic products, says Georg Tinschert, CEO of WITTMANN BATTENFELD, a maker of injection molding machines: "As a machine builder, , We see ourselves as a part of the entire circular economy and we think our main contribution is to devote as little energy as possible to the production cycle to ensure that as much raw material is saved as possible in production. To solve these problems, WITTMANN BATTENFELD applies state-of-the-art drive technology to its equipment and comes standard with electric or servo hydraulics to ensure that as little energy as possible is used. "By further applying our intelligent control technology, this The effect can also be enhanced as this technology allows the braking released in the machine to be recycled. "In addition, WITTMANN BATTENFELD also offers technologies that help to reduce the amount of material used, such as thin-walled components , Or gas to replace part of the plastic gas-assisted injection molding technology.
Process stability, less waste and high equipment utilization
The injection molding machine maker Sumitomo Demag has also made clear its commitment to effective drive technology and low material usage. "We achieved an excellent energy balance with our new generation of electric injection molding machines." Sumitomo Corporation Gerd Liebig, CEO of Mago Executive Committee, explains: "Not only that, the high-precision manufacturing process allows the production of complex technical parts with lower scrap."
For many years, Sumitomo Demag has been actively responding to VDMA's Blue Competence initiative. 'We believe the concept of Circular Economy is a good source of motivation for more sustainable development. Our customers and our clients' customers throughout the value chain , It is becoming increasingly important to include the production process in sustainability discussions. "Liebig said," As a supplier of equipment, we can also make our machine perfect for machining by seeking the customer's needs for recycled materials Different kinds of materials help to change the image of the plastic.
In addition, Sumitomo Demag highlighted the importance of increased equipment utilization: fewer downtime and maintenance means less need for localized services, which also helps save resources.