At stand B62-C57, K.D. Feddersen GmbH & Co. KG, Succursale France together with their sister company FEDDEM GmbH & Co. KG and the Swedish startup Biofiber Tech Sweden AB presented their new products.
This year, K.D. Feddersen Distribution is focussing on alternatives to fossil raw materials and is working on further market development for applications for recycled, bio-based, bio-based and biodegradable materials. "We would like to emphasise our long-standing partnerships with suppliers who are working in the same direction as us and promoting the circular economy for plastics. These include Lyondellbasell with its Circulen strategy, Ascend with the ReDyfyneTM product family (recycled PA 6.6 and PA 6 compounds) and the Skylonitrile® (rABS) and Skystyrene® (rPS) product families from Skytech, which are manufactured using a patented process technology (triboelectricity)," says Sébastien Bressan, Sales Director at K.D. Feddersen GmbH & Co. KG. Succursale France.
The distributor is also focussing on new developments in the automotive industry, for example with the newly added ALTUGLASTM from TRINSEO, which has been a strong brand in the PMMA (polymethyl methacrylate) sector for over 70 years. In addition to an extensive range of universally applicable grades, the portfolio also includes chemically resistant and impact-modified PMMA as well as light-diffusing grades. According to the manufacturer, the ALTUGLASTM R-Life series also offers circular solutions based on chemically or mechanically recycled raw material components.
In January 2024, K.D. Feddersen Distribution in Europe expanded its extensive PBT range of Celanex® and Vandar® from Celanese with new grades for food applications, e-mobility, halogen-free flame retardancy and high CTI values. In addition, the distributor now offers a range of grades with low warpage, including V-0 grades. The portfolio has also been significantly expanded to include unfilled PBT grades with a melt volume flow rate (MVR) of <9 to >100. The new range is rounded off by impact-modified Crastin® PBT grades.
The machinery builder FEDDEM GmbH & Co. KG will be presenting further developments in its extrusion and compounding systems at this year's FIP.
With a production portfolio of a full range of co-rotating twin-screw extruders with throughput rates from 4 kg/h to 4000 kg/h FEDDEM´s innovative side-feeding technology, the FSB-V, sets new standards for precise process control and increased throughput when producing compounds with lightweight bulk fillers and reinforcements. The version equipped with a sight glass enables direct observation of the processes in the hopper before the feed stream is compacted. Of course, conventional FSB side feeding, and FSV side vacuum degassing are still available as expansion options (see image 2).
Keeping downtimes short is crucial to efficient compound production. This is a major challenge when extensive product changes require an exchange of screws. the company´s field-proven double-brush cleaning device type FRE was especially developed for use with figure-8-shaped borings. After removal of the screws the FRE enables efficient cleaning of the bore of the processing section when the extruder is still at operating temperature. Idle times for cool down and reheating of the processing section are eliminated. “The drive shaft of the FRE now has a modular design, which allows adapting its length to different process lengths on site. The protective sleeve of the drive shaft prevents unintentional contact with the rotating shaft by the operator and the shape of the transfer gear housing absorbs dangerous torque jolts to the drive of the FRE in case a brush gets accidentally caught in barrel openings during the cleaning process. This ensures that the operator is fully protected against injury during operation”, says Klaus Hojer Business Development Manager at FEDDEM.
To meet the increasing demands for high sustainability, the compounding plant must be kept fully functional and unplanned production stops must be avoided. To this end, FEDDEM offers a range of service packages, from wear condition surveys to customised plans for predictive maintenance of the system. The machine manufacturer´s team is endeavouring to avoid unplanned production interruptions and to identify potential for increasing the efficiency of the production lines. Remote support via visual online communication (Augmented Reality) can complement continuous customer support.
In addition to conventional short fibre compounding processes, the company from Sinzig, Germany, also offers LFT pultrusion lines to produce LFT-G long pellets. According to the company, FEDDEM's lines are at the forefront in terms of performance, quality, and ease of use. For example, in addition to unprecedentedly tight tolerances of the fibre content in the pellets, the repeat accuracy of the achievable material properties of the LFT compound can also be achieved when employing different line sizes with draw-off speeds of up to 60 m/min.
The start-up Biofiber Tech Sweden AB is exhibiting at the FIP in Lyon for the first time and is presenting its material innovation FibraQ®. on the French market for the first time. "Our partnership with K.D. Feddersen underlines our joint commitment to sustainable material solutions in Europe," says Sara Georgsson, Marketing & Business Development Director at Biofiber Tech Sweden AB.
The company will be demonstrating the versatility of FibraQ® and its compounds to trade visitors using a range of exemplary applications to emphasise the benefits in terms of sustainable production that this material offers in the partial replacement of fossil-based plastics.
"We look forward to welcoming many interested visitors to demonstrate FibraQ® products in practice and discuss potential applications and partnerships," says Sara Georgsson.