Method and device for producing at least one PLA strip

Abstract

An apparatus for producing at least one PLA tape includes a heating device for heating a tapelike extruded PLA film. The apparatus further includes a slitting device for slitting the PLA film heated by means of the heating device into the at least one PLA tape. The apparatus further includes a control unit which is configured to control the heating device in such a way that the PLA film is heated by the heating device to a PLA temperature in the range from 40 to 70 C. The apparatus further includes a drawing device downstream of the slitting device.

Claims

1. An apparatus for producing at least one polylactide (PLA) tape, comprising: a heating device, comprising at least one heated godet for heating a tape-shaped extruded PLA film; a control unit which is configured to control the heating device in such a way that the PLA film is heated by the heating device to a PLA temperature in the range from a glass transition temperature to 70 C.; a slitting device for slitting the PLA film heated by means of the heating device into the at least one PLA tape, while the PLA film has the PLA temperature in the range from the glass transition temperature to 70 C.; and a drawing device downstream of the slitting device.

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the slitting device comprises a plurality of blades for slitting the PLA film.

3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the slitting device is designed in such a way that a variable number of the blades can be used for slitting the PLA film and/or that the blades can be used at a variable distance from one another for slitting the PLA film.

Description

(1) The invention and also the technical environment are elucidated in more detail below with reference to the figures. It should be noted that there is no intention to restrict the invention by the exemplary embodiments shown. In particular, unless explicitly stated otherwise, it is also possible for partial aspects of the content elucidated in the figures to be extracted and combined with other constituents and insights from the present description and/or figures. It should be noted in particular that the figures, and especially the proportions shown, are only schematic. Identical reference symbols denote identical objects, and so explanations from other figures may be employed as a supplement where appropriate. In the drawings:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a schematic order of a process of the invention for producing at least one PLA tape,

(3) FIG. 2 shows a schematic side view of an apparatus of the invention for producing at least one PLA tape by the process according to FIG. 1, and

(4) FIG. 3 shows a schematic plan view of part of the apparatus from FIG. 2.

(5) FIG. 1 shows a schematic order of a process of the invention for producing at least one PLA tape 3. The reference symbols relate to FIGS. 2 and 3. The process comprises: a) providing a tapelike extruded PLA film 2, b) heating the PLA film 2 provided in step a) by means of at least one heated godet 6 to a temperature in the range from 40 to 70 C., c) slitting the PLA film 2 heated in step b) into a plurality of PLA tapes 3. In this procedure, edge regions 5 of the PLA film 2 are cut off. A breadth B of the PLA tapes 3 is changed between different sections of the process. The PLA film 2 is held under a tensile stress during slitting. For that purpose the PLA film 2 is guided over two godets 6, 7, which are driven at speeds which are different from one another by a factor in the range from 1.01 to 1.05. A first of the godets 6 is heated and is also utilized for heating the PLA film 2 in step b). d) drawing the PLA film 2 slit in step c).

(6) FIG. 2 shows a schematic side view of an apparatus 1 of the invention for producing at least one PLA tape 3. The apparatus 1 is configured to carry out the process from FIG. 1. The apparatus 1 can be used to produce a plurality of PLA tapes 3 from a PLA film 2. The apparatus 1 is shown together with the PLA tapes 3 and the PLA film 2, which are not part of the apparatus 1. First of all, a tapelike PLA film 2 is produced by extrusion. The starting material for this film comprises pellets 15, which are held in a hopper 14 of the apparatus 1 and can be supplied from there to an extrusion device 16 of the apparatus 1. The PLA film 2 was formed from the pellets 15 by extrusion in the extrusion device 16. Leaving the extrusion device 2, the PLA film 2, as indicated by arrows, is guided over godets 6, 7 and 8 and in this procedure is processed to form the PLA tapes 3, which are lastly wound up as the completed product onto a product spool 4.

(7) In step b) of the process from FIG. 1, the PLA film 2 is first heated. For this purpose the apparatus 1 comprises a heating device 9. In the embodiment shown, the heating device 9 is formed by a first godet 6, which is heated. For this purpose the apparatus 1 comprises a control unit 12, which is configured to control the heating device 9 in such a way that the PLA film 2 is heated by the heating device 9 to a PLA temperature in the range from 40 to 70 C. The PLA film 2 is subsequently slit in step b). For this purpose the apparatus 1 comprises a slitting device 10. After the slitting, the PLA film 2 takes the form of the PLA tapes 3. These are drawn by means of a drawing device 11. The drawing device 11 is formed by a second godet 7 and a third godet 8, which are rotated at different speeds. The slitting device 10 is arranged downstream of the heating device 9. The drawing device 11 is arranged downstream of the slitting device 10.

(8) FIG. 3 shows a schematic plan view of a part of the apparatus 1 from FIG. 2 together with the PLA film 2 and PLA tapes 3. It is apparent in particular that the PLA film 2 is slit by the slitting device 10 into PLA tapes 3 and that edge regions 5 of the PLA film are cut off by the slitting device 10. It is also apparent that the slitting device 10 comprises a plurality of blades 13 for slitting the PLA film 2 into PLA tapes 3. The design of the slitting device 10 is such that a variable number of the blades 13 can be used for slitting the PLA film 2 and that the blades 13 can be used at a variable distance from one another for slitting the PLA film 2.

LIST OF REFERENCE SYMBOLS

(9) 1 apparatus 2 PLA film 3 PLA tape 4 product spool 5 edge regions 6 first godet 7 second godet 8 third godet 9 heating device 10 slitting device 11 drawing device 12 control unit 13 blade 14 hopper 15 pellets 16 extrusion device B breadth