As a plastic plant manager, you are often required to make decisions about how to introduce innovation, new processes, and new systems in plastic production.

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On the one hand any decision-making shall be underpinned by business issues; on the other hand, product quality, competitors’ challenge, target market, and many other factors shall influence any decision.

As of today, Industry 4.0 solutions and smart factory concept are the successful trends of process automation and data exchange in manufacturing technologies. The implementation of an Industry 4.0 production model approach would bring your factory significant benefits in terms of innovation, quality, and cost effectiveness, both in the short and in the long run.

If you haven’t started thinking about how to introduce Industry 4.0 in your recycled plastic production plant yet, it’s time to kick off.

Industry 4.0 – 4 key principles

How to draw benefits from Industry 4.0 solutions? Just think about how to implement the following 4 key principles in your processes and technologies:

1. Make your machinery, devices, sensors interoperable.
2. Aggregate raw sensor data to get higher-value information.
3. Think to digital/cyber physical systems as support in carrying out human tasks.
4. Choose cyber physical systems featuring decision making mechanisms and apps.

Industry 4.0 in plastic extrusion systems

Specifically, any recycled plastic extrusion line includes several components to be assembled – to make the right choice and configure each component in the best way is essential to the entire process.

That’s why you should choose smarter components for your extrusion line and get the best from Industry 4.0 solutions. If you are designing and optimizing a recycled plastic extrusion line, screen changers are key components.

Contaminant filtering

If you are running a recycled plastic extrusion line, you already know that contaminant filtering is one of the most important steps to accomplish. An automatic and continuous screen changer in your plastic extrusion line allows for 24/7 material processing as well as uninterrupted production applications (e.g. film).

Gorillabelt T is most innovative automatic and continuous screen changer designed and manufactured by Cofit for recycled plastic extrusion. And it’s ready for Industry 4.0 solutions.

Gorillabelt T is Industry 4.0 ready

How to integrate a screen changer in your recycled plastic extrusion line according to Industry 4.0 principles? Here come the key factors:

• Interoperability: Gorillabelt T digital control system fully controls system operation – in other words, it is customizable according to production needs and can be embedded into existing systems.
• Sensor data aggregation: Gorillabelt T allows for remote parameter control and elaboration – temperature, pressure, opening and closing, activity log, etc. – besides real-time data integration into other systems, storing and processing.
• Support in carrying out human tasks: Gorillabelt T is self-operating, and requires no surveillance or supervision; when required, screen changing is continuous and automatic, according to system configuration.
• Decision-making mechanisms: Gorillabelt T features automatic assessment of operating condition and screen change timing; the screen changer is equipped with two melt flow channels, each of which features a screen, filters impurities and stops its melt flow when required. System operation relies upon pressure and temperature sensors: when pressure value reaches the relevant set threshold and specific working conditions occur, the screen change process starts in one channel, while the melt keeps flowing along the other channel. Hence, filtration process never stops thanks to smart control of channel opening and closing.

Industry 4.0 ready screen changers

To equip your recycled plastic extrusion line with an advanced automatic and continuous screen changer like Cofit Gorillabelt T is the smart move, both in the long and in the short run – it is going to be your system key innovation feature, moving your company into Industry 4.0 vision, and significantly improving your business.

Have a look at Gorillabelt T screen changer.

COFIT International

Cofit deals with research, engineering, manufacturing and distribution of automatic and continuous screen changers for many different plastic materials and applications, post-consumer and post-industrial recycling included.

Contact us to enhance your plastic extrusion system, and/or receive additional information about our products. Download Cofit 3D product diagrams, join us on LinkedIn.