Efficient powder coating manufacturing with the use of twin screw extruders from Coperion

KANSAI HELIOS Group has just upgraded its production facilities at two locations – Helios Coatings Italia and Helios Coatings Deutschland – using a Coperion twin screw extruder at each site. Two ZSK Mv PLUS extruders with 43 mm screw diameters for powder coating production were installed practically concurrently, one at the Riese Pio X location in the Venice region of Italy and the other at the Buchholz, Germany site. Due to its very high dispersion performance and its suitability to a very broad range of recipes the Coperion ZSK extruders fulfill very high-quality requirements, flexible options when manufacturing powder coatings and ensure efficient operation.

Bine Pangršič, Managing Director of Helios Coatings Italia:

»Coperion is a long lasting and loyal partner of the KANSAI HELIOS Group, and we are honored and proud to celebrate our partnership with every such transaction. Our Italian facility is in the middle of an intensive investment cycle, and it represents only one piece of the puzzle in the project of develop new modernized state-of-the art powder production facility where there will be only space for smart, technologically advanced, and efficient production equipment such as installed ZSK extruder, to satisfy future demands of our customers.«

Twin screw extruders for the demands of tomorrow

With these two ZSK twin screw extruders, KANSAI HELIOS is deliberately expanding its powder coating production around a technology that has built in flexibility for future challenges. ZSK extruders’ speed, residence time and throughput can be modified quickly and individually for the requirements of new powder coating recipes.

Coperion’s ZSK Mv PLUS twin screw extruders have already been used successfully for manufacturing high-quality powder coatings for many years. Recipes with high filler content are intensively dispersed while still being gently handled. Distribution of individual raw materials in the powder coating premix proceeds very reliably and homogeneously. The result is a very high-quality powder coating.

Increasing efficiency through smart features

Coperion has equipped the ZSK 43 MV PLUS extruders for KANSAI HELIOS with a number of smart features to simplify machine operation. Both twin screw extruders are operated using the new, user-optimized CSpro control system. Complexity of its user interface is greatly reduced in comparison to previous versions, without losing any well-known functionalities and it can be operated intuitively by touch. Information can be inserted on demand. The risk of possible operator error is markedly reduced, thus increasing the ZSK extrusion equipment’s efficiency.

Additionally, both of KANSAI HELIOS’ ZSK extruders have been equipped with electronically secured maintenance doors at the gearbox lantern. The screw shaft coupling can be accessed safely and quickly, leading, for example, to a clear reduction in downtime during machine maintenance and a resulting increase in the machine’s efficiency.