Cygnet Texkimp has unveiled a production-ready thermoplastic line to manufacture thermoplastic tapes in large volumes.
The Direct Melt Impregnation Thermoplastic Line is believed to be the world’s first commercially available thermoplastic manufacturing line capable of using standard polymers, from polypropylene to PEEK, to create high-grade thermoplastic prepregs on an industrial scale.
“For the first time, we are offering the mainstream industrial markets, including automotive and construction, a workable way of manufacturing thermoplastics efficiently and in high volumes using standard raw materials and secure supply routes,” explains Andy Whitham, Technical Manager at Cygnet Texkimp.
“Thermoplastics are attractive because they are light, strong, chemically stable, sustainable and recyclable. However, the cost and availability of specialist raw materials used to make them and the complexity of existing manufacturing processes have so far prevented all but the highest-end applications – namely air and spacecraft, sports cars, golf clubs and wind turbines – from adopting them.
“We’ve developed a simpler, cleaner, faster, more cost-effective way of manufacturing thermoplastics in high volumes. By using standard polymer in pellet form we have significantly simplified and shortened the process without compromising the quality and performance of the end product. We’ve created a compact machine that can easily be accommodated within a relatively small manufacturing facility and doesn’t require any particular specialist knowledge to operate.”