Giorgio Santella
Papers # 2016 Berlin
The presentation focuses on the latest system solutions in storage, blending and feeding of main materials and additives, featuring the three main advantages that guarantee a continuous and profitable production of plastic pipes: flexibility, reliability and automation. The main element of modern design to obtain flexibility of solutions, is the ability to engineer the system so to have it fit within predetermined and minimized spaces. Reliability is expressed in the degree of accuracy of proportions amongst the various ingredients to blend, combined with the ATEX solutions today required to isolate, vent, secure, detect potentially explosive agents. Automation is the integration of all processing parameters into a main control fit for the purpose.
The technological innovation of the latest years has primarily focused on optimizing process control and machinery reliability. The obtainment of a profitable condition of plastic pipe production is today guaranteed when the technological solution adopted features three basic characteristics: flexibility, reliability and automation.
Flexibility in modern design is obtained by 1. the ability to configure the solution within the building layout and minimized space requirement. 2. the selection of the most suitable technology, continuous Vs. batch blend preparation, to widen the opportunity of determining the most adequate system design. 3. feeding to the production lines, that by itself presents interesting design advances, particularly related to whether to use pneumatic or mechanical means of conveyance.
Reliability is expressed in the degree of accuracy of proportions amongst the various ingredients to blend, combined with the ATEX solutions today required to isolate, vent, secure, detect potentially explosive agents.
Automation is the integration of all processing parameters into a main control fit for the purpose. A PLC based control capable of managing all storage needs, tracking of raw materials, recipe archive for ingredient combinations, historical data for production lot tracing, barcode reading/production for immediate handling of both materials intake and finished product outgoing.
These innovations contribute to increasing the efficiency of production, and feature improved design, innovative technologies and high performance components, which translate into concrete advantages for the user.