Photo Credit: Dieffenbacher GmbH
It was reported in December that, in order to help thermoplastic component manufacturers capitalize on increased demand for their products particularly with the shift toward e-mobility and a circular economy Dieffenbacher GmbH (Eppingen, Germany) has increased the application and component flexibility and throughput of its direct-long-fiber thermoplastic molding (D-LFT) plants. According to the company, this added flexibility enables the use of recycled polymers while also increasing plant performance.
Dieffenbacher D-LFT plants typically use a two-machine technology (Dieffenbacher recently manufactured a modified version of this for a customer, which does not require a second extruder) with two extruders whose parameters such as speed, temperature, etc. can be set independently of each other. In the first extruder, plastic and additives are melted and processed into a homogeneous mixture, while in the second extruder, glass fibers are r