KraussMaffei launches new extrusion line for tyre components

The new QuintoPlex line is suited for combining up to five tyre components of different compounds – cap, base, wing, cushion, and chimney – to one tread in a single working cycle. Depending on process requirements, the line can be equipped with cold-fed extruders featuring screw diameters of 45 – 250 mm. Several Multiplex lines with five extruders have already been sold since its recent launch, says the company.

The new QuintoPlex extrusion line is a further development of the company’s QuadroPlex extrusion heads. According to KraussMaffei Berstorff, the QuadroPlex line components have been optimised, enabling the company to place the thermally decoupled fifth extruder in the head center. The special design of the short flow channels within the extrusion head is an additional benefit of the new concept. The material can thus be transferred from the round diameter in the screw area to the flat rectangular profile shape without being subjected to extreme deflection.

In addition to high cost-effectiveness and substantially reduced space requirements, the company has ensured easy machine access for operators. In particular with compounds for asymmetric low rolling resistance tyres, the discharge position of the conductive compound on the tread can be freely varied using special inserts. Many tyre producers provide their treads with a conductive bar, for example – the so-called chimney – to improve the electro-static discharge properties of treads with high silica content. The chimney ensures that electrostatic charges are discharged to the road.