SML Maschinengesellschaft mbH, an extrusion machinery supplier based in Austria, held the SML Innovation Days 2012 from November 13-15 at its headquarters that attracted over 250 participants worldwide.
On the first day, the company presented a rPET sheet line with a conical twin screw extruder for thermoformable sheet and a new drying and flake treatment system using infrared radiation inside a vacuum vessel, which apart from drying and crystallization, is able to quickly increase the intrinsic viscosity of low quality post-consumer PET bottle flakes.
On the second Innovation Day, the focus was on a multifunctional cast film line with an integrated MDO unit for a large range of different film products such as polyolefin and polyester films with or without barrier layers, either non-oriented or mono-oriented. The line was shown running a 20 micron MOPET film with good properties.
SML says the line not only incorporates a new generation of extruders for thermo sensitive polymers such as EVOH and resins for tie, peel and seal layers, but also a brand-new cast film winder with full inline slitting capabilities, designed for large roll diameters, scrap-free roll transfers and a capability to switch between clockwise and counter-clockwise winding directions.
The Innovation Days then concluded on the third day with the unveiling of the TOPsheet line, a special cast film extrusion line producing vacuum perforated aperture film which is used as the skin touching inside layer in adult diapers and feminine care products.
SML’s CEO Karl Stöger comments on the future, “We see clear opportunities to enter new markets with these technologies and we are confident that in the future we will be able to maintain our innovative approach, which to date has proved so successful.”
