Extrusion International 3-2026

34 Extrusion International 3/2026 COMPOUNDING More Quality, Less Energy – Eccentric Pelletizer EGR Optimized Coperion has optimized the EGR eccentric pelletizer for use with its two-stage Kombiplast compounding system, improving the system’s overall design, air supply, material conveying and pellet handling. In its new design, the EGR delivers signi cantly better pellet quality, particularly when processing temperature- and shear-sensitive plastics. In addition, Coperion has successfully reduced the pelletizing system's energy consumption. N ewsmart features alsomake the redesigned EGR easier to oper- ate compared to the previous mod- el. Heating the pelletizing system and carrying out product changes, including die plate exchange, can now be performed more quickly, in- creasing the compounder's overall equipment effectiveness (OEE). The EGR eccentric pelletizer con- nects seamlessly to Coperion’s two-stage Kombiplast compound- ing system. Coperion has speci - cally designed both technologies for manufacturing soft PVC, hard PVC, or HFFR formulations. Higher product quality and lower energy needs Processing and pelletizing tem- perature- and shear-sensitive plas- tics presents signi cant challenges for the compounding process. The material must be treated as gently as possible throughout the entire process to ensure consistently high pellet quality. Based upon comprehensive simu- lations and practical tests, Coperion has optimized the air supply system of the EGR pelletizer. As a result, pel- let conveying now takes place under considerably lower feed pressure, resulting in gentler handling of the material. The optimized conveying process not only improves product quality, but also effectively reduces the risk of agglomerate formation. These enhancements also deliver clear economic and environmental bene ts for operators. Compared with the previous model, the new EGR reduces energy consumption for material conveying by up to 75 percent. In addition to contribut- ing to lower operating costs, the improved ef ciency also results in a reduction of the CO 2 footprint. Increased machine availability Coperion has also redesigned the die plate heating system so that it can now be easily separated from the die plate. Die plate assembly and disassembly are now signi - cantly faster, an important advan- tage during recipe changes. At the same time, the pelletizer can be heated up much more quickly, mini- mizing delays in production. These enhancements have in- creased uptime for both the EGR as well as the entire compounding sys- tem, increasing the overall equip- ment effectiveness (OEE). Optimized handling The redesigned EGR pelletizer stands out in particular for its sim- pli ed handling. For operating personnel, work safety during die plate changes has been further enhanced. Moreover, a divided, pivoting pelletizer hood provides easier access to the EGR's knife blade, enabling faster, more pre- cise adjustments to the pelletizing knives which in turn improves cut quality. At the same time, the opti- mized design simpli es both main - tenance and service operations, reducing the time required for rou- The redesigned Coperion EGR eccentric pelletizing system achieves higher compound quality and signi cant energy savings in the manufacture of temperature- and shear- sensitive plastics (Photo: Coperion, Stuttgart Germany)