IPCO

Rotoform granulation for high quality, free-flowing pastilles

IPCO’s Rotoform system is used to convert chemical melts into free flowing, uniform pastilles for easy storage, transportation, dosing and mixing. Applications include the high productivity solidification of products as varied as resins, hot melts, waxes, fatty chemicals, antioxidants and fine chemicals.
The Rotoform delivers pastilles of highly uniform shape, stability and quality – properties that can be reproduced again and again – in an environmentally friendly manner.
A high degree of versatility enables products of different viscosities to be processed or pastilles of different sizes to be produced simply by exchanging the rotary shell and nozzle bar.

How the Rotoform System works

A pump delivers the molten product from a vessel or pit to the Rotoform system via heated piping.
The Rotoform itself consists of a heated cylindrical stator – which is supplied with liquid product – and a perforated rotating shell that turns concentrically around the stator. The nozzle bar deposits drops of the product across the whole operating width of a continuously running stainless steel belt.
A system of baffles and internal nozzles built into the stator provides uniform pressure across the whole belt width, providing an even flow through all holes of the perforated rotary shell. This ensures that all pastilles are of uniform size, from one edge of the belt to the other.
The circumferential speed of the Rotoform is synchronized with the speed of the belt to ensure that drops are deposited without deformation. Heat released during solidification and cooling is transferred via the steel belt to cooling water sprayed underneath. This water is collected in tanks and returned to the water recooling system; at no stage does it come into contact with the product.
After the drop has been deposited onto the steel belt, some product could stick to the outer shell. A heated refeed bar forces this product back into the Rotoform and keeps the outer shell clean.

Key benefits of Rotoform-based solidification

• Pastilles solidified directly from the melt, eliminating the energy and equipment costs associated with subsequent crushing, breaking or grinding processes.
• Pastilles are of a highly uniform shape and stability with virtually no dust.
• Pastilles are free flowing and ideal for handling, blending, storage and further processing.
• Higher bulk density and better packing properties than bulky flakes.
• Environmentally friendly production as cooling media (water) and product are kept apart – no possibility of cross-contamination.
• Short cooling time, so very little vapour or gas can get into the atmosphere and little oxygen can penetrate the product.
• Melts with widely varying properties can be handled including viscosities from 10 to 40,000 mPas and temperatures up to 300 °C.
• Pastilles can be produced with diameters from 0.8-36 mm.

Versatile granulation process

• The Rotoform system offers exceptional flexibility and can handle a wide range of viscosities and produce pastilles in a variety of different sizes. Accurate control of cooling temperature/timing profiles ensures a high quality end product. And the system’s design enables quick and easy switchover from one product to another, or from one pastille size to another. Following are some examples:
• Oleochemicals: these vary widely in their application, from use as detergents, rubber additives, lubricants, food additives and surfactants to intermediates for cosmetics and pharmaceuticals.
• Waxes: applications range from high gloss paints to nail varnish.
• Resins: efficient and economical processes suitable for all resin products (pure/modified, unfilled/with filling materials) including sensitive products requiring zoned cooling
• Hot melts: completely dry system with none of the problems associated with underwater granulation: the product leaves the system in a cold, solidified (i.e. non-sticky) state, ensuring clean, trouble-free packaging.

IPCO presents the new Rotoform HP (High Performance). The Rotoform HP rotary depositing system is built on the proven strengths of our Rotoform 4G but brings particular benefits to the challenge of processing of high viscosity products at high volumes.
 
The key difference between this and our standard 4G model is a modified product distribution channel coupled with an increased outer shell diameter. This enables increased efficiency in terms of even and consistent distribution of the melt across the full width of the steel belt cooler, ensuring maximum pastille uniformity.
 
This is particularly beneficial in terms of high capacity processing of high viscosity products such as chocolate, resin or hot melt.
 
Other improvements incorporated into the development of this model include the innovative and patented feature to influence the product distribution during production. It allows the optimization of the system to achieve maximum possible pastille uniformity.
 
Reliable, versatile and easy to use, the IPCO Rotoform HP is available on new systems or as a retrofit replacement like all the other IPCO Rotoform systems.

Continuous high quality film casting with Venturi Drying

IPCO has announced the successful development of a high quality film casting solution incorporating an innovative Venturi drying system. The system delivers a homogenous layer of liquid product onto a polished steel belt with outstanding consistency of thickness. The cast layer is then transported on the polished steel belt through the Venturi drying unit to achieve a stable, high quality product in an extremely efficient manner.
This delivers efficient continuous production of a high quality film to extremely fine tolerances in terms of thickness and flatness.
The production line begins with a slot die that applies an accurately controlled layer of liquid product onto a polished steel belt. From here it passes through the Venturi dryer where the solvent – aqueous or organic – is evaporated quickly, efficiently and in a manner that leaves the end product almost completely free of tension both laterally and longitudinally.
This dramatically improves the casting process, enabling the production of film products to exceptionally narrow tolerances without any risk of skin formation, and eliminating costly faults and imperfections in the final material. The inherent benefits of this indirect drying solution also result in an exceptionally high degree of energy efficiency.

