THE RESEARCH Moretto soon understood that drying |
Comparison of a conventional hopper vs the OTX |
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was a key factor in obtaining a stable |
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moulding or extrusion process , i . e . |
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That plastics ( and synthetic fibres ) are now widely used in every technological area , and influence every aspect of our daily lives , is a fact evident to all of us . Although plastics are not naturally occurring materials , they have become part of our daily lives , even in the form of valuable objects , and are now completely familiar to us . This has not always been the case , and until a few decades ago , a plastic object , or a piece of clothing made of synthetic fibre , conveyed the feeling of a mass-produced item , certainly functional , but not always synonymous with quality . Today , the technological evolution of plastic polymers , along with their technical and aesthetic characteristics , has reached levels unimaginable until some time ago . a |
capable of guaranteeing controlled
performance in line with the required
parameters . It was therefore necessary
to examine things inside the
hopper in order to decisively improve
the performance of the system .
In-depth studies began about 30
years ago and thanks to a software
system for the analysis of “ distinct
elements ”, introduced in 2007 , a
number of experiments were carried
out that made it possible to analyse
the path followed by each single pellet
through a traditional hopper . The
analysis showed that traditional hoppers
did not guarantee the delivery of
correctly dried material , as they could
not ensure that all the pellets respected
the required dwelling times
inside the hopper .
By involving universities and external
engineering firms alongside the company
’ s Research and Development
department , and through targeted investments , Moretto then studied
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the “ hopper system ” geometry , fluid dynamics and thermodynamics through joint analyses . The Leonardo supercomputer , capable of performing 22,000 billion operations per second , made it possible to map the system from different points of view . These analyses dismantled the entire process , highlighting the areas that could be improved .
TECHNICAL FEATURES Moretto has completely redesigned the internal and external geometry of the hopper , developing the OTX model ( Original Thermal eXchanger ) which has revolutionised the drying process and the concept of the hopper itself , creating a real energy / humidity exchanger featuring extraordinary energy efficiency . The drying time is reduced by 40 % while , at the same output , the volume of the hopper is reduced by 40 %. In addition , thanks to the
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unique internal geometry and the utmost attention to detail , energy efficiency has been improved by 66 %, significantly reducing the costs of an energy-intensive process such as drying . These results give a competitive advantage over conventional hoppers . Considering the current costs of electricity , OTX guarantees a return on investment in less than two years . Each hopper is equipped with a display that monitors the drying status of the material and the temperature , so as to know the operating conditions of the machine at all times . Developments have been possible thanks to calculations using artificial intelligence . Moretto ’ s OTX hopper is an exclusive product covered by 7 patents that has revolutionised the drying methods for engineering polymers , securing the company ’ s leading position in terms of energy efficiency , competitiveness and high performance levels . |
Italian technology plast / April 2024 |
www . plastmagazine . it |
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