NEW VACUUM PYROLISIS

CLEANING SYSTEM

 

One of the UK’s leading suppliers of injection moulded medical parts, has recently commissioned a vacuum pyrolisis cleaning system for the removal of polymer from contaminated moulding machine hardware, including screws, hot runner manifolds and nozzles. For a long time they had recognized the advantages of thermal cleaning by sub contracting their work to Clayton Thermal Processes Limited (CTPL) and as the workload and quality demands increased it was decided to install their own dedicated cleaning system. They chose a Schwing VacuClean 354T vacuum pyrolisis furnace, which was purchased from CTPL and supplied by Schwing Fluid Technik GmbH in Germany.

 

The VacuClean 354 is the first unit to be installed in the UK, since its introduction last year and is one of 3 units sold by CTPL in 2008. The furnace has a usable chamber size of 3.23 metres x 0.53 metre x 0.43 metre, has a load capacity of 1,250 kilograms and is capable of cleaning screws up to 3 metres in length.  .

 

The majority of the contaminating polymer is melted from components whilst the Solvo unit is heated under vacuum conditions. At higher temperatures the residual polymer is converted to carbon and then to gaseous phase. The waste gas is cleaned and cooled by passing through an integrated catalytic converter and then through a water-cooling system. The resultant waste gas is free from contaminants and can be exhausted without infringing environmental emission regulations. The wastewater is perfectly safe to dispose to sewer.

 

Emission levels achieved by the system are among the lowest in Europe for such equipment and safely meet the requirements of the latest UK environmental emission legislation.

 

To stay ahead of the competition, they needed to minimise the time between tool changes, which are necessary to accommodate product change or colour change. Using the VacuClean system enables them to clean tooling and return it to production in a matter of hours. The level of cleanliness after cleaning in the VacuClean system enables them to maintain the highest product quality, reducing the risk of black specks or other product contamination after a tool change.

 

Clayton Thermal Processes Ltd markets a full range of thermal cleaning and heat treatment equipment including fluidised beds, ovens and vacuum pyrolisis furnaces as well as offering a contract cleaning and heat treatment service from its works in the West Midlands.

 

Clayton Thermal Processes and Schwing Fluid Technik will be exhibiting at Interplas 2008, September 30^th to October 2^nd, see us in Hall 4, Stand H155.