Promix Showcasing Inline Viscometer for PET Extrusion

The Visco-P inline viscometer from Promix of Switzerland measures the actual viscosity of the material under processing conditions and in real time directly in the melt stream, without any bypass or loss of material. The maintenance-free measuring module, which is tailored to the application, is said to homogenize the melt without the risk of clogging, deposits or decomposition. According to Promix, the Visco-P is ideal for recycled material as well as filled and shear-sensitive materials.

At K 2025, Promix will demonstrate how Visco-P can be used to measure and control the intrinsic viscosity (IV) value during PET extrusion. The system has a closed control loop to integrate a dosing device. As soon as the IV value measured in the production process falls below the target value, the software triggers the dosing of an IV enhancer until the quality of the melt has reached the desired level again. The same logic is possible in polypropylene recycling by dosing respective chain extenders. 

Trend evaluations and reporting tools enable the measurement results to be recorded with statistical analysis. Users select limit values for the viscosity, which trigger an alarm and show the operator current deviations from the target value. Corrective measures can be taken immediately, even without a control loop.

The Visco-P inline viscometer is compatible with all common extruder types and almost all polymers and can be retrofitted to existing systems.