Maag Group to present polymer processing systems at Fakuma

Maag Group, a manufacturer of processing systems for the plastics industry, will present new polymer processing solutions at Fakuma 2026 in Friedrichshafen, Germany. From 12 to 16 October 2026, the company will exhibit in Hall A6, Booth 6202. The exhibits are intended to improve process reliability, reduce energy consumption and provide greater production flexibility. They include the extrex⁶ EC gear pump developed for continuous conveying of rigid polyvinyl chloride, the Primo 60 E strand pelletizer for processing different polymers, and Sikora's Purity Concept V offline inspection system for pellets, flakes and test plates. The equipment addresses several stages of polymer processing, from pressure-stable melt conveying and pelletizing to optical sample analysis and documentation of detected defects.

Gear pump for rigid PVC extrusion

According to Maag, the extrex⁶ EC is the first gear pump specifically designed for the continuous conveying of rigid PVC. The design takes account of the material's thermal sensitivity. Its gap-free construction has no dead spaces, which is intended to prevent material from sticking or stagnating inside the pump. This reduces thermal stress and counteracts the risk of PVC degradation.

Uniform, pressure-stable conveying reduces the load on the extruder during operation. Depending on the application, processors can use this effect either to increase material throughput or to reduce the extruder's energy consumption by up to 50% while maintaining constant throughput. The design also enables optimized temperature control during melt processing.

Lower thermal stress on the material may allow processors to partially reduce the use of costly stabilizers. Maag identifies this as a direct economic benefit for rigid PVC processing.

Strand pelletizer for frequent product changes

Maag will also show the field-proven Primo 60 E strand pelletizer, designed for the flexible processing of a wide range of polymers. The machine is intended particularly for manufacturers of masterbatches and compounds, as well as processors of specialty polymers. These applications commonly involve frequent product changes, smaller production batches and varying material properties.

The machine's design focuses on fast cleaning, easy accessibility and short tool-change times. Alexander Helm, product manager, said: "In masterbatch and compound production today, maximum throughput is not the only factor that determines cost-effectiveness. It is equally important how quickly a system is ready for production again after a product changeover. With the Primo 60 E, we offer users a flexible pelletizer tailored precisely to these requirements."

Optical analysis of pellets, flakes and test plates

The Maag Group booth will also feature Sikora's Purity Concept V offline testing system. The laboratory system is used for random sample inspection and analysis of pellets, flakes and test plates. An optical camera detects contamination, including black and colored specks, as well as discoloration from a size of 50 µm.

The analysis takes less than one minute. The system directly generates a test certificate and an HSV color map showing detected color deviations, providing data for product quality assurance.

The Purity Concept V laboratory system inspects and analyzes pellets, flakes, and test plates