Products

Introduction to Gala Underwater Pelletizers

Gala Underwater Pelletizing Systems combine many economic and ecological benefits that will make you more competitive:

• Safe pelletizing process
• Low energy requirements
• Short downtimes
• Flexible floor arrangements
• Automated start-up, shutdown, and remote operation for operator-independent process
• Reduced waste due to dropped strands
• Uniform pellets with smooth surfaces
• Variable pellet size to suit your customer base
• Horizontal polymer flow through die, reducing dead areas
• Suitable for various polymers, offering greater flexibility of a single machine
• Process is performed under water, and no oxidization of product occurs, plus clean operation with low noise levels


Since the mid-seventies, Gala has supplied underwater pelletizers for the plastics industry. Gala pelletizers are primarily used for compounding, masterbatches, hot melt adhesives, and reactor applications. More than 4,000 installed systems for throughputs ranging from 2 kg/h to 15,000 kg/h are a testimony to our commitment, service, and success.

Options:

A5-PAC - Hydro-Pneumatically Adjustable Pelletizer

Pelletizing Rate: 50-15,000 kg/h

The Gala A5-PAC pelletizer offers the newest technology available in underwater pelletizing with fully automated control of blade adjustment, positioning and monitoring. Gala’s patented hydro-pneumatic design incorporates the ease of use and cleanliness of pneumatic controls with the precision and stability of hydraulic controls, yielding improved blade and die face life and minimal need for operator supervision.

While constantly monitoring the operating conditions of the A5-PAC pelletizer, the Gala control system automatically makes any necessary adjustments to the blade position in order to provide a clean cut pellet without creating excessive blade-to-die forces that can cause premature wear on these components. As the blades eventually approach the end of their wear life, a signal is given to the operator so that the system can be temporarily shut down for a blade change, which normally takes no more than 2 or 3 minutes. Since these monitoring and adjustment processes are handled within the Gala A5-PAC control system, the user has the advantage of a totally reproducible pelletizing process with maximum service life of components.


MAP - Manually Adjustable Pelletizer

Pelletizing Rate: 50-15,000 kg/h

The MAP pelletizer features a manual hand wheel to adjust the blades to the die face. The manual adjustment system requires extremely low maintenance. This simple blade adjustment design allows for visual blade wear indication. The unique design of the axial advance system replaces the need for a bearing housing assembly. The MAP design requires only one long life thrust bearing for accurate adjustments.

Many complex polymers combined with customer preference having created a demand for this simple and robust design. The operator adjusts blades as necessary. Accurate adjustment provides maximum manual operator control and blade position.

SLC - Spring Loaded Pelletizer


Pelletizing Rate: 2-3,000 kg/h

The Gala Spring Loaded Cutter (SLC) pelletizer uses a constant spring pressure to adjust the cutter blades, to the die plate reducing the need for operator attention.

The cutter hub is directly connected to the motor shaft via a spring-loaded sleeve. The cutter blades are automatically adjusted to the die plate as a function of the spring force. The pressure against the die plate can be varied by installing springs with different constants. The replacement of the spring takes no more than five minutes.

The SLC pelletizer is characterized by a sturdy, compact, and low-maintenance design. The blades can be used on both sides and thus contribute to low wear-related costs.

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Gala Underwater Pelletizing Systems

Gala is a worldwide leader in the production of underwater pelletizing systems for throughputs up to 15,000 kg/h. With the successful introduction of the LPU™, MB 500™ and IS™, Gala has established new benchmarks in the development of standardized modular pelletizing systems which permit economical and technical solutions for many applications.

Gala has been producing underwater pelletizing systems since the mid-seventies filling an average of 250 - 300 systems selling per year. Gala is also a leading supplier of centrifugal dryers for stand-alone and system applications.

Gala pelletizing systems are highly cost efficient and today cover a wide range of applications:

• Primary pelletizing
• Masterbatch production
• Compounding
• Plastics recycling
• Pilot applications
• Research and laboratory applications

Gala pelletizing systems are used worldwide to process a wide variety of polymers, from low viscosity engineering plastics to high viscosity materials such as gum bases.

The typical Gala pelletizing system consists of three main components that are customized for each pelletizing situations:

• Pelletizer
• Tempered water system (TWS) with centrifugal dryer and
• Electrical control and power supply

The pelletizing system interfaces with the customer's extruder or melt pump. The pelletizing process is performed in a closed loop system. The pelletized product is conveyed by the water flow from the cutting chamber into the centrifugal dryer. During the process, the pelletized product has no contact with ambient air, and there is no risk of gas, dust emission, or contamination of the product. The process water remains in the tempered water system, another advantage which contributes to the environmental compatibility of this process.

