Processors who face problems with difficult regrind materials, can now opt for a new development that will not only improve material flow and mixing characteristics but also enables higher percentage regrind processing while eliminating material throat blockages. New Auxiliary Equipment / TSM Control Systems offer plastics producer’s new ways to weather the economic storm and improve their profit margins. The new technology focuses on combining standard processing requirements; accurate dosing and homogeneous material mixing, with a third critical component when processing regrind and flake materials: material head pressure. This new downforce amplifier developed and patented by TSM offers further downward head pressure to the existing cramming action created by the patented reverse flight auger which TSM offer on each of its batch blender range. The downforce amplifier ensures that material throughput and hence production speed can be maximized when processing difficult regrind materials. This patented technological advance allows the processing of even the most difficult flake regrinds by being able to cram materials into the throat of the extruder eliminating variations in flow due to bulk density variations. TSM now have a unique solution for difficult regrind materials combining their new downforce amplifier with their existing patented reverse flight auger mixer, guaranteeing homogenous mixing, regardless of regrind percentages, material density or material geometry while cramming mixed material into the throat of the extruder. Another TSM technology focuses on reducing production down time during order changes, reducing labor costs through cleaning automation, reducing raw material usage and avoiding unnecessary excess energy costs of scrap material reprocessing. TSM has recognized that reducing production costs will be essential to ensure the long-term sustainability of many plastics producers. The TSM AUTO-CLEANTM available on TSM’s new OPTI-MIXTM range of gravimetric blenders, provide real options for plastics processers to cut production costs and survive. Processors can now reduce their virgin material usage with more accurate mixing and use more regrinds without the additional costs of having to re-pelletize materials with Opti-MixTM technology. The technology allows processors to reduce their raw material usage by increasing their regrind processing capability, while improving product quality. This unique mixing technique virtually eliminates variations due to bulk density by delivering consistent homogeneous mixing of materials of all densities. The mixing auger also creates a downward force to cram difficult regrind materials through the throat of the processing machine. The Auto-CleanTM allows the entire Opti-MixTM blender to be automatically cleaned from floor level. The system automatically cleans the blender from the vacuum receiver to machine throat reducing production downtime and labor costs. The completely new Auto-CleanTM allows fast automatic order changes and avoids any unnecessary safety risks associated with employees reaching elevated machines. Kongskilde has developed a new system for combined conveying and cleaning of plastic regrind materials by cleaning it effectively from dust and light particles. The system reduces the processing costs and increases the value of the raw material. The new system, which conveys and de-dusts up to 900 kg of plastic material per hour, is called Air Wash- a new system with new approach, designed for combined conveying and cleaning plastic regrind materials. It uses two-step cleaning in order to gain high efficiency. The system has a heavy blower, which is used for conveying the plastic regrind materials from e.g. a granulator to the special Air Wash cyclone, in which high percentage of the dust and light particles are removed from the material. While dust is conveyed through the top of the cyclone to e.g. a filter, the cleaned material (regrind) leaves the Air Wash system through a rotary valve mounted directly under the cyclone. After the rotary valve, the material passes through a system of cascades for further cleaning, thus ensuring very high efficiency. After this two-step separation process, the material is ready to be conveyed into the production process. The light particles, dust and strips being cleaned from the plastic material are blown to a dustproof container, while the conveying air leaves the system through a filter (accessory). The Air Wash system provides benefits of improved quality of the recycled material, a more clean production environment, less maintenance, reduced process costs and environmental advantages of reuse. The new Air Wash series is available as a modular solution making it possible to install it in an existing production flow.