Twin-screw compounder drives innovation in automotive market
Luxus, a recycler of innovative technical polymers, has just taken delivery of a twin screw compounding line from Coperion. The company states this latest investment will enable it to move into the next stage of the construction of its new £600k state-of-the-art Technical Centre, opening in February 2013 at its Lincolnshire-based manufacturing site.
The new research and development line comprises of a twin screw extruder from the Coperion STS Series, a Brabender loss-in-weight feeding system, a Reiter Strand Pelletiser and specific Luxus engineering designs to bring together the technologies for its needs.
Terry Burton, Technical Manager at Luxus, explained: “In our new Technical Centre the twin screw compounder will create polymer formulations for the test development stages of various materials such as PC, PC/ABS, ABS, PA in addition to standard PP and PE. The line will also be used to achieve process and product optimisation when compounding our existing products too.
“Luxus’ specialist interior automotive business in particular will benefit from the new line. Client samples will be processed on the machine and then increased to full-scale production in just a single rapid step. We’ll also formulate for higher performance polymers too. So in 2013 we fully expect our share of the global automotive market to markedly increase.
“We see the Technical Centre as an extension of our clients’ materials testing capabilities and as a service for those that simply don’t have an in-house laboratory, offering both bespoke and niche highly specified solutions on request.
“We’re also working with compounds from increasingly complex waste streams to make them into useable materials to help the UK plastics sector to meet its goal of zero landfill. The extruder system we are convinced therefore will help us satisfy demands in the processing of new materials to the highest possible extent, creating highly innovative sustainable polymers.”
Luxus claims to be the first and only UK based independent recycling company to create interior trims for the automotive market. Purchasing the extruder has been a major investment for Luxus, helping to both secure its future and continue its tradition of innovation.