FLORENCE, KY. — Berstorff GmbH claims it is building the largest single-screw extruder in the world. The firm's KE 800 extruder will have a screw diameter of 800 millimeters, a processing length of nearly 15 meters and throughput capacity of as much as 80,000 pounds an hour. The extruder's screw alone, which will be built at Berstorff's Hanover, Germany, headquarters plant, weighs about 40,000 pounds, the company said.
The KE 800 will surpass Berstorff's previous record of single-screw extruders with 600mm screws, first built in 1974 and subsequently delivered to customers in the United States, France, Malaysia, Netherlands, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. So far, Berstorff has built 52 single-screw extruders with screw diameters of 400-600mm.
The KE 800 was ordered by the Technip Group for installation at a low density polyethylene plant operated by Petlin/Malaysia, a joint venture of Petronas, Polifin Ltd. and DSM NV. Typically such extruders are used to degass hydrocarbons and other volatiles from LDPE to meet emissions regulations and improve quality.
Berstorff is part of Mannesmann Plastics Machinery Group of Munich, Germany. Its Florence- based subsidiary, Berstorff Corp., made the North American announcement of the KE 800 project.
