The increased use of recyclates and raw materials from different sources makes it much more challenging to keep extrusion processes under control. The inline viscometer Visco-P from Promix Solutions can help to stabilize and monitor the extrusion process at the same time. But when is the right time to monitor the quality of the product? Before the process, the quality of the raw material can be assessed and approved or blocked by means of random samples. A 100% inspection of finished products is difficult, expensive and ultimately too late, as the defect can often no longer be rectified. This leads to additional costs and possibly to the re-production of an entire series.
During the process, characteristic values such as melt pressure, melt temperature, extruder speed, layer thicknesses and similar parameters are recorded and evaluated as required. However, the actual material properties, which can change due to material composition, additive and color content, temperature, pressure and shear, are not measured and therefore cannot be used for quality assurance.
The inline viscometer Visco-P from Promix-Solutions is helpful for quality in extrusion in two ways. Firstly, the installed measuring module homogenizes the polymer melt and secondly, it measures the actual viscosity of the entire melt under process conditions and in real time.
The Promix measuring modules, which are specially adapted to the process, homogenize the melt including the additives and colors added. Of course, this also applies to mixtures of virgin material, B-goods, recyclates and regranulates. Another side effect is the homogenization of the temperature across the pipe cross-section. All of these effects result in a more uniform end product and can lead to savings in color or additive dosing.