American Kuhne.(NPE2009: Company Notes: A Sampling of What You'll Find in Chicago)

At NPE, American Kuhne, Ashaway, Rhode Island USA, will introduce a new gearless, direct-drive extruder. The company says: "Designed to run at conventional single screw extruder speeds (100 to 150 maximum rpm is typical), the special high-torque, low-speed motor completely eliminates the need for a gearbox. This in turn eliminates long-term maintenance of gears and radial bearings as well as drive-belt adjustments. The absence of drive-belt dust and/or gear oil may also provide additional benefits for medical and other clean room installations. Furthermore, this approach yields a 10%-15% improvement in energy efficiency by eliminating gear losses and through inherent …