SML Technology Centre
Industry 4.0
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Technology Centre

Creating solutions together.

Our engineers and technicians relentlessly strive to craft the best solution for our customers. No matter the task or challenge you have in store for us, we will work together with you at the Redlham pilot plant to develop ideal solutions that go above and beyond the latest industry standards.

SML supports you to realise your ideas and test them sufficiently.

The production of customer samples, the common development of new products and joint test series plays a key role in SML’s partnership with its customers. Joint R&D activities facilitate the mutual understanding, and through it, the anticipative fulfilment of customer wishes. Not least, the findings generated together are having a direct impact on the further development of new machinery and technology at SML.

 

 

Line Types

Available demonstration line types:

Keeping you on top form.

Multi-purpose ClassicPET sheet line

With its recent industrial-scale pilot line, SML provides its customers a multi-functional sheet line for intensive R&D activities to further drive circular economy. Customers can use SML's ClassicPET sheet line to test their own specific material and to produce samples of C-PET light, foamed PET and rPET sheet.

A wide variety of recyclable products
The multi-purpose ClassicPET line is able to produce sheets from up to 100 % post-consumer recycled material (PCR) in a general thickness range of 150 - 1,200 µm. A gas injection unit for the core layer extruder is employed to manufacture foamed sheet with material savings up to 60 % for common thermoformed products. And finally, C-PET light sheet combines transparency, recyclability as well as the suitability for the economic production of thermoformed hot-filling products.

Technical Data
MaterialsPET, PP, PS
Max. line speed70 m/min.
Max. net film width1,150 mm
Max. output1,200 kg/h
Thickness range150 - 1,200 µm
StructuresA/B/A, A/B, B/A, B
SML

Advantages of ClassicPET:

  • New design with 25 % lower footprint 
  • Robust, technically mature and easy-to-operate
  • Minimised loss of intrinsic viscosity
  • Simple product adaptions
  • EFSA, FDA ready

Teaming up for innovations.

Advanced FlexPack extrusion coating and laminating line

From 3rd quarter 2023 onwards, a completely new production scale FlexPack extrusion coating and lamminating line is ready for performance tests, sample production and joint R&D projects.

The state-of the-art FlexPlack line features a number of technical innovations: 
The plant is equipped with three extruders, that are configured to process a huge variety of different polymers - ranging from polyolefins to TPU, TPE, PET PLA and EVOH. The co-extrusion feeblock provides up to five layers, which enables the production of barrier-coated film for flexible packaging now. An additional single unwind is integrated for the production of reinforced laminates.

Technical Data
SubstratesPaper, BOPP/BOPET film, Aluminium foil, Metallised film, Barrier film Laminates, Nonwovens, Scrim
Extrusion materialsLDPE, PP, EAA, EMA, EVA, IONOMERS,...
Max. line speed450 m/min.
Roller width1,800 mm
Substrate width700 - 1,650 mm
Coating weight8 - 50 g/sqm (depending on the product)
SML coating and laminating products

Advantages of FlexPack :

  • Reduced floor space requirements
  • Good accessibility
  • High quality components
  • Easy operation

Product properties at excellence.

Multi-purpose cast film line with MDO

The new, industrial-scale pilot plant is designed for the production of CPP, CPE, Cast-PET, Barrier, MOPP, MOPE and MOPET film at excellence film properties.


Next to these standard products, mono-oriented materials for packaging and EVOH barrier structures are the main focus for common development efforts.

 

Technical data
Max. line speed400 m/min.
Max. final film width
(cast)
2,450 mm
Max. final film width
(MDO)
2,200 mm
Number of extruder5
Number of layers7
SML

Key features:

  • Vast variety of different film properties
  • Motorised adjustable stretching gap
  • Safe & easy service-friendly design
  • Wide application range using the MDO
  • Stiffer film with a good flatness for printing applications

Small, compact, strong.

MiniCast® stretch wrap film line

 

SML’s MiniCast demonstration line is primarily installed as a service to its customers for trial runs in production scale. State-of-the art technology is provided to find solutions to future challenges relating circular economy and sustainability in stretch film production.

Flexibility in production is given through the applied stretch film winder W4000, which significantly contributes to the lines over-all performance.

Technical data
Max. line speedup to 650 m/min
Max. final width3 x 500 mm
Number of extruder3
SML stretch wrap film

The MiniCast demonstration line enables versatile research on

  • testing and improving of new formulations
  • processing of increased post-industrial / post-consumer recycled material content
  • silage film

High performance and flexibility

Austrofil® CF HT spinning line

This Austrofil spinning line has been specially developed for the production of technical and textile yarns with high tensile strength. It has become a top seller with more than 200 machines sold worldwide. Its high speeds, broad titre range and excellent production stability have made a convincing impression.

 

This demonstration line enables versatile possibilities on

  • ultimate performance tests
  • testing different polymers
  • production of samples


 

Technical data
Austrofil HT 4x2/4/75, 8/16 ends
PolymerPolypropylene, MFR 10-35 / PA6, RV 3.2 - 3.4
Titre range165 - 4,400 dtex
Output capacity160 kg/h, 3.84 t/d
SML Austrofil FDY yarn

Key features:

  • Wide titre range
  • High tenacity through unique heat treatmentsystem
  • Fast and easy product changeovers
SML is so much more
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