WCA September 2015

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52 Wire & Cable ASIA – September/October 2015
Technologynews
JAPAN Steel Works (JSW) has
introduced the TEX 25 Alpha III
laboratory co-rotating extruder. The
new compact 25mm screw diameter
machine, for production of
compounds and masterbatches in
engineering and high performance
thermoplastics, is the smallest of
seven TEX Alpha III extruders (up to
130mm diameter) available in
Europe. Its introduction follows the K
2013 European launch of the TEX 44
Alpha III model.
TEX 25 Alpha III series advantages
include a new gearbox design
combined with enhanced gears and
bearings, screw shafts and barrels.
The result is a high torque of up to
194Nm per shaft (or 387Nm in total)
combined with wider processing
windows as well as more powerful
kneading and mixing.
A standard torque limiting function
stops the screw to protect machinery
and operators. A low-noise
water-cooled version of the infinitely
variable three-phase motor is
optional, as is direct drive instead of
the standard V-belt drive.
The NIC special kneading barrel
invented by JSW achieves good
mixing/dispersion at low shear rate
and high viscosity without dead
zones for good compound material
properties, through introduction of
several longitudinal grooves of
particular geometry on the inside
barrel surface for more
screw-to-barrel clearance.
A TKD twist kneading disc kneading
screw element with a twisted tip
developed for energy efficiency
supports this “tip-clearance
technology” by ensuring fast,
relatively low-temperature material
conveying, while retaining
appropriate mixing efficiency. JSW
claims such features make the Tex 25
Alpha III the “worldwide highest
performance compact twin screw
extruder”.
While feed section water temperature
control is manual, PID (proportional-
integral-derivative, ie closed-loop/
feedback) water and heater
temperature control is used for other
barrel sections. The extruder is
suitable for research and
development work with frequent
material and process changes, as
cartridge heaters and a patented
barrel clamping mechanism enable
easy and rapid barrel section block
changes, achieving screw length/
diameter (L/D) ratios of 42 with 12
blocks, 52.5 with 15, and 70 with 20
blocks. The machine accommodates
vented or closed barrel sections and
side feeding of abrasive
reinforcements, heat- or shear-
sensitive compound additives and
materials into the melt via a later
barrel section.
Wear-resistant LSP-2 modified tool
steel screws and barrels in N60-S
nickel-based alloy made by JSW
promise long life of barrel and screw
(high wear and corrosion resistance)
for various kinds of compounds
containing abrasive and/or corrosive
materials and additives.
JSW’s patented TEX-FAN flow
analysis network research and
development support tool developed
for TEX twin-screw extruders
analyses polymer melt pressure,
temperature, residence time and fill
factor with a special dedicated
computer developed by JSW.
The TEX 25 Alpha III comes with the
EXANET 64-bit RISC high-speed
control system. Its 15" colour LCD
touchscreen provides for optimum
process control and monitoring,
storing thousands of settings and
process parameters.
It integrates with ancillary equipment,
from JSW compact JSW-TTF 20 and
SFT-15 gravimetric feeders and
mixers, TSF25 side feeder, through to
strand pelletisation and underwater
granulation.
Japan Steel Works – Japan
Website :
New extruder from Japan
❍ TEX 25 Alpha III