KraussMaffei Berstorff (Hannover / Germany; www.berstorff.com) has won an order from a Chinese film manufacturer for an extrusion line for solar EVA film. The company, which is the extrusion subsidiary of plastics processing machinery producer KraussMaffei (Munich / Germany; www.kraussmaffei.com), says the twin-screw extruder and a flexible “PlanetCalander” smoothing unit. It will be used for the production of high-quality low-shrinkage EVA film that is embossed on both sides and applied to photovoltaic modules.

Dieter Ernst, sales manager for film and sheet lines at KraussMaffei Berstorff, says the modular co-rotating twin-screw extruders of the ZE series can be adapted to particular process applications. “As the raw material is directly processed into the finished film without requiring repeated heating and cooling of the polymer, extremely gentle material treatment is ensured," he adds. The flat sheet lines are designed for output rates of over 1,000 kg/h and film widths of up to 2,000 mm.

The PlanetCalander adjustment mechanism also contributes to the high film quality, KraussMaffei Berstorff says. The first and third rolls can be adjusted relative to the second roll, allowing cooling conditions to be adapted, it explains. The rolls also ensure constant and reproducible embossing on both film sides, while the downstream temperature control unit compensates for the shrinkage stress generated by the extrusion process, the company adds.