This excerpt from an important report clarifies which are major trends shaping worldwide plastic extrusion screen changer market over the next years.

The importance of screen changers in plastic extrusion systems

Screen changers intended for plastic extrusion systems are advanced complex devices playing a key role in plastic production lines, even more in production systems using post-industrial and post-consumer recycled plastic. Along plastic extrusion processes, screen changers have the primary purpose of filtering impurities with no need for extrusion process interruption to replace filters.

Screen changers – important and strategic solutions in several industrial sectors

Screen changers are used in plastic thermoforming processes where impurity residues from recycled plastic clog the filter, and process interruption required for manual filter replacement would be ineffective and costly. Therefore, a screen changer that keeps the line running, like the Cofit GorillaBelt automatic melt filtration system, proves to be an essential component in a plastic production system, thus becoming strategic in a production business plan, because:

• It requires no line stops for screen changes.
• It handles contamination up to 10% by weight, including hard contaminants such as metal, glass, paper and aluminium foil.
• It offers the chance to use large quantities of cheap and easy-to procure raw materials, e.g. post-consumer recycled plastic.
• It offers the chance to implement circular economy model as it reuses plastic materials that would otherwise be disposed of.
• It keeps polymer loss low.

Numberless industrial sectors exploit plastic extrusion and rely upon several screen changers: pipe and profile, film and sheet, compounding, resin production, blow moulding, nonwovens and other special materials. Achieving top performing plastic manufacturing systems Within the scope of plastic extrusion, the right screen changer to filter materials can make the difference between profit and loss. The chance to avoid production process interruptions to replace filters results in increasing overall system productivity and eliminates downtimes – this means you can rely upon top performing plastic extrusion process.

Analysis: the market is keeping on offering innovative solutions for the future

According to a recent report on global screen changer industry, the screen changer market will continuously develop over the next 5 years (2020 – 2024), offering innovative solutions; screen changer manufacturers will characterize the sector by entering frequent acquisitions and strategic alliances, making these interventions key strategies to strengthen their presence in the market. In the meantime, the same companies are going to focus on optimizing their product range and developing further added-value characteristics aimed at increasing their profit margins.

Analysis: investments in worldwide screen changer market

Geographically, global continuous screen changer market is segmented in 5 main areas: Northern America, Europe, China, India and Rest-of-the World (RoW). Industrialization process in developing countries is increasing further because of low labour costs. Therefore, the demand for continuous screen changers is keeping on increasing. Today, the cost of screen changers in the USA and in Europe is much higher than in China or other developing countries, since screen changers manufactured in the USA and in Europe offer much higher quality and power. Within this framework, developing countries such as China and India could be more capable of attracting investments due to their potential demand for screen changers.

Where to invest

Thanks to the reference market strong competitiveness and the global economic recovery trend, investors are still optimistic about operating in developing countries because new investments are expected to be made in the near future. Therefore, market is becoming increasingly competitive. Consequently, in the aforementioned report on the one hand players owing the required capitals are recommended to invest in the sector, on the other hand the need for competitive technological advantages as well as proven production and sales structures is strongly highlighted. Without innovative technology and supporting structures capital investments could turn out to be unprofitable.

Analysis: screen changer market growth over the forecast period 2020-2024

According to the aforementioned study, worldwide continuous screen changer market growth is expected to record a +4.0% CAGR approx. over the next 5 years (2020 – 2024). The relevant overall market value is expected to reach 220 million USD in 2024, starting from current 170 million USD in 2019.

Cofit screen changers for plastic recycling

Cofit has been designing and manufacturing automatic and continuous screen changers intended for plastic recycling for over 50 years. Cofit innovation-oriented systems are manufactured in Italy and in the USA and distributed throughout the world. Among them, the GorillaBelt automatic melt filtration system handles contamination up to 10% by weight with low polymer loss. Find out more about Cofit screen changers on our website, contact us for any additional information, and join us on LinkedIn.