IMPIANTI OMS S.p.A.

 

 

At OMS Group we constantly strive to combine systems which offer our customers technical and commercial advantages whilst, at the same time, taking care to see how these processes can have the minimum impact on the environment.

 

The use of solid components, in particular mineral based fillers, is a well known technical solution for reducing cost and improving physical properties but another “addition”, that of reclaiming and regrinding PU scrap is one which is really capturing the attention of many of our customers.

 

In order to further this interest OMS Group has developed two parallel technologies for the preparation of a filler / liquid “slurry” which is then metered by our ECOFILLER high pressure dosing unit directly to the mixing head as a third component stream.

 

We are therefore proud to offer to the market these two systems, each of which offers its own particular advantages :

 

ECOFILLER D.S.B. (Discontinuous Solid Blending ) System

ECOFILLER C.S.B. (Continuous Solid Blending) System

 

The flow diagram below is a useful guide to show the different steps for each process

Irrespective of the chosen system a wide range of fillers can be used which, according to particular type, can be dispersed in polyol in percentages varying from 10% to 60%.

 

The physical properties of a range of possible fillers, their characteristics, and benefits are shown in this chart:

By far the most interest at the moment centres on the re-use of PU and PIR scrap which we have found can be recovered and used as an inert filler in the production of new articles with significant advantages in terms of both cost and waste reduction.

 

OMS Group, in conjunction with our specialist mechanical recycling partner, has developed the ECOFILLER D.S.B. and ECOFILLER C.S.B. Systems as fully integrated solutions to produce and handle polyurethane powder from scrap material. Reclaiming the powder from compacted briquettes gives the best results sinces powder density is higher and, consequently, a greater quantity can be introduced without bulking up the resulting mixture of powder and liquid.

 

The material produced from our regrinding process ( free from metal contaminants) has been analysed through electron microscopy , and the average particle size ‹50 micron is ideal for the subsequent blending process with polyol.

Electron Microscope Photograph
briquette photograph
Powder photo
particle size distribution  chart / graph

ECOFILLER D.S.B. (Discontinuous Solid Blending )

 

The first system developed by OMS Group is based on the batch blending principle whereby the selected filler ( mineral or PU scrap) is loaded by hopper or Archimedes screw into a tank containing a predetermined quantity of polyol.

An efficient blending cycle follows to ensure correct dispersion of the filler in the liquid and the prepared batch is ready for use by our ECOFILLER high pressure dosing unit.

 

ECOFILLER C.S.B. (Continuous Solid Blending ) Patent Pending

 

Our latest development takes our involvement in this process on to the next level by offering a method of introducing a filler/polyol blend into continuous processe such as the production of rigid or flexible faced insulation products.

 

This patented process will be of great interest to the continuous production sector since it offers considerable economic and environmental benefits by reducing consumption of raw materials and eliminating transport and disposal costs by recovering waste material on site.

 

If, for example, you consider that for every 100 tonnes of material produced on a continuous line ( and allowing an average of 1.5% for scrap arising from cutting and trimming operations) you will produce 1.5 tonnes of waste material.

 

Imagine, therefore, if the material could be reclaimed and reused without affecting basic formulation then an ideal balance would be reached where external waste disposal is eliminated and consumption of virgin material is reduced.

 

From the extensive work we have carried out in our own laboratorty and in several field trials with many of our customers we have seen this is a realistic and attainable target.

 

Our ECOFILLER C.S.B. continuous solid blending unit fully exploits this opportunity by offering a developed process which permits continuous feeding and in-line blending of fillers with polyol ready for dosing directly to the mixing head via the ECOFILLER high pressure dosing unit.

The OMS ECOFILLER high pressure dosing unit handles the pre-conditioned liquid / powder blend produced by either the D.S.B. or C.S.B. upstream processes. It meters and mixes the slurry at the required output and pressure with the remaining components of the reactive mixture, injection being directly in the mixing head as a third stream.

 

Accuracy of metering is assured by the use of a specially treated high pressure gear pump and, in the case of high speed lines using two or three fixed heads in the laydown area, the ECOFILLER can be specified with single, double or triple metering pump assemblies. Specially configured mass flow meters suitable for use with high viscosity filled liquids coupled with self regulating closed loop control can also be specified.

                                             
                                                               ECOFILLER DOSING UNIT

Our ECOMIX Y2K Series mixing heads are available in a wide range of sizes, according to total output required, and there are versions for both discontinuous and continuous production methods. Every version is pr-prepared to accept a third component metering line.

 

The patented Y2K-10 self cleaning mixing head for continuous panel production permits high pressure recycle of all components before and after pouring so foam is perfect immediately on production start. At the end of the pouring cycle the same high pressure recirculation cycle “cleans” the nozzles and enables production to restart without the need to dismantle and clean the nozzles and holders, a typical requirement with other plants.