The company Oceplast (France) recently commissioned a complete WPC direct extrusion line from KraussMaffei Berstorff. Oceplast, founder of the OCEWOOD trademark, is one of the leading PVC processors in France and produces various WPC decking profiles. The special feature of this line is the single-step process which permits direct metering of the two components, i.e. wood and PVC. A two-component gravimetric system transports wood flour and PVC dryblend into a dynamic mixer which feeds the homogenized material mixture directly into the extruder. The complex compounding process using a heating-cooling mixer is therefore not required. The processor saves production space and energy since the wood flour is already pre-dried.
Another main features is the very high wear resistance of the twin-screw extruders. The screws have tungsten carbide armor plating while the barrels are lined with a bi-metal bushing. The core component of the line is a KMD 75-32/WPC twin-screw extruder with a maximum output of up to 200 kg/h. Other line components, for example the calibration table, the haul-off/saw combination and the tilting table, are designed for processing extra wide profiles.
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WPC decking profiles in end use (photo: KraussMaffei Berstorff)
