Why Do Plastic Factories Use Vacuum Feeding Machines?

Mitigating Material Contamination Threats in the Production of Plastics  

Being able to produce plastic materials is a highly contaminant-sensitive process. Plastic materials destined for food packaging, medical appliances, and electronic parts need special attention paid to prevent any possible contaminant imperfection. Such contaminant imperfections can include fine dust, metal shavings, and residual foreign matter. Traditional screws or belt conveyor systems for mechanical conveyance have areas of dead space where dust and fine foreign matter can collect. This can lead to cross-contamination over time.  

Vacuum feeding machines closed-loop operation. They fully contain plastic materials, whether in the form of pellets, powders, or regrinds, during the entire conveyance. Also, the closed design of the feeding systems ensures no direct outside contact, effectively keeping dust and moisture out. In turn, they isolate the air contaminants in the workshop. Such a design is more time-efficient and cost-effective in the plastic material production process, as there is less need for labor to clean the materials after conveyance.

Improving Efficiency and Decreasing Reliance on Manual Labor

In plastic manufacturing, the production process is often managed using continuous 24-hour production lines, and the flow of materials is organized in such a way that a production stoppage can be very costly. The manual feeding of materials, or even the use of semi-automatic feeding systems, requires the constant supervision of workers, who adhere to the time schedules set and overlays in silos or hoppers. Such systems are highly inefficient due to the increased risk of disruption in the feeding cycle caused by prolonged demand intervals, fatigue and erroneous assessment of the silo level by the worker, leading the system to break the established production flow.

Vacuum feeding systems are designed to interface with industrial plastic processing systems, such as extrusion and injection or blow molding machines. These systems are equipped with automatic level sensing devices and real time monitoring systems that control the material levels in the process hoppers. Once a set level is reached, a material suction cycle is activated and another is terminated once the set upper level is reached. Such systems facilitate fully controlled automated feeding, which maintains the system within the set operational parameters. For large scale operations with multiple production lines, the feeding system vacuum control systems can be hierarchically organized to enhance production scheduling.

Understanding Different Materials Used in Processing Plastics.

Plastics can take multiple shapes and forms and can have individual and unique characteristics. They can come as puffy and lightweight pellets, as fine and lightweight powders, or as irregularly shaped regrind materials. Older methods of material handling have a hard time with these different materials. Very Lightweight pellets can float and get lost during handling, fine powders can get lost as dust and trigger a dust explosion, and irregularly shaped regrind materials can jam in conveyor gaps.

Different vacuum feeding machines can be designed based on different characteristics of various plastic materials. For fine powders, suction can be seamless for powder collection and ejection using high efficiency filtration. For suctioning dense or heavily weighted pellets, vacuuming pressure can be adjusted to avoid blockages. This flexibility enables vacuum feeding machines to process a broad range of materials and promotes efficiency for plastic manufacturers who frequently change materials or work on multiple product lines.

Improving Safety in Workshops and Minimizing Operational Risks

Ensuring safety within a plastic production workshop is essential. Fine plastic powders such as PVC powder or polyethylene powder, are highly combustible and can create explosive mixtures when dispersed in air and reach a certain concentration. Vacuum feeding machines cut down on safety risks in two ways. The Closed conveyor system stops plastic powders from escaping into the workplace air. This prevents the build-up of combustible dust, which removes the possibility of dust explosions. Many models are explosion risk proof which enhances safety features.Establishing automated conveyor systems for the material handling of the heavy sharp edged objects removes the risk of direct adverse contact with the materials. The system protects the health and safety of employees.Making the workplace safer and more efficient helps factories avoid expensive lawsuits, which can arise from workplace injuries.

Contributing to Energy Conservation and Environmental Protection Goals  

Over the years, factories are getting more pressure to comply with global environmental regulations. More and more countries are enacting laws concerning energy reduction, energy efficiency, and the limits of carbon emissions within the plastic industry. Vacuum feeding machines are every bit as energy-efficient as their alternatives. Their vacuum pumps integrate variable frequency motors which dynamically adjust the power output based on real-time data for the conveyed load. For example, power levels will drop as the material is nearly conveyed, avoiding the wasteful scenario of constant full power operation. Such variable frequency control can achieve 20 to 30% energy savings versus fixed speed mechanical conveyors. Moreover, the closed conveying system minimizes material escape, and saves 5% of raw materials over the long term. Such savings will help factories achieve their plastic production goals in these markets which will improve the factory's image to environmentally conscious marketplaces.