High reliability and ease of operation are crucial for extrusion line equipment to minimize costly reject and unexpected stops. A 'maintenance-free' design concept significantly enhances extruder reliability and reduces operational costs.
Unexpected stops related to extruder failures are particularly costly. Leaving out fluids, pumps, and seals as much as possible in the design greatly lowers the risk of such failures.
Replacing DC motors with AC motors lowers both maintenance costs and energy costs.
A well-balanced screw design contributes to a 'maintenance-free' concept by allowing operation with minimal cooling, sufficient for processing. This reduces reliance on complex cooling systems. For double screw extruders, leaving out cooling holes for external screw cooling in the screw shafts allows for increased torque and potentially higher output, as this reduces points of failure.
Modern electronic controls improve reliability and ease of use. Controls based on familiar concepts like Windows reduce training requirements for operators. Visualisation of machine settings on screen provides automatic checks, reducing mistakes and reliance on manual administration/registering. Tools like scanners integrated into control screens allow operators to make adjustments directly, reducing frustration and dependence on specialists.