Smart solutions to increase the sustainability of film stretching lines

At this year’s K-show, Brückner Servtec (Hall 3 / Booth C90) will present new, customized conversion packages (Line Transformation Packages) supporting the circular economy by recycle-ready film types on existing film stretching lines. New solutions for energy reduction and higher quality in the production processes further increase sustainability in film production. In addition, new functions of the established Brückner ONE Digital Service Platform will be shown, which considerably facilitate the maintenance and operation of film stretching lines.

The new Line Transformation Packages from Brückner Servtec are designed for the conversion of existing film stretching lines to the sustainable production of recyclable mono-material film types, such as BOPP, BOPLA or BOPE. The necessary conversion measures are individually adapted to the production line and are available for lines of any age. Together with the line operator, an on-site evaluation of the plant is carried out and from this the specific requirements for the conversion are identified.

• The Line Transformation Package BOPP – ILC (Inline Coating) enables the production of recyclable ultra-high barrier films (UHB) on existing BOPP production lines. The innovative Inline Coating (ILC) technology is a wet chemical coating (water-based) of plastic films, directly during film production. The step is performed between MD and TD orientation. The nanometer scale coating enhances further processing steps such as metallization, significantly reduces the use of foreign material content and thus allows the production of recyclable films according to EU Directive 94/62/EC.

• The new Line Transformation Package BOPP – PE extends the product portfolio of all BOPP film stretching lines by the option LLDPE or HDPE. BOPE films have very good mechanical properties, allow replacement of blown film PE on only half of the thickness, and thus enables mono-material structures which are fully recyclable. The necessary modification steps, typically in the extrusion, casting unit and MDO areas, are individually tailored to the line and situation on site.
  
  The hybrid machine design, optimized for high output, offers operators the choice of continuing to produce BOPP at full output as well as BOPE film profitably.

• The Line Transformation Package BOPET – PLA allows the production of this biobased raw material. BOPLA films offer excellent moisture transmission properties, have a high natural level of surface tension and are industrially compostable. The conversion package combines all necessary adjustments in the field of extrusion and raw material feeding with the necessary process know-how to produce PLA films in high quality and at high output.

The Brückner ONE digital service products were presented to the global public at the K 2019 and since then have been installed in more than 350 production lines worldwide, representing almost 50% of connectable assets. Customers benefit from the globally available online modules for services, spare parts management, easy communication, and advanced line documentation. All at highest data security certified by TÜV Nord. New modules and functions for Brückner ONE will be presented at this year’s K show:

• Automatic language switching is available for the service module and enables easy conversations of customers and service specialists in their native language. A new online AI routine automatically translates all input into the user’s preferred language. Currently, more than 20 languages are supported in addition to English, Chinese, Japanese, Spanish or Portuguese.

• The new Brückner ONE Maintenance Plan Assistant is the entry into the world of preventive and predictive maintenance and makes service easy and plannable. The system uses sensors and algorithms to continuously check the condition of the plant and installed components and informs the plant operator as soon as a maintenance action is necessary. The Maintenance Plan Assistant module guides the user conveniently through a range of steps from the procurement of spare parts to the automatic creation of a service case and detailed maintenance instructions. The module is intended to be expandable to the plant operator’s entire production chain and can support up- and downstream components such as slitters, metallizers, crane systems and more.

To increase the sustainability of film production, Brückner Servtec is showing a wide range of modernization measures that reduce energy consumption while increasing output and film quality. This significantly extends the lifecycle of production equipment. Among others these are:

• Direct drives for all significant line drives from extrusion to winder to reduce power consumption while improving film quality through optimized speed and torque control
• Smart Swivel Roll intelligently cools the film in the water bath at the chill roll by adjusting its position based on film thickness and output. Thus, reducing the heating – and energy use – at the following MDO to a minimum
• New Control Systems not only replace obsolete hardware for production safety but moreover install latest software for an easy, efficient and energy saving line control
• Expert audits for process and energy optimization in film production