Reifenhäuser GmbH has introduced commercially its Reitorque direct drive in a single-screw extruder.
Reitorque allows a 30 percent smaller extruder footprint, especially useful for multilayer systems. High torque at a low speed is a key feature of Reitorque, according to the Troisdorf, Germany, company. The drive consumes 6 percent less energy than a conventional extruder drive.
The extrusion equipment major said a motor directly drives the screw shaft instead of conventional components like gearboxes, couplings and belt drives. Maintenance is significantly lower since there are fewer parts to wear out. The motor is water-cooled and runs more quietly than traditional systems. Reifenhauser said the new system's screw can be removed from the front or from behind through the drive unit.
