Virgilio Perez Guembe
Salesregion: South & Middle America, Europe, Asia
The thermal cleaning processes from SCHWING can be employed for a wide variety of applications and production processes. Their effectiveness pays off especially for plastics and polymer manufacturers as well as for companies processing these materials.
Pumps, lines, filters and similar machine parts significantly contribute to low failure rate operation as well as product quality. Superbly cleaned spin nozzles are a key guarantee of quality in fiber production.
But also some other easier tasks, such as the stripping of hooks and hangers used in painting facilities, coating removal of defectively coated parts, or the removal of rubber or food rests could be quickly and environmentally friendly accomplished by a thermal cleaning equipment.
Cleaning of such operating equipment therefore often has the same priority as production itself. SCHWING contributes to the reliable and economical design of such cleaning processes and their straightforward integration into the operating flow.
Thermal Cleaning in the Extrusion
Demands on film and profiles are continually increasing. Regardless of whether flat or tubular film: they should be as thin and uniform as possible, optically appealing as well as robust and of high quality. The requirements on profiles, for example, for window frames and other construction elements, are increasing. These demands also increase the requirements for the production of profiles and film.
SCHWING supports film and profile manufacturers with reliable and economical cleaning solutions which facilitate the achievement of consistently perfect product quality. The systems from SCHWING clean sheet dies, die disks with filters, screen changers or extrusion screws completely from plastics of all types. Large parts such as blown film dies, screen changers or extrusion screws can also be cleaned without problems using SCHWING technologies; especially large and high-capacity systems are available for these applications.
Extruder screw cleaning
Deposits of degraded material build up on the screw by daily use during the processing of thermosets and thermoplastics and lead to loss of quality. These contaminants must be removed from the surfaces to ensure smooth and clean color or product changeover.
Rubber residue, adhesives, paint and organic contaminants can also be completely removed with the SCHWING technologies, leaving no residue.
Production costs can be significantly reduced with clean tools.
SCHWING supports extrusion businesses such as film and profile manufacturers with reliable and economical cleaning solutions, with which they can achieve a continually trouble-free production quality.
The systems from SCHWING clean also flat film dies, breaker plates with filters, and large components such as blown film heads, screen changers, breaker plates or extruder screws for plastics of all kinds, because they have special large and especially powerful machines available.
Cleaning of film extrusion dies and sheet dies
The gentle and repeatable cleaning of sheet dies and film extrusion dies is an important quality factor in film production as this ensures a long lifetime for these key production tools.
Depending on the type of the polymer and the size or geometry extrusion tools cleaning can be performed without requiring disassembly. Polymers are removed in a single step. Inorganic remnants are removed using a select after-treatment method (for example, compressed air).
The VACUCLEAN cleaning system, for example, needs eight to 30 hours – depending on the product to be cleaned – for the cleaning process at temperatures between 430 °C and 480 °C. VACUCLEAN is principally suited for all film tools including chrome-plated surfaces. The cleaning system eliminates any risk of thermal or mechanical damage to the tools.
Thermal Cleaning in Injection Molding
Elaborate tools are used in injection molding which require regular cleaning. Screw tips, injection nozzles, static mixers and especially hot-runner systems require extremely reliable polymer removal. All thermal cleaning technologies from SCHWING guarantee such removal. Even sprayed over hot-runner distributors with complicated geometries and glass fiber contents can be cleaned gently and without residues of polymer and carbon remnants as well as inorganic contaminations.
Cleaning of nozzles, screw tips, and small parts
The gentle and repeatable cleaning of injection molding nozzles, screw tips, static mixers, etc. is an important factor for the injection molder as this ensures a long lifetime for these key production tools.
Depending on the type of polymer and design of the injection molding nozzle short cleaning times of only one to four hours can be achieved. Polymers are removed in a single step; the cleaned components can be quickly integrated again directly into the production process. Inorganic remnants are removed using a select after-treatment method (compressed air, glass shot-peening, etc.).
The COMPACTCLEAN cleaning system, for example, works in the temperature range from 400 °C to 470 °C during the cleaning process. COMPACTCLEAN is suited for nearly all plastics with the exception of halogenated materials such as PVC or PTFE, where the fluidized bed system INNOVACLEAN is used. The COMPACTCLEAN cleaning system eliminates any risk of thermal or mechanical damage to the injection molding parts.
Cleaning of hot-runners
Today’s use of hot-runner technology allows the injection molding of very complex and large components. However, the sometimes very long internal flow channels make manual cleaning impossible; the use of rinsing chemicals usually produces only inadequate results. Even for sprayed over hot-runners / hot-runner nozzles thermal cleaning is the only solution.