The special benefits of Gala underwater pelletizing systems are:

• Low space requirement because of a more compact design than used for other pelletizing processes
• Low noise emission
• High economic efficiency
• Less cleaning effort required in case of product changes thanks to the EASY CLEAN design of the dryer
• Simple access to die plate and cutter hub. Replacement possible within 15 -20 minutes
• Production of both standard pellets and micropellets (from 0.2 to 12 mm in diameter) is possible
• All Gala systems are backed by around-the-clock technical support

Options:

MB500 Tempered Water System

The MB500™ Tempered Water System is a result of a cooperative effort between Gala and its Customers to develop a machine which directly addresses the need for the Custom Compounder to thoroughly clean the system between products. Small color masterbatch runs require frequent changeover. The MB500 targets this specific Customer need.

The design features a lightweight removable housing and screen to expose the rotor for cleaning. A sieve is built into the tank to keep the process water clean, and the sieve and waste tray are easily removed for cleaning.

The MB500 Tempered Water System is designed for pellet rates up to 500 kg/h (1,000 lbs/hr).

ADVANTAGES
• Easy to clean
• Energy efficient
• Compact, less space required
• Low maintenance
• Low production costs
• Supported by 24-hour service worldwide!

LPU™ Laboratory Pelletizing System

Gala’s LPU™ Laboratory Pelletizing System is a small lab pelletizing system, specifically designed for laboratory developmental work, market sampling, and light pellet production. This laboratory pelletizing system is designed for pellet rates of 2 to 70 kg/h (20 - 150 lbs/hr).

The LPU™ Laboratory Pelletizing System includes an underwater pelletizer, a tempered water system, and a new and simple pellet dryer —- all mounted on a single chassis with swivel casters.

All necessary electrical controls are contained in a simple modular, free standing panel.

Some advantages are:
• Easy to clean!
• Simple & easy to operate!
• Lightweight, portable!
• Designed to be affordable!
• Requires few inexpensive replacement parts!

CIS™ Tempered Water System

Gala’s new Compact Integrated Sieve (CIS™) Tempered Water System embodies all the latest improvements to our standard tempered water system design.

The new Integrated Sieve (IS) tank utilizes a V-wire screen that has 0.006 or 0.012 inch (0.152 or 0.305 mm) openings. The screen is mounted directly under the dryer water outlet and filters fines and particulates from the process water prior to recirculation to the pelletizer. This eliminates the need for additional fines separating equipment. The sieve screen can be easily removed (no tools required) for quick and easy cleaning, reducing down time between product changes.

The bottom of the IS tank has been redesigned to provide quicker and more complete tank draining.

The process water tank has a removable fines collection tray designed for quick and easy cleaning.

The heat exchanger is mounted in a vertical position that allows the unit to completely drain for product changes and reduces build up in the heat exchanger tubes.

The footprint of the tempered water system skid has been reduced to further decrease the amount of valuable floor space required for this Gala tempered water system.

The gauges and indicators for the cooling water inlet temperature, cooling water outlet temperature, process water discharge temperature, process water throttle valve, and process water flow are all mounted in a centralized location providing the operator one focal point for the water system’s running conditions.

Compact Lab System

Gala's COMPACT LAB SYSTEM, typically adapted to the downstream transition of an extruder or gear pump, is designed to be used in R&D labs and by compounders when pelletizing and drying samples of polyethelene, polypropylene, polystyrene, ABS, flexible PVC, and other polymers. It is an inexpensive, compact and portable system designed to simulate the function of a full production pelletizing system.

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Description of the Centrifugal Dryer Process

In the early sixties, Gala launched its own centrifugal dryer for the plastics industry. Since then, over 8,000 Gala dryers have been installed worldwide. These dryers are suitable for throughputs from 2 to 70,000 kg/h. Gala currently offers two dryer series, standard "EASY ACCESS" series and the "EASY CLEAN LOW NOISE" series.

How it Works

The pellet-water mixture (process water) emerging from the cutting chamber of the pelletizer is guided to an agglomerate catcher installed upstream of a centrifugal dryer. The agglomerate catcher serves to protect the dryer by removing larger pellet clumps (agglomerates) that may be produced during startup before they enter the dryer's rotor area. In systems with a water throughput of less than 20 m=/h, the entire volume of process water is separated inside the rotor section of the dryer. Larger systems are equipped with a pre-dewatering system in which, depending on the number of screening stages, up to 95 % of the process water flow is separated.

