Austrian extruder firm Battenfeld-Cincinnati will showcase its new fiberEX 114 parallel twin-screw extruder for wood composite profiles next year at the 9th Wood-Plastic Composite (WPC) conference slated for 25-27 February 2013 in Vienna.

WPC is a growth market, particularly in Europe, which garners an annual rate of 20 to 25% , superseding the US market as initially the growth driver until the latter has become saturated while the Asian market exhibits the most robust growth of an estimated 30-35%. Decking profiles account for 75% of the total market volume, while new injection-moulded and extruded products are getting more buyers.

Currently gaining ground as an important alternative to the commonly used hollow profiles, solid decking profiles constitute a new trend in the WPC industry. Developed from the German market, it is establishing a foothold throughout Europe. Solid profiles can be cut diagonally , hassle-free and do not need any injection-moulded end caps even when cut straight, since there are no hollow chambers that need to be covered. Due to their smaller surface, they also have less capacity for absorbing moisture and are therefore considered even more resistant to weathering. This is a major advantage especially in outdoor applications such as decks with non-rectangular floor plans.

Battenfeld-Cincinnati has over 50 WPC lines installed worldwide. With fiberEX 114, the company says it will be able to extend its portfolio with a second parallel extruder (with outputs ranging from 280 to 520 kg/hour) in addition to the fiberEX 135, designed especially for high-performance WPC extrusion.The parallel extruder enables the production of solid WPC profiles with optimal process stability and maximal output. It also handles difficult, low-density bulk materials without any problems and permits maximum degassing performance.

The WPC conference is organised by UK-based Applied Market Information.

(PRA)

Electronic Editions 2012