Berstorff launches new laboratory extruder

5 October 2006

German company Berstorff GmbH has introduced the ZE 25 UTX Ultra-Glide twin-screw extruder. The company says that this laboratory extruder is especially suited for basic research applications as well as for recipe development, for example, for engineering plastics and polyolefins, masterbatch production or reactive extrusion. Due to its solid design, Berstorff adds that the ZE 25 UTX can also be used as an economically efficient alternative for small batch production achieving throughput rates between 20 and 150 kg/h. 

According to the company, the Ultra-Glide version offers particular advantages in these applications. Due to the fact that it has a separate electric motor, the extruder screws can be fully or partially moved out of the barrel and just as easily inserted back again. This operation takes less than one minute with ancillary equipment, for example dosing units or downstream groups, remaining untouched. The company says that this makes the ZE 25 UTX Ultra-Glide an ideal machine for research applications and product development. At any given time, the current state of the melting degree as well as of the dispersive and distributive process steps can be checked quickly and exactly. Precise practical observations of this type provide an optimum basis for process simulation.

Berstorff adds that the advantages of the Ultra-Glide version are also important for small batch production, with throughput rates of up to 150 kg/h, when frequent recipe changes require easy cleaning and quick changes of the screws.