BB Engineering Commissions its First 360 mm PET Single-Screw Extruder

With the successful commissioning of two single-screw extruders with a screw diameter of 360 mm, BB Engineering (Germany) has set a new benchmark: single-screws for processing PET in this size have not been available on the market until now. The systems were recently commissioned at a Chinese customer's site and form the heart of modern BO-PET film lines from Brückner to produce optical films that meet the highest quality requirements.

The newly developed extruders feature a performance-optimized barrier-screw design that enables throughputs of up to 5,400 kg/h.

With a screw length of 11.5 m and a diameter of 360 mm, manufacturing and transport posed special technical and logistical challenges that were successfully overcome. The total weight of the extruder is more than 46 t and its length of over 14 m underline the impressive dimensions of this new machine class. Two powerful, energy-efficient, water-cooled motors, each with an output of 700 kW, are used to drive the extruder.

With this extruder size, BB Engineering has achieved a technological milestone in PET processing. The 360 mm extruders open up additional possibilities for applications in the high-performance segment and underscore the company's strong position in the international market for extrusion technology.