How to make the PVC ceiling production line realise 9m one-minute finished products through advanced technology

In the field of PVC ceiling production, the production speed directly affects the profitability of the enterprise. A speed of 9 meters per minute of finished product is no simple feat of running the extruder at a higher speed. It needs a well balanced system, with all parts operating cohesively. Our PVC ceiling extrusion lines achieve this high production rate while maintaining surface quality and dimensional accuracy, thanks to the development of advanced technologies by JIANGSU XINHE INTELLIGENT EQUIPMENT CO., LTD. This speed is accomplished as described below.

High-torque parallel twin screw extruder for consistent plastification

The extruder is the core component of any high-speed PVC ceiling line. Single screw extruders have poor ability to provide uniform melt at 9 m per minute. JIANGSU XINHE INTELLIGENT EQUIPMENT CO., LTD. ’s high-output lines are equipped with the high torque gear box-type parallel twin screw extruder. The screws are intermeshed and give intensive mixing and efficient heat transfer. This design allows PVC powder blends to be fully plastified with a shorter screw travel with the same or higher screw speed without compromising melt quality. The screws are also treated with wear-resistant finishes for the highly filled formulations that are frequently employed in ceiling panels. The extruder has multiple barrel sections and precise temperature control to ensure a consistent melt flow rate of 9m per minute of finished panel through the die.

Advanced die design with optimized flow channels

High-speed extrusion may be limited by the speed of the die. At 9 m/min,the melt pressure must exactly match the flow distribution. Thickness variations and surface defects are created by the uneven flow. At JIANGSU XINHE INTELLIGENT EQUIPMENT CO., LTD. the computer flow simulation of the die engineering team is used to design optimized coat-hanger manifolds with proper land length. The die has adjustable restrictor bars and flexible lip mechanisms for operators to adjust the thickness profile during die operation. This flexibility saves on start-up and changeover time. The die body is made of stainless steel,with chrome-plated flow surfaces that reduce friction and degradation of the material at high velocities.

High-efficiency vacuum calibration and multi-zone cooling

The PVC melt is required to be quickly cooled, shaped and sized to prevent any distortion from the die upon exit. The traditional cooling tables with single zones are not able to remove the heat fast enough to achieve the desired speed of 9m/min. JIANGSU XINHE INTELLIGENT EQUIPMENT CO., LTD. uses a long cooling table made up of a number of independent zones. In the first zone, the panel surface is quickly frozen using strong water sprays or water immersion. Later zones are cooled increasingly gently to enable internal stress relaxation. Vacuum calibration is used throughout the critical first meters of the cooling table. The hot extrudate is securely pulled against the sizing plates to achieve a correct width and thickness.

Flying saw or chipless cutter with high-speed servo axes

The fastest rate of cutting a PVC ceiling panel is 9 meters per minute, which means the cutter must move with the ceiling panel when cutting. This would require the line to stop or make an angled cut if a stationary saw was used. JIANGSU XINHE INTELLIGENT EQUIPMENT CO., LTD. provides flying cutters which are always moved along with the panel during cutting. The axes are moved at a line speed by servo, starting the saw or chipless cutting, then moving back to the starting position. The whole thing is a duration of less than 2 seconds. In the case of thinner ceiling panels, chipless cutters are preferred because they do not create any dust and leave clean edges. If the panels are thicker, then high speed carbide saws with dust extraction ports are available. Both options offer a cut length tolerance of ±1mm.

Integrated control system for synchronized line operation

Without a centralized control system you can never achieve or maintain 9m per minute. JIANGSU XINHE INTELLIGENT EQUIPMENT CO., LTD. offers a user friendly touch screen control panel based on PLC. The system continuously records the extruder speed, melt pressure, melt temperature, haul-off speed, position of the cutter and the cooling water temperature. Each of the parameters has pre-set alarm thresholds. If pressure rises too quickly-indicating a potential die blockage-the system can either slow the screw speed or warn the operator. Data logging capabilities enable the production manager to gain insight into production trends and small inefficiencies before they become big issues. With this integrated solution, a well trained operator can maintain 9 m/min throughout full production shifts, increasing output per hour by four to five times compared to normal lines operating at 4 to 5 m/min.