Development of Alternative Screw Concepts for Rubber Extrusion Based on Simulative and Experimental Methods

This article deals with the substitution of a pin-type rubber extruder by alternative screw concepts based on circumferential and axial flight offsets. Alternative screw concepts were investigated using simulative and experimental methods. This revealed the opportunities and risks of the simulations and the suitability of pinless concepts for rubber extrusion. Good functionality of the simulations is shown for an SBR rubber mixture, except for thermal properties. For the SBR mixture used, pinless designs can achieve comparable material and thermal homogeneity to conventional pin extruders while achieving up to 10% higher throughputs. Therefore, this study shows that these alternative designs can increase the cost-effectiveness of rubber extrusion and be designed using simulative methods.