Matila Industrial Co., Ltd.

Blown-film machinery, waste recycling

Tapping the opportunities pushed by the global wave to minimize energy use, Matila Industrial Co., Ltd., a major maker of blown-film machinery in Taiwan, has been aggressively developing a series of waste-plastic recycling machinery to meet demands both up-, middle- and downstream. The company is promoting four major lines, including recycling & pelletizing machines, crushing & washing machines, blown-film machines, and twin screw co-extrusion machines, offering excellent selection and helping customers trim production cost via recycling plastic waste.

While most Taiwan-based plastics processing machinery makers feel the pinch of rising crude oil prices, which inevitably impact costs of raw plastics, Matila continues to hold its lead in the sector, battling the challenging global economy from its headquarters in Pali, Taipei County, northern Taiwan, mostly by developing innovative products that not only diversify range but also command bigger margins.

Founded as a small trader in 1988 by Jimmy C.T. Shen, now the president, Matila developed bag-making machinery, but Shen realized early on that few domestic manufacturers can build advanced equipment to meet demands of industrialized nations.

After securing a solid foundation in Poland, Matila has been successful to build considerable market shares in Eastern Europe and Latin America. Years of development has enabled Matila to supply global markets with over 500 self-designed machines.

Engineering Focused

While focusing on production of high-tier machinery, Matila also does not overlook the importance of investing in R&D, so as to design and build in-house key components that help to cut cost by reducing reliance on expensive imported parts.

Shen says producing high-end blown-film achinery has to be based on knowledge on raw material, operation experience, precise design and manufacture. Such motto is consistently carried out in Matila's production processes with every machine.

Shen's methodical technique and his R&D team's expertise in mechanical engineering design enable Matila to minimize lead time better than others in the sector; while Shen also attributes such speediness to effective teamwork.

Matila also follows a widely-popular technique to cope with sharply rising prices in raw materials as iron and steel. Without agreeing that cutting production cost is the most effective way to offset rising material prices, Shen says: “Cutting production cost has only limited effect to buffer rising material prices, I think the optimal way is to build higher added-value into products by adopting costly imported components.”

Niche Products

“Acknowledging the importance of securing a niche amid the harsh competition globally, we are concentrating on the development and production of four major product lines: recycling & pelletizing, crushing & washing, blown-film, and twin screw co-extrusion machines,” says Lukas Shen, the sales manager.

Blown film machine

In terms of blown-film making machines, Matila has successfully developed HDPE/LDPE/LLDPE (high-density polyester/low-density PE/linear LDPE) mono-layer blown-film making machines; two-color double-layer co-extrusion lines for double-layer industrial stretch film; three-layer co-extruder blown-film making lines; five-layer co-extruder with stack-type die heads.

Its five-layer co-extrusion blown-film line (CT-FL5/54445-1500) features five-layer stack type co-extrusion die of 300mm diameter complete with an inner bubble cooling system (IBC system), a 1,500mm oscillating take-off unit, and SA-type back-to-back winder. The line has a capacity of 120 to 200kg/hr, depending on material and film specification. The machine is for making barrier film (PE+AD+PA+AD+PE) popular used in food vacuum packing.

For the blown-film machine, the company adopts German-made high-torque gear box with direct-drive inverter motor, which can save 15% of power relative to conventional pulley-driven one; while the SSR + PID thermal-controller accurately maintains working temperature and saves power effectively.

Optional equipment for the line include die rotary device, vertical type rotary take-up unit, horizontal type oscillating haul-off, auto film width controller, back to back winder, edge slitting device, auto loader, embossing roller, trim waste rewinder, air shaft, inner bubble cooling system re-gusseting device, etc.

Crushing and Washing

Matila designs and develops crushing/washing/drying line for pre-processing plastic film/sheet waste, which is the most important factor to recycling plastic waste into pellet of virtually virgin quality.

The multi-stage washer removes most of sand and oil to minimize impurity and dirt remaining on surface of plastic waste; while the dehydrating and drying processes render washed waste virtually moisture-free, so dried plastic waste can be readily recycled into high-quality material for the next-stage of recycling & pelletizing.

This is an integrated crushing and washing line, beginning with the V-type conveyor equipped with metal detector, to pre-crusher, screw conveyor, friction washer, screw conveyor, selection water tank, powerful squeezer, drying drum, post crusher, storage tank to out-feeding screw conveyor.

And Matila guarantee the remained moisture of washed fragment will be less than 7%, and could be used in granulator for making high quality recycle granulate without problem.

The capacity for such line ranges from 300/500/1,000 kg/hr, depending on type of waste.

Recycling and Pelletizing Line

Meeting increasingly urgent global demand for recycling plastic waste, the company has differenb machines to process PE/PP sheets and bottles. The company's recycling and pelletizing line, available as CT- RZ series and CR-series, also does its part to help to minimize environmental pollution by recycling plastic waste. With volatile crude oil prices, the company believes such machines certainly pack potential amid the rising eco-consciousness worldwide.

The CT-RZ series mini-type plastic film recycling machine is suitable for small capacity PE/PP film waste recycling in film/bags making factory. The integrated design machine is easy to start up in small space of factory. The production capacity is from 40-140 kg/hr depending on model and material.

CR-series equips with crusher, storage tank, feeding system, extruder, sub extruder and water cooling type die face cutting system & centrifuge. The production capacity ranges from 100 to 450 kg/hr, with the company assuring that the output is suitable for making high-grade products.

Twin-screw Co-extrusionv Line

Realizing that some plastics cannot be handled by single-screw extruder, Matila began developing twin-screw co-extrusion lines about three years ago, by tapping its extensive manufacturing experience and know-how related to single-screw models. So now the maker is better-positioned to offer total solutions for recycling plastics.

The twin-screw co-extrusion line is versatile, applicable to masterbatching, compounding, polymer blending and alloying, filling modification, reinforcing modification, reaction, polymer recycling etc. With latest technology developing and application, twin screw co-extruder are using in recycling PET bottle, without expensive pre-crystallization equipment. The qualified recycled PET granule could be applied in producing PET perform, fiber and wrapping band.

The company offers different feeding systems according to requirement, including one-stage/two-stage twin-screw feed, side feed, and single-screw feed. Adopting heavy-duty high-torque gear box coupled with oil lubrication and coil cooler, the maker installs a torque limiter between gear box and motor for driving system protection. There is several different type cutting system for choice, strand type cutting, air cooling die face cutting, vertical type water cooling die face cutting and new developed underwater cutting system which is special for TPU, TPV.

Raising Self-reliance

While focusing on production of high-tier machinery, Matila also does not overlook the importance of investing in R&D, so as to design and build in-house key components that help to cut cost by reducing reliance on expensive imported parts. Such conscientious effort has borne fruit: five years ago or so the company began designing die heads, replacing imported counterparts, which have been fabricated by contracted specialists.

Such an innovation in R&D has reflected Matila's dedication to developing machinery that can fulfill energy efficiency and comply with the environmental-friendly concept. In a word, the company will continue to focus on the machinery that can meet customers' requirements. In the years to come, the company will expand its exposure in China by taking part in major exhibitions there as China has become one of the world's most important plastic machinery markets. (BS)

Matila Industrial Co., Ltd.

No. 186, Chung Hsiao Rd., Pali, Taipei Hsien, Taiwan

Tel: 886-2-2619-2222

Fax: 886-2-2610-1100

http://www.matila.com.tw

E-mail: matila@matila.com.tw