Coperion goes digital to showcase plastics recycling equipment

Friedrichshafen, Germany — At Fakuma, Coperion GmbH showcased a 3D simulation of a complete plastics recycling plant. Together with its subsidiary Herbold, acquired two years ago, the Germany-based machine manufacturer used technology to demonstrate the plastics recycling process.

"Coperion is always used to offer entire plants and systems," Bettina König, director of global marketing communications at Coperion, explained to Sustainable Plastics on the show floor in Friedrichshafen in October.

"With the equipment we have and the scope of these systems, it's impossible to put them on a trade show. This 3D simulation helps us to show the size of our systems and our entire portfolio, what we are offering for complete plants, plastics production, compounding as well as recycling."

This digital approach isn't new for Coperion, which first decided to shift to virtual displays in 2010.

"When we acquired Herbold about two years ago, we complemented our existing recycling technology with Herbold's, which offers upstream equipment. This is a good way to illustrate how everything works together. It allows us to fully illustrate how recycled materials can be upcycled into higher-quality products," König said.

A 3D simulation allows visitors to navigate through the plant virtually, with some drawn to specific areas of interest, while others receive guided tours by Coperion's staff.

"It's more than just a presentation; it's an experience," König said. "We can explain complex systems like the twin-screw extruder, which helps visitors visualize how these machines work in real time."

At larger trade shows like K, Coperion takes this digital showcase to the next level by projecting simulations on massive LED walls, creating a truly immersive experience.

"It's a different experience than using brochures at a trade show. You can navigate through it and really get a feel for the dimensions and how it all works together."

After Fakuma, Coperion is looking forward to its two-day Recycling Days event, taking place on Nov. 6-7 at its Recycling Innovation Center in nearby Weingarten, Germany.

The high-tech test center for plastics recycling applications opened November 2023 in the immediate vicinity of Coperion's existing test center for Bulk Solids Handling, expanding the company's test lab capacities in Germany alone up to 5,000 square meters.

The center allows Coperion's customers to test every recycling process step, from material handling and feeding to extrusion, compounding, pelletizing, material post-processing and deodorization. Extensively equipped recycling systems are available that can be modified in myriad ways, depending upon the specific requirements of the recyclate to be produced.

Machinery available include the Fluidlift ecodry for material flash drying during conveying; the Mix-a-Lot bulk solid mixer for creating pre-mixes including flakes or powders; a ZS-B MEGAfeed side feeder, especially for extruding and compounding plastic recyclates with bulk densities starting as low as 20 kilograms per cubic meter at high throughputs; and twin-screw extruders.

Recycling Days promise an engaging mix of presentations, panel discussions and live demonstrations, including recycling household plastic waste into pellets.

"This event is not just about us," König said. "We're bringing together industry experts, partners and customers to discuss the current challenges in plastic recycling."

Visitors will be guided through the testing and recycling processes that have Coperion's STS 26 MC11 lab extruder and the ZSK 58 MC18 recycling extruder at their core. "During the guided tours, our experts will exactly explain what they are doing and what is being produced and how it's being produced — that's quite exciting," König said.

Coperion frequently tests materials provided by customers at the center, either to meet specific quality requirements or to explore opportunities.

"Some customers know exactly what they need. They know how their feedstock is composed, and they want to test if we can achieve a certain level of quality for their end product," König explained.

"Others send us materials to see what quality we can achieve. At Weingarten, we have different possibilities to test the material that comes out of the extruder and see if it meets quality requirements or not. We also use the center for research and development of our processes and equipment."

Herbold also operates its own test center at Meckesheim, spanning 800 square meters. The companies integrate their processes for material testing, with samples first being washed and cut at Meckesheim and then compounded at Weingarten.