Excellent thermal and air flow effects
The key benefits of the IPCO Venturi dryer are achieved through the use of a permeable metal foam above the drying film. A flow of tempered air is applied to the upper side of this foam-like metallic material, creating a Venturi effect on the lower side in accordance with the standard laws of pneumatics.
As a result, a constant and even suction flow is formed, delivering a homogeneous drying effect. This minimizes thermally induced shrinkage and eliminates the risk of structural defects in the surface and layer structure of the film.

Improved product quality, reduced drying times
The IPCO Venturi dryer enables manufacturers to achieve significant improvements in product quality and reproducibility while also enhancing production efficiency. The increase in thermal transfer efficiency compared with conventional dryer systems also enables a reduction in the length of the drying section.
Typical film casting applications include:

Filter membrane (Nitrocellulose)

• Applications: filters for pharmaceutical and food applications
• Film thickness: 40 – 100 μm

Ceramic tape (Polymer resins)

• Applications: semiconductors, fuel cells, solar cells
• Film thickness: 200 – 300 μm

Edible films (Soluble polymers)

• Applications: pharmaceutical capsules, pills
• Film thickness: 40 – 50 μm

Optical films (TAC)

• Applications: LCD top film
• Film thickness: 30-200 μm

Battery film (LI-ION)

• Applications: Battery electrodes
• Film thickness: 10-50 μm

Key benefits of the Venturi dryer include:

• Prevention of skin formation
• Thickness profile to precise tolerances
• Formation of a homogeneous laminar flow
• Elimination of faults and imperfections
• Two-dimensional homogeneous drying profile
• Minimized thermally-induced shrinkage
• Significant increase in product quality
• Significant increase in heat transfer performance
• Significant reduction in drying section length

Pilot plant / Product testing

A fully operational film casting system is available for process assessment and product testing at IPCO`s Industrial Processing Productivity Center near Stuttgart, Germany, and the company will make technicians and engineers available to provide full support in terms of mapping the process in batch mode.

STORAGE, HANDLING AND LOADING

SYSTEMS FOR THE CHEMICAL INDUSTRY

Sandvik solidification, cooling and ancillary equipment are used for the efficient, clean and cost effective processing of products such as:

• Resins
• Waxes
• Fat chemicals
• Hot melt adhesives
• Antioxidants
• Stabilizers
• Bitumen and asphaltene
• Various basic, intermediate and fine chemicals

While steel belt coolers are at the heart of Sandvik’s chemical solidification systems, they form only part of the overall process.

The company can also supply a comprehensive range of upstream equipment, from heated tanks, pipework and filters to pumps and pre-coolers. Feed devices can be supplied to suit any product form, including strips and Rotoform pastilles, as well as liquid release agents or powder to ensure optimum product form and clean discharge.

Downstream materials handling capabilities are equally comprehensive, extending across a full range of process requirements, including storage, handling and loading.

SILOS/STOCKPILES

Design, manufacture and installation of custom storage solutions for any capacity or location.

• Open or closed storage
• Closed silos for small to medium capacity storage
• Large capacity, concrete storage silos
• Designed to highest safety standards
• Portal and semi-portal reclaimers

CONVEYING

Full range of conveying and elevator solutions to suit all requirements and environments, with systems designed with the minimum number of transfer points for clean and efficient operation.

• Wide belts to enable reduced velocity
• Non-static-conductive conveyor belting
• Dust-tight conveyor design with transfer skirts and enclosed transfer points

TRUCK, RAIL & SHIP LOADING

Design, manufacture and installation of loading equipment to meet any requirement, from truck/rail to ship-loading.

• Telescopic loader with level sensors to reduce drop distance
• Continuous or stationary loading
• Single or multiple loading bays

• Telescoping, luffing, slewing and shuttling
• Remote control units

BAGGING

Complete bagging systems suitable for 50 kg bags or big bags (500 / 1000 kg).

• Pre-weighers
• Open mouth bagging, automatic closing
• Metal detection

TURNKEY SOLUTIONS AND COMPLETE SYSTEMS INTEGRATION

Sandvik’s engineering and project management teams are able to handle complete turnkey projects, from feasibility and FEED studies all the way through design, installation, commissioning, start-up and training.

The company can design, integrate, and commission equipment for every stage of the process, from upstream preparation, filtering and delivery of chemical melts, through the solidification process itself, to downstream conveying, storage, and bagging. By assuming total responsibility for a project, Sandvik can thus ensure full system optimization.

Sandvik also enables customers to maximize productivity and achieve a faster ROI through:

• Operator training e.g. best practice, safety, problem solving
• Maintenance training e.g. planned maintenance, in-house repairs
• Process training e.g. optimizing system performance / product quality
• Service support e.g. service agreements, spare parts