In the following stage, the pellets flow with the residual process water into the rotor section of the dryer. As a result of the rotation (at speeds of up to 1,500 rpm) and the design of the lifter elements inside the rotor, the pellets are thrown against the screens and the centrifugal force moves them upward following a helical path. While the water is separated through the screens, the pellets are continuously conveyed up to the upper section of the dryer where they emerge at the pellet outlet. Depending on the polymer, the centrifugal drying process reduces the residual surface moisture to as little as 0.05 %.

Final drying is achieved in the upper two thirds of the screen surface and in the pellet outlet chute of the dryer. A dry countercurrent air flow generated by an external exhaust fan removes residual surface moisture from the pellets, assisted by the actual pellet temperature. The exhaust fan also produces a slight vacuum to prevent any humid air from exiting into the production hall or condensing in downstream equipment components.

The length of the water transport line has a definite influence on the residual surface moisture of the pellets. It determines the temperature of the pellets as they enter the dryer. Additional factors affecting surface moisture are:

• Pellet size
• Pellet shape
• Surface roughness of the pellets
• Hygroscopic characteristics of the product
• Additional auxiliary drying and or conveying maybe required.

Options:

Easy Access Model

Throughput 1,000 - 70,000 kg/h

With the "EASY ACCESS" series, Gala offers a particularly economical solution meeting the customer's requirements of a centrifugal dryer. The wide opening doors permit easy and fast access for all internal cleaning and maintenance. This series is also available with a pre-dewatering section.

ECLN Model

Throughput up to 45,000 kg/h

Easy-Clean Low-Noise (ECLN) dryers are particularly easy to service and meet high demands on noise reduction < 80 dBA. The ECLN dryers have double "sandwich" walls. The gap is filled with insulating material so that a sound pressure level of < 80 dBA is possible. An additional benefit of this dryer is easy access for cleaning and maintenance. Large and wide opening doors and larger distances between rotor screens and dryer walls provide easy and fast access to the interior. With the integration of the intake air filter into the pellet outlet chute, it became possible to close the entire upper section of the dryer, avoiding potential dirt pockets. This integration of the intake air filter into the pellet outlet optimizes the countercurrent air flow so less air volume is needed for the drying process.

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Control Systems

The control systems are designed to provide total control of Gala's polymer processing systems. Components used are of high quality to achieve superior control and operating safety, and can be customized to meet additional customer requirements.
Gala can supply electrical drawing packages up front for customer approval, as well as a complete set of bills of material with each control system.

Options:

LPU™ Control

The control cabinet for the Gala LPU™ is designed to meet the requirements of a laboratory system with low throughput. Compact design, clear separation of possible options, and the use of standardized software, standard components, and documentation permit short delivery times and a cost-effective solution.
The control cabinet comprises a Mitsubishi FX 2N PLC. Operator control and monitoring of the LPU are made via a MAC E200 operator panel on the control cabinet front.
The control cabinet includes the following:
Automatic startup
Die plate heating and control
Pelletizer control
Dryer control
Water pump control

TouchScreen Control System

The user-friendly touch screen panel was designed to control a basic Gala pelletizing system with a variety of options including:
Water box by-pass piping
Water heater
Water cooling valve
Polymer diverter valve
Blower
Polymer pressure indication
Melt temperature indication
Adaptor heat zone
The programming of the touch screen panel includes many equipment options in the typical programming. This allows future option retrofits to be as easy as possible. The touch screen panel is available with a color Kessler Ellis operator interface, and uses an Allen-Bradley Micrologix 1500 PLC. There are options that allow certain portions of machine control to be password protected to prevent unauthorized modification of process set points. The use of a standardized program, panel layout, components, and documentation permit short delivery times and a cost efficient solution for the basic Gala pelletizing system.

Custom Control

Gala can provide, upon request, a custom electrical control system based on the Customer's needs. The low cost relay based control panel with conventional push buttons, controllers, and indicators is an option for the Customer with a limited budget and the need for a quality pelletizing system.

Gala's standard is to use Allen-Bradley programmable logic controllers (SLC 500 or Micrologix) for custom PLC based control panels. However, in most cases we are able to implement Customer-specified controllers and other components upon request.

Gala can provide Allen-Bradley controllers with Ethernet or DH+ capabilities so the Customer can easily pull information from the Gala control system to an existing plant data acquisition system.

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