Brookner Teams With BB Engineering To Launch World's First 360mm PET Single-Screw Extruder

BB Engineering announced that it has completed the commissioning and start-up of two single-screw extruders with a screw diameter of 360 mm, marking the first time such specifications for single-screw extruders used in PET processing have been brought to market. The equipment has been installed at a base in China as part of a Brückner biaxially oriented polyester film (BO-PET) production line, for the production of high-quality optical films.

These two single-screw extruders, weighing over 46 tons, presented significant challenges in both technical implementation and transportation. Image source: BB Engineering.

BB Engineering is a joint venture between Barmag, a subsidiary of Reiter which is a manufacturer of fiber spinning systems, texturing machines, and gear metering pumps, and Brückner Group, a manufacturer of biaxial film stretching equipment. The company, headquartered in Remscheid, Germany, focuses on the research, design, and manufacturing of extrusion, compounding, filtration technologies, as well as spinning, air texturing lines, and recycling technologies for the plastics and textile industries.

Capacity reaches 5,400 kg/hour

This newly developed extruder features a barrier screw design, with a maximum capacity of 5400 kg/h. BB Engineering states that the screw is 11.5 meters long and 360 millimeters in diameter, and its manufacturing and transportation pose significant technical and logistics challenges. The equipment weighs over 46 tons and is more than 14 meters long, driven by two high-efficiency water-cooled motors, with a single motor output power of 700 kilowatts.

Pioneering a New Application Field for PET Processing

BB Engineering stated that this 360-mm extruder represents a technological milestone in PET processing, opening up entirely new application possibilities for high-performance products and further solidifying its position in the global extrusion technology market.