Krones Recycling will present new solutions for plastics washing in recycling processes at IFAT in Munich and PRS Europe in Amsterdam. In addition to its well-known MetaPure Compact and MetaPure Performance washing lines, the company is introducing two new machines designed to address the issues most frequently encountered in real-world plants, especially at key stages of the washing process. The new equipment focuses on line stability, effective contaminant removal and reducing fines formation.
HydroCut as a pre-processing stage
One of the new machines making its debut is HydroCut, Krones' first in-house wet granulator. The unit shreds material while water is added. This operating principle enables early binding and removal of abrasion and contaminants already at the pre-processing stage.
According to the manufacturer, HydroCut combines simplified maintenance with a clearly reduced formation of fines compared with typical solutions available on the market. Limiting the amount of fine particles is important for the downstream stages of the process, including separation and sorting, as well as for plant operation, particularly water and filtration systems.
New friction washer for intensive contaminant removal
The second Krones Recycling innovation is a next-generation friction washer, designed to remove stubborn contamination, adhesive residues and organic deposits that cause line disruptions in many recycling plants. It applies intensive friction in combination with precisely metered process water, which is intended to improve washing efficiency and prepare the material for further cleaning and sorting stages.
Product specialist and project manager Christian Vith explains that the new unit has been designed to minimise the impact of typical operational issues on process continuity. He points to the importance of the proper combination of mechanical action and controlled water dosing to stabilise plastics washing operations. Key advantages of the new Krones friction washer include simplified maintenance and intelligent detection of process disturbances.
Solutions developed from operational feedback
Both machines were developed on the basis of extensive feedback from customers and service teams, with particular focus on recurring issues related to process stability. The operational data collected was used to identify stages where bottlenecks most frequently occur and affect the efficiency of entire washing lines.
Krones Recycling Managing Director Dr Michael Gotsche emphasises that the new developments focus on the critical points of the washing process. He notes that the design of HydroCut and the new friction washer is intended to enable washing operations that are stable, achieve a high level of cleanliness and allow precise control of operating parameters. In principle, this approach makes it possible to shape the performance of the entire plastics recycling line already at the early stages of material preparation.
Presentation at IFAT and PRS Europe
Those interested in detailed information on the operation of both units and their impact on washing performance will be able to learn more during the May IFAT trade fair in Munich, where Krones Recycling will be present in Hall B5 at Booth 111, and at PRS Europe in Amsterdam at Booth E50. The presentations will cover both the new machines and the existing MetaPure Compact and MetaPure Performance washing solutions, enabling assessment of their role in the configuration of complete plastics recycling lines.
