NEW E-MAX™ 40MM TWIN-SCREW EXTRUDER FROM ENTEK IDEAL FOR CUSTOM COMPOUNDING APPLICATIONS
Latest Addition to ENTEK E-MAX™ Product Line Includes Several New Features, Including All-New ENTEK Smart Control System

NPE 2006, Booth No. 1304, McCormick Place South

Lebanon, OR (June 19, 2006) . . . ENTEK has introduced the latest addition to its E-MAX™ twin-screw extruder line with the launch of its new E40 Extruder. Ideal for custom compounding and running small lots of highly customized materials, ENTEK has introduced the E40 as a solution for extruders looking for a small-sized twin-screw machine for advanced research and development or production needs.

The E40 is a 40mm diameter twin-screw extruder that features a Henschel TGE gearbox. The E40 features screw speeds of up to 1200 RPM driven by a 150hp motor. A key feature of the E40 is that it is a self-contained unit, with PLC control, cooling system, lube system, and vacuum pump on board, with utility hook-ups in place for fast setup and operation.

Like all ENTEK E-MAX™ extruders, the E40 features stainless steel doors and shrouding with all wear components (screws, barrels, etc.) custom-built in the USA by ENTEK at its Lebanon, Oregon headquarters. Another feature of all ENTEK extruders is their design flexibility, whereby optional equipment can be easily installed. All E40 machines will be pre-tested at ENTEK before shipment.

New ENTEK Smart Control System

Also being introduced is the new line of ENTEK Smart Controls. The new E-MAX™ E-40 is the first ENTEK extruder to include these controls, but they are now available for use with all E-MAX twin-screw extruder models.

ENTEK Smart Controls feature Pentium 4 computers with 17” flat-screen displays and NEMA 4 keyboards for industrial strength operation. The monitor is separate from the PC, allowing for simple screen replacement if necessary. Featuring an Allen-Bradley PLC with 1.5MB of memory, each of these controllers can handle pre-programming of up to 45 heat zones, 10 feeders, and 100 recipes. USB connections allow for simple connection of auxiliary computer devices (e.g. USB flash memory, external mouse, etc). As with all previous controls, ENTEK continues to configure its controls instrumentation with off the shelf components to allow end users to easily source replacement parts.

These controllers offer better power, flexibility and more detailed graphics than previously used controls. Currently, ENTEK connects to our controls via modem and in the future those connections will be via Ethernet. This will allow for high speed networking with ENTEK Technical support personnel from anywhere in the world.

The new Smart Controls offer users advanced troubleshooting and diagnostic capabilities. Trending, historical tracking, and recipe control capabilities are all available through the controller’s human-machine interface (HMI). The system can link to detailed help screens, with help buttons programmed for defining alarms, contacting suppliers and vendors, and showing detailed schematic drawings in HTML file formats. This “help button” format is easily customized so users can check off boxes on the operator’s screen to allow the functions they want.

Designed for simple addition of functions in the field, ENTEK Smart Controls are user-customizable and feature the ability to troubleshoot and control from a remote location. This makes it easier for maintenance people to troubleshoot problems that occur. In addition, users can operate multiple machines with one HMI through the use of Ethernet connections.

About ENTEK

ENTEK Extruders are produced by ENTEK Manufacturing, Inc. Headquartered in Lebanon, Oregon, USA, ENTEK is a customer focused manufacturer of turnkey production systems, twin screw extruders, and components. The company is a leader in the extrusion of natural fiber-plastic composites (wood decking), pelletizing, custom compounding (mixing of colorants, fillers, etc), specialty sheet lines, and other markets including food and medical applications. In addition to producing state-of-the-art twin screw extruders, ENTEK’s highly-trained engineering department helps companies optimize production, and ENTEK’s turnkey expertise helps customers establish complete plant-wide operations, often from the ground up. ENTEK began operations in the 1980’s as a producer of highly filled specialized plastic sheet for the maintenance-free automotive battery market. At that time the company was purchasing commercially available twin-screw extruders to support its core business, but quickly determined that it needed to develop its own extrusion solutions to support production of this difficult to process material. ENTEK Manufacturing, Inc. was established initially as a sister company to ENTEK International, to provide machinery and all turnkey engineering support.

Building off this success with its sister company, ENTEK has grown to become one of the industry’s leading providers of twin screw extrusion solutions. The company provides complete, turnkey engineering support that enables customers to develop and operate highly productive, efficient processing plants for a wide variety of materials. ENTEK Extruders feature high throughput and wear resistant components that can successfully process highly abrasive materials with minimal downtime.

Today, ENTEK is committed to continuing its dynamic growth by helping customers meet or exceed their business objectives, worldwide.