By Ron Shinn
Müller GmbH, Troisdorf, Germany, launched the Reco 3 Accuhead system at K 2025, a three-layer accumulator head for improved processing of post-consumer resin (PCR).
The Reco 3 combines material for three layers, including a PCR layer, into a single cylinder, which reduces the number of extruders needed for three-layer processing from three to one. The system has been tested on 5-gallon containers, and the company said it is scalable from half-gallon containers up to 265-gallon intermediate bulk containers.
Depending on the container size, the corresponding accumulator volumes range from roughly 1 gallon for a 5-gallon container up to 16 gallons for large industrial parts. The system can be combined with die tools with approximately 100mm diameters up to 800mm diameters. This scalability makes the Reco 3 Accuhead particularly attractive for converters that wish to standardize their production setup across different container sizes while maintaining layer stability and output consistency.
A Müller spokesman said the company believes there is no other technology like the Accuhead system currently available. “The Reco 3 Accuhead enables clean and stable three-layer production on accumulator head machines — something that competitors have attempted before, but without the same consistency or performance,” said the spokesman.
The Reco 3 Accuhead is primarily designed to be used as a single-head system for three-layer applications. In some applications, those accumulator heads can also be used in a dual-head system.
The U.S. market has a large installed base of single-layer accumulator-head machines widely used for industrial packaging. Müller said many processors are looking for sustainable ways to modernize these lines without replacing the entire machine.
“With the Reco 3 Accuhead, we can offer a retrofit solution that allows them to produce three-layer packaging — ideal for incorporating higher shares of recycled material while improving the carbon footprint,” Müller said. “We are already in promising discussions with several major brand owners and converters which have systems like Uniloy, Milacron, Sterling, Davis-Standard, Graham Engineering, Kautex or Bekum in the U.S. market.”
Reaction to the new concept was positive at the K show introduction. “Customers appreciated the retrofit capability, the ability to process recycled materials and the contribution to sustainability goals,” according to the company spokesman.
“The sustainability aspect was particularly convincing in two ways. First, it enabled the use of higher proportions of recycled material in the production process itself. Second, it allowed processors to continue using their existing machinery through a retrofit solution instead of replacing it entirely,” the spokesman said.
The company has a patent pending on the Reco 3 Accuhead. Its internal flow concept and control principle for stable multilayer distribution over the entire accumulator cycle are key innovations.
Müller some time ago developed its CoEx4 barrier technology to use an ethylene-vinyl alcohol (EVOH) or polyamide (PA) layer to eliminate use of per- and polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS). This technology eliminates the need for fluorination in barrier packaging. This is a different product line from the new Accuhead system.
Contact:
Müller USA Inc., Agawam, Mass., 413-787-0664, www.mullerheads.com
