When typically manufacturing technical fibres or carpet filaments, two or more ingredients are dosed and mixed together and then fed into the throat of a single screw extruder.

To assure consistent colour in the final filament, the individual components and masterbatches/pigments/dyes are increasingly being dosed gravimetrically by weight rather than by the less precise volumetric approach. Dosing by weight continuously adjusts for variations in the bulk density or specific gravity of the dry or liquid blend components, providing a consistent end product.

The thermoplastic filaments are produced using special geared pumps called spin pumps and heated spinneret dye heads capable of extruding up to several hundred filaments simultaneously. Because the filaments will be stretched to the desired denier, it is especially important that the diameter of the extruded filaments does not vary. Uniform melt distribution and temperature are highly critical. The spin pumps act to provide the required smooth, constant melt flow independent of small variations in extruder rate. After forming, the filaments typically drop vertically into a continuous cooling tower where the strands solidify under forced air. In addition there are dry, wet or gel spinning processes.

Depending on the application, the filaments then move on to one or more cycles of stretching. In stretching, the filaments are routed through a set of godets whose speed differentials are closely controlled to produce the specified strength and denier. Where a textured filament or strand of filament is desired, the product may be passed through a texturing unit before or after spinning as required. A typical texturing unit uses high pressure compressed air to form the filament or strand. The filaments then pass to a bobbin winder either as individual filaments or spun strands. At this stage the product is ready for sale or further processing.

• Flexibility through modular design
• Reduction of down times at material change through intuitive handling (spring catches, etc.)
• High-grade (digital) load cell technology secures better recipe integrity and fewer rejects due to a very short reaction time at recipe and/or throughput changes. In addition, the process of time-consuming sampling and system calibration is omitted
• Acquisition of consumption data → precise account of charges and stockkeeping possible
• Very precise control of the overall processes (start-up phase, recipe change, fast and continuous adjustment of production capacity) automatic start-up processes through integration of upstream control
• Expertise in process engineering and process-oriented overall know-how makes motan-colortronic the ideal partner for you