SCHWING offers the optimal thermal cleaning method for any hot-runner size or geometry:
- INNOVACLEAN - Fluidized bed pyrolysis for all polymers
- MAXICLEAN - Pyrolysis systems for extra large components
- VACUCLEAN - Gentle but efficient vacuum pyrolysis
The advantages of these systems are their excellent cleaning quality within very short cleaning periods, their suitability even for glass fiber-reinforced materials and their cleaning technology that is easy on materials and the environment.
Thermal Cleaning in Plastics Production
Polymers, masterbatches
It is important to know for the perfect and highly efficient cleaning of tools and production equipment in polymer or master batch production which polymers are processed and which specific properties (process temperatures, percentage of inorganic pigments, etc.) are involved. Typical parts are e.g. pelletizing dies, die plates, breaker plates, filter changers, screen changers and other production tools.
SCHWING is known for the fact that the respective best and preferred thermal cleaning process is delivered for each polymer (including PEEK, PVC).
Thermal Cleaning in the Chemical Fibers Industry
Cleaning of spin packs, spinnerets
The gentle and repeatable cleaning of complete spin packs and spinnerets / spin nozzles is an important factor for fiber production, as this not only ensures a proper production process, but also a long lifetime for these key production tools.
Depending on the type of polymer (PE, PET, PA, PP, Spandex) and the design of the spin pack, the spin pack can be cleaned without requiring disassembly. Polymers are removed in a single step. Complete spin packs can be easily removed after cleaning. Inorganic remnants are removed using a select after-treatment method such as ultrasound.
The INNOVACLEAN cleaning system, for example, needs three to six hours to complete the cleaning process at temperatures between 450 °C and 480 °C. INNOVACLEAN can be used with most nozzle geometries and even with critical capillary sizes. The cleaning system eliminates any risk of thermal or mechanical damage to the spin nozzles.
Cleaning of spin pumps
The gentle and repeatable cleaning of complete spin pumps is an important factor for fiber production and ensures a long lifetime for these machine components.
The spin pumps can be cleaned without requiring disassembly. Polymers are removed in a single step. Complete spin pumps can be easily removed after cleaning. Inorganic remnants are removed using a select after-treatment method such as ultrasound.
The INNOVACLEAN cleaning system, for example, needs three to six hours to complete the cleaning process at temperatures between 450 °C and 480 °C. INNOVACLEAN and VACUCLEAN can be used with most melt pumps – from small spin pumps to large booster pumps. The cleaning system eliminates any risk of thermal or mechanical damage to the pumps.
Cleaning of melt lines
Proper melt distribution in spinning systems is critical, as the pipes are often several meters long and have complicated geometries. The already difficult maintenance and servicing of these components, which are important for the quality of the product, is made even more difficult when integrated, static mixers are used.
The MAXICLEAN thermal cleaning systems made by SCHWING, featuring customer-specific cleaning chamber sizes and integrated afterburning, are just as efficient as they are effective. Polymers and their decomposition products are removed in a single step during the thermal cleaning process. Inorganic remnants are removed using a select after-treatment method. A thermally cleaned melt line is just like new in terms of its flow properties.
Of course, other components in the fiber production facility such as extrusion screws, melt pumps, etc. can also be cleaned with the MAXICLEAN cleaning system. The fluidized bed system INNOVACLEAN or the vacuum system VACUCLEAN are used for spin packs and nozzles guaranteeing optimal cleaning even with very critical capillary sizes or geometries.
Thermal Cleaning in the Non-wovens Industry
Cleaning of melt blown dies, melt blown die blocks
Liquid polymer under high pressure comes out of a spinning beam (die beam, die block) in the melt blown process (spinning fleece process) and will be blown and spun through high speed hot air and cold air into fine fibres (micro fibres), which will be collected by a takeup mesh and carried away. Nonwoven micro fibre fleece fabrics are produced by this method, which, depending on the application, could be produced in different densities, thicknesses, absorptivity, strengths and merged into several layers. Besides of the well-known fleece shirts and fleece jackets, other typical products are extremely light but high efficient respiratory filters, cabin filters and fuel filters, and also large absorption and isolating stuff, such as diapers, cushion fleece, or isolating mats. Single use clothes or vacuum cleaner bags are also manufactured out of micro fibres fleece.
The cleaning of these spinning beams or die beams, which are frequently several meters long, requires a very delicate cleaning process, due to the extremely fine die holes and geometries. The fully automatically working thermal cleaning system VACUCLEAN by SCHWING heats up the tools slowly and gently, whereas a big portion of the cold polymer inside and outside will melt and flow out. The proper cleaning of the spinning beam will take place at approximately 450 °C within 8 to 30 hours, depending on the size and geometry of the tool, by means of controlled pyrolysis and oxidation under a vacuum atmosphere.
