Melt Spinning Apparatus for Extruding a First Melt and a Second Melt

The invention relates to a melt spinning apparatus for extruding a first melt and a second melt and to a method for disassembling and cleaning the melt spinning apparatus.

To produce synthetic fibres consisting of different polymer melts, the prior art includes melt spinning apparatuses by means of which it is possible to respond to temperature differences in the respective polymer melts by supplying the respective polymer melts via pump devices that are provided in separate heat transfer fluid housings.

EP2122019B1 discloses an apparatus for melt spinning synthetic filaments with a spinning beam to accommodate at least one spinneret pack and a heating means for controlling the temperature of the spinneret pack, with at least one spinning pump and a second heating means for controlling the temperature of the spinning pump, wherein the spinning pump and the spinneret pack are connected to one another by a melt line, wherein the spinning pump and the second heating means are held in a separate pump carrier, which is arranged next to and at a distance from the spinning beam.

CN116463742A discloses a two-part spinning beam for producing synthetic fibres from two melts, wherein a first spinning beam has only a first pump and a second spinning beam has a second pump and a spinneret, wherein it is possible to provide a different temperature in the first spinning beam from that in the second spinning beam since the spinning beams are separate from one another and are interconnected via melt supply lines. The first pump and the second pump are connected to the spinneret of the second spinning beam via feed lines.

Up to now, there are no melt spinning apparatuses in which the melt distribution system in the melt spinning apparatus can be uninstalled without previously having to remove the heating means and/or the heat transfer medium.

It may be necessary to disassemble the melt spinning apparatus in order to clean the melt spinning apparatus in a burn-out oven, for example.

Cleaning in the burn-out oven may be necessary if, for example, melt solidifies in the melt distribution system, which may occur, for example, if the heat transfer medium heating system fails. A solidified melt cannot be remelted in a melt spinning apparatus, especially if it consists of PA6 and/or PA6.6.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a melt spinning apparatus which allows inexpensive and simple cleaning of the melt spinning apparatus from solidified melt.

It is furthermore an object of the invention to provide a method for cleaning a melt spinning apparatus that has been contaminated with solidified melt.

According to the invention, this object is achieved in respect of the melt spinning apparatus by means of a melt spinning apparatus having the as disclosed herein.

According to one aspect of the invention, the following is provided: a melt spinning apparatus for extruding a first melt and a second melt, having a first heat transfer fluid housing for providing a first heat transfer medium and a second heat transfer fluid housing for providing a second heat transfer medium, wherein a pump carrier with a first pump device for pumping the first melt towards the second heat transfer fluid housing is mounted in the first heat transfer fluid housing, and a spinning pump carrier, in which a spinneret pack for extruding the first melt and the second melt and a second pump device for pumping the second melt towards the spinneret pack are mounted, is mounted in the second heat transfer fluid housing.

The provision of two heat transfer fluid housings makes it possible to set the heat transfer medium in the respective heat transfer fluid housing to the required temperature with little effort.

In addition, the provision of a spinning pump carrier in one of the heat transfer fluid housings allows simple installation and uninstallation, with little effort, of the components held by the spinning pump carrier. These components are preferably the components that are used to provide and deliver and extrude a PA6.6 plastic melt.

The spinning pump carrier allows rapid installation and uninstallation with little effort, thus enabling the components held by the spinning pump carrier, e.g. a pump device and a spinneret pack, to be exchanged with little effort and optionally cleaned in a burn-out oven.

According to one preferred embodiment, an exchangeable coupling device for fluid-tight coupling of the second pump device to the spinneret pack is accommodated in the spinning pump carrier, between the second pump device and the spinneret pack.

A coupling device should be understood to mean a part of the spinning pump carrier which is provided for the fluid-tight installation and uninstallation of a pump device and a spinneret pack. The coupling device is positioned in the spinning pump carrier between the pump device and the spinneret pack.

The coupling device serves for particularly simple installation and uninstallation, with little effort, of the pump device and of the spinneret pack since all the necessary lines are coupled fluid-tightly thereto by means of installation connections that can be released with little effort.

The term “exchange” should be taken to mean simple installation and/or uninstallation, with little effort, of the coupling device in the heat transfer fluid housing.

Coupling should be understood to mean mechanically releasable installation and uninstallation of the respective components, wherein it should be possible to carry this out non-destructively and repeatedly.

According to another preferred embodiment, the coupling device is arranged in the second heat transfer fluid housing in order to couple a first feed line having the first pump device and/or in order to couple a second feed line having the second pump device to the spinneret pack.

Via the feed lines, the different melts are fed to the spinneret pack, on the one hand, and to the first and second pump devices, wherein separation of the melts is accomplished by means of the feed lines, and the melts are combined to give a synthetic filament consisting of two melts only in the spinneret pack.

This makes it possible to separate the feed line contaminated with PA6 and/or PA6.6 and to clean it in a burn-out oven.

According to one preferred embodiment, the coupling device has a first feed line for feeding the first melt to the spinneret pack and/or a second feed line for feeding the second melt to the spinneret pack and/or a supply line for supplying the second pump device with the second melt.

By means of the first feed line and the second feed line in the coupling device it is possible to feed different melts to the spinneret pack in each case.

The coupling device can be provided with corresponding lines, and/or the lines are formed in the coupling device. The coupling device can comprise V6A steel, which does not react with the melts and is particularly simple to clean and burn out.

