Newest Co-rotating Twin Screw Extruder Includes Complete QC3TM (Quick-Change, Quick-Clean, and Quality Control) Capabilities
ENTEK has introduced its newest co-rotating twin-screw extruder, the QC3-33MM.
The new QC3 -33MM co-rotating twin-screw extruder is a new size not previously offered by the company. It is designed for small-size lots of compounds and includes all of the company’s latest QC3TM (Quick-Change, Quick-Clean, and Quality Control) features. These features were originally introduced on the ENTEK QC3-43MM co-rotating twin-screw extruder that the company launched at NPE 2015 in Orlando, FL.
The new QC3-33MM joins ENTEK’s other QC3TMmodels which include its 27MM, 43MM, and 53MM co-rotating twin-screw extruders. ENTEK also manufactures 73MM, 103MM, and 133MM models.
Meeting Customers’ Needs
ENTEK launched this new twin-screw extruder due to customer demands for this specific sized machine. “Our 27MM twin-screw extruder is excellent for lab environments, and our 43MM is designed for small to medium-sized lots of compounds,” said Dr. Kirk Hanawalt, President of ENTEK Extruders. “We were getting a lot of requests from customers for something in-between – a machine specifically designed for small lots, but with more output than the lab machine.”
Like the ENTEK QC3-27MM, 43MM and 53MM twin-screw extruders, the new QC3-33MM includes a wide range of Quick-Change, Quick-Clean, and Quality Control features. ENTEK worked closely with its customers to identify specific needs and used lean principles to deliver a machine that provides important benefits to compounders.
New mechanical design features being incorporated into the ENTEK QC3-33MM co-rotating twin-screw extruder are numerous, some of which include:
– Self-aligning and keyed screw-gearbox couplings (patent pending) to facilitate fast and fool-proof installation of screws
– Lock and key feature on splined shafts to prevent screw timing errors
– Conveniently located gauges for quick monitoring of lube and cooling system running conditions
– Quick change strand die
– Robust barrel shroud that is easy to remove
– Tip wrench – able to remove tips with screws in the extruder
– Optional air tool & air connection mounted on machine
– Tool holders for keeping tools organized, visible and located close to point of use
– Enhanced controls, offering the best steady-state performance possible, and featuring software that keeps the machine running except when the operating conditions exceed clearly defined customer-specified limits or when the safety of the operator or the equipment is in jeopardy.
QC3™ Features and Benefits
‘QC3™’ stands for Quick Change, Quick Clean, and Quality Control, and represents features that provide important benefits to compounders:
-Quick Change: allows for fast, easy screw-set changeovers. New self-alignment feature takes the worry out of installing the screws into couplings. Guards come off quickly, and go back on the same way. Tools for changeover and maintenance are mounted at point-of-use on the extruder.
-Quick Clean: New extruder frame design deflects dust and keeps machine clean under the hood, and Stainless Steel and powder-coated surfaces look great today and 10 years from now.
-Quality Control: All QC3™ twin-screw extruders are engineered and built at ENTEK’s headquarters in Lebanon, Oregon U.S.A. Top-quality components manufactured here in ENTEK’s shop give years of top-quality performance. Because ENTEK is a processor and a machinery builder, it features vertically integrated operations and has engineering and manufacturing capabilities that are second to none in the twin-screw extrusion market.
-Ease of Use: SMART controls feature enhanced graphics, recipe system, trending software, and web-based connectivity for remote troubleshooting.
Contact ENTEK today for more information on the new QC3-33MM Twin-Screw Extruder!