By this method any thermal or mechanical damage is excluded and a perfect cleaning quality without carbon remains is always assured.
Thermal Cleaning of Candle Filters and Filter Disks
The gentle and repeatable cleaning of candle filters (filter candles) and filter disks (disc filter) as well as complete filter bundles is an important quality factor, among others, in fiber and film production. Polymers are removed in a single step – including possibly existing tacky particles – using (vacuum) pyrolysis (VACUCLEAN, MAXICLEAN). Inorganic remnants are removed using a select after-treatment method (high water pressure, ultrasound).
Cleaning of filters from screen changers
The gentle and repeatable cleaning of filters from screen changers is an important cost and quality factor in extrusion. Multiple cleaning is possible, depending on the type of polymer and the design of the filter screen. Polymers are removed in a single step. Inorganic remnants are removed using a select after-treatment method (high water pressure, ultrasound).
The INNOVACLEAN cleaning system, for example, takes only two to four hours to clean die plates. The cleaning system eliminates any risk of thermal or mechanical damage to the parts.
Paint stripping, coating removal
During the painting process not only the parts to be painted will be impregnated with varnish, but also aid parts and tools such as hooks, hangers, forks, chassis, frames and stencils. The excess of varnish coatings on these tools has to be eliminated at regular intervals in order to ensure a perfect coating on the parts to be painted.
Moreover, the stripping of defectuous production parts or the coat removal of heat exchangers among others, are effective possibilities to reduce the costs.
SCHWING cleans temperature resistant hooks, hangers and defectuous production parts by means of thermal cleaning. The adhering paint or rubber coatings or rests of food as from bake and sweet products will be eliminated from the parts by influence of heat and oxygen.
SCHWING’s thermal cleaning systems make a quick and thoroughly removal of all kinds of unwanted coatings possible. The energy efficient SCHWING pyrolysis equipment used for this purpose could be delivered in nearly any chamber dimension and will be adjusted to customer requirements as per the loading geometry. All these systems for paint stripping and coating removal are provided with a specially designed process control and a thermal off-gas cleaning.
A decisive advantage is that SCHWING’s customers receive a stripping and coating removal system with a specially designed process control, adjusted to your needs.
There are no additional costs in the thermal cleaning for the disposal of toxic sludge or used chemicals, in opposition to a chemical stripping and removal. All SCHWINGS systems are not only energy saving but also fulfil all environmental regulations.
Thermal Cleaning of Electric Motors
The copper solenoids must be removed and re-spooled during maintenance of electrical motors or generators. In order to do this, the resin or varnish layers covering the copper solenoids have to be firstly removed. Even if the overhauling of an electrical motor is not possible anymore, it is always worth to remove the resin for recycling purposes, in order to use elsewhere the copper solenoids or to be able to sell pure copper to metal dealers at interesting prices.
SCHWING cleans electrical motors and generators by means of thermal cleaning, by which electrical motors or generators or part of them such as stators and rotors are freed of adherent resins and varnishes under the influence of heat and oxygen. Grease and other residues will also be completely removed during the process and the pure copper gained.
SCHWING cleans electric motors and electric generators for you
SCHWING also provides cleaning machines as contract cleaning for electric motors and electric generators. SCHWING cleans
- Electrically driven DC machines such as:
- Serial wound machines / Series motors
- Universal motor / All current motor
- Shunt wound machines / Shunt wound motors
- Compound machine / Compound motor
- Three phase machines / Three phase motors such as:
- Synchronous machines as salient or solid pole machines
- Asynchronous machines as single phase capacitor motors, AC motors / induction motors or shaded pole motors
Recycling pays!
The price for homogenous copper is significantly higher than the price for mixed scrap. A price example from 2014 (prices change daily): 130 Euro per tonne is paid for mixed scrap; for homogenous copper it was 4,000 Euro per ton. When considered in this way thermal cleaning of a large motor always pays dividends.
The more homogenous copper brought to the scrap metal dealer, the higher the price.
Depending on the condition of the electrical motor the copper can be sold in the highest "Millberry" category. Millberry copper describes a clean copper wire, which has a diameter of at least one millimeter. The wire must be bare and it may not have any residue on it that indicates any burning off. Also with oxidized copper coils, processing pays as it can always be sold as the slightly cheaper refined copper.
To enable us to respond to your questions or specific cleaning demands with custom-tailored information we ask you to please answer the inquiry form "Thermal Cleaning".
You want to learn more?
Please call +49 2845 930-115, send us an e-mail or contact one of our experts with any question you may have.