According to another preferred embodiment, the spinning pump carrier has a first installation space for accommodating the second pump device and the coupling device, and a second installation space for accommodating the spinneret pack, wherein the first installation space and/or the second installation space are/is accessible via a first through opening and/or a second through opening, thus enabling the second pump device, the coupling device and/or the spinneret pack to be inserted and installed via the respective through opening.

In the spinning pump carrier, separate installation spaces are formed, in each of which a pump device and a spinneret pack can be installed. In addition, the installation spaces have through openings, which allow simple access, with little effort, to the components installed therein.

According to another preferred embodiment, the spinning pump carrier has an installable and uninstallable first connection component for the first feed line, and/or an installable and uninstallable second connection component for the second feed line, wherein the first connection component and/or the second connection component can be installed and uninstalled with the first feed line and/or the second feed line by means of a first flange component and/or by means of a second flange component, wherein the first connection component and/or the second connection component are/is sealed off fluid-tightly with respect to the heat transfer medium.

The feed lines are coupled to the spinning pump carrier via connection components, and also have flange components, which are coupled to the spinning pump carrier by means of bolts and/or screwed joints for easy installation and uninstallation.

The flange component is a coupling part for pipes and lines which allows fluid-tight installation and uninstallation with little effort.

According to one preferred embodiment, the first heat transfer fluid housing and/or the second heat transfer fluid housing have/has a heat transfer fluid feed for feeding in and/or discharging a heat transfer medium.

By means of the heat transfer fluid feed, it is possible to feed in the heat transfer medium separately. Moreover, uninstallation of the pump device and of the spinneret pack and of the coupling device is possible without having to drain off the heat transfer medium.

According to the invention, the object is achieved in respect of the method by means of a method having the features as disclosed herein.

According to another aspect of the invention, a method for disassembling and cleaning a melt spinning apparatus according to at least one of the preceding embodiments is provided, having the following steps:

By means of the method, rapid disassembly and also rapid assembly of the melt spinning apparatus, with little effort, is possible, this being made possible by positioning the pump device and the spinneret pack in a spinneret carrier with installation spaces for the pump device and the spinneret pack. In the installation spaces there are coupling points for the pump device and the spinneret pack, and these allow rapid and simple installation and uninstallation. As a result, it is possible, in particular, to quickly and simply uninstall those components that have come into contact with PA6 and/or PA6.6, and to clean them in a burn-out oven.

According to one preferred embodiment of the method, the following steps are carried out:

In addition to simple and rapid uninstallation by means of suitable couplings, the heat transfer fluid housings are suspended and supported in such a way that the position of the housings relative to one another can be changed in a simple and rapid manner. Thus, for example, the distance between the first heat transfer fluid housing and the second heat transfer fluid housing can be changed by means of a mobile suspension system. For example, at least one of the two heat transfer fluid housings is mounted on a rail support which allows the distance from the other heat transfer fluid housing to be changed and increased.

According to another preferred embodiment of the method, the following steps are carried out:

Once the components that are coupled to one another have been uninstalled, they can be moved to a burn-out oven as required and fully cleaned there from the contaminants. After the burn-out process, another cleaning step is then required. The components can then be reinstalled and used to extrude synthetic fibres.

With the coupling points at a suitable position on the spinneret pack and the spinneret carrier, this is possible with little effort and in a short time.

shows schematically a first exemplary embodiment of the melt spinning apparatusaccording to the invention for extruding a first melt Pand a second melt P.

The region for PA6.6 is located on the left-hand side of the two-part spinning beam. Here, a first melt Pis distributed by a second pump device. In the event of a breakdown, this can be uninstalled. The region for the second meltable polymer (PA6, PA6.6) is located on the right-hand side.

The second heat transfer fluid housingand the first heat transfer fluid housinghave different heat transfer medium temperatures and they are separated from one another until a point just before the spinneret pack.

The melt spinning apparatusshown inhas a first heat transfer fluid housingfor providing a first heat transfer mediumand a second heat transfer fluid housingfor providing a second heat transfer medium.

The heat transfer medium,is a heat transfer fluid, in particular Diphyl®, which evaporates even at low temperatures. The heat transfer mediumsandbuild up a lower vapour pressure than water, and therefore the heat transfer fluid housingsandhave to withstand a lower pressure and hence can have a lower wall thickness.

A pump carrieris provided in the first heat transfer fluid housing, the said carrier having a first pump device for pumping a first melt P.

The pump devicepreferably has an external gear pump, which is driven by a first drive shaftand can thus deliver a first melt P, which is passed to the first pump devicevia a second supply line.

The first melt Pis converted to a plastic melt by means of an extruder (not illustrated). The same applies to the second melt P, which stems, for example, from plastic chips from a different extruder.

The first melt Pand the second melt Pdiffer, for example, in their plastic composition or in their properties. Particularly plastic melt P, which is provided in the second heat transfer fluid housing, can be PA6 or PA6.6, and this can entail particular difficult cleaning of the components contaminated therewith if this plastic melt sets.

The second supply lineis coupled fluid-tightly to the first heat transfer fluid housingvia a third supply connection, thus ensuring that no heat transfer medium can leave the heat transfer fluid housing. The term “coupled” is taken, in particular, to entail simple and easy installation and uninstallation.