• Improved polymer tailoring to application (customer focus)
• Tighter specs on polymer properties (six-sigma)
• Smaller, more frequent batches (JIT)
• Reduced work-in-process and finished goods inventories (lean production)
• Tighter monitoring, tracking, and control of process variables (process automation)
• Elimination of low value-adding steps (efficiency optimization)
• Reduced operating and capital costs (margin realization)
• Debottleneck existing process limitations (level lined)

As an example of our work, consider a typical gas phase process to produce polyethylene or polypropylene. There are several important solids handling steps downstream of the primary and secondary polymerization steps, in addition to extensive gas handling steps. Most of these areas also exist with other reaction technologies. With new high-activity catalysts (such as metallocenes) and newer reactor technologies coming on-stream in new plants or as upgrades to existing facilities, current solids handling systems are being pushed beyond their capacity limits. Therefore, these systems are being given new design attention, to throughput as well as the aforementioned system goals.

Key solids handling components include:

• Stripping/purge/degassing/drying vessels
• Conveyors: screw, belt, pneumatic (dilute/dense), hydraulic, pump, bucket, aeromechanical
• Gas-solids separators: dust collectors, elutriators, cyclones, bag filters
• Storage: bins, silos, hoppers
• Feeders: rotary, screw, belt, disc, vibratory
• Blenders: tumble, ribbon, fluidized, gravity (tube, controlled flow), recirculating
• Valves/gates: rotary, ball, dump, butterfly, knife, flop, diverter, slide

At Jenike & Johanson, we have extensive experience with design and operation of each of these pieces of equipment, in new facilities as well as retrofit of existing facilities. We recognize that individual pieces of equipment, and the transfers between them, must be properly designed, in detail, for the range of products expected in the process.

Since the 1960's, Jenike & Johanson has been showing clients in the plastics industry how to stay ahead with productivity. Our solutions are based on the measured flow properties of the bulk solid and on proven solids flow theory, not best guesses or general rules of thumb. Contact us to discuss how your handling system can work to improve your bottom line.

Client confidentiality prevents us from discussing most of our projects. The following case studies were written with the consent of our clients.

Some of the plastics equipment we have designed and supplied:

• Mass flow bin and screw feeder for ABS resin
• Epoxy coated insert retrofits for polypropylene
• Mass flow drying silo for nylon pellets
• Bin with transition hopper, mass flow belt feeder interface, belt feeder, and dribble box for neopentyl glycol hydroxypivalate cubes
• Epoxy coated BINSERT® retrofit for polypropylene purge vessel to reduce product changeover time
• Polycarbonate flake dryer
• Processing vessels
  • Stripping
  • Purge
  • Degassing
  • Drying
• Storage bins/silos/hoppers
• Blenders
  • Tumble
  • Gravity
    • One-pass
    • Recirculating

Some of the plastics materials we have handled:

A partial listing of our clients in the plastics processing industry: