Veolia Polymers has been operating Van Beek screw conveyors for nearly two decades

Veolia Polymers in Vroomshoop, Netherlands, has been subjecting Van Beek screw conveyors to the ultimate durability test for more than two decades, according to the equipment supplier. The screws operate day and night to transport and homogenise plastic grinding stock. Van Beek, based in the Netherlands, says it recently has overhauled tens of its own screws in the plant.

Veolia Polymers focuses on processing plastic scrap into high-quality plastic granules in certain colours and compositions for injection moulding.

“We still choose Van Beek because of their high quality and customer-oriented solutions,” says Thomas Boerrigter, head of technical service at Veolia Polymers. “All the jacking systems at Veolia Polymers have been supplied by Van Beek to our satisfaction for years.”

Peter Verhoeven, sales engineer at Van Beek, says, “We have made the replacement interval as long as possible and so they went on operating long after being written off. But still in one piece after 15 years due to faithful service, they were due for preventive replacement.”

The new screw conveyors Veolia installed have a number of improvements compared with the screws that Van Beek installed more than a decade ago. “In recent years we have gone even further in the wear-resistant direction,” Verhoeven says. “A few critical parts have been improved so the screw conveyors last even longer.”

The intake of bulk goods also is easier with the new screws, Van Beek says. “The new screw conveyors have a chute with cutting blades,” Verhoeven says. “The forklift truck driver drops a big bag into the chute and can immediately remove the empty big bag to collect the next one. The big bag pushes itself onto the cutting blades by its own weight, and so opens itself. The forklift truck driver therefore need do nothing more to cut the bag open. This works more safely.”

The screw conveyors are used to homogenise and transport plastic grinding stock, among other things. The plant makes small granules here for injection moulding. The screw conveyors transport the granules to mixing silos with a screw in the centre to homogenise the granules. From the mixing silo, another screw conveyor transfers the granules to a dosing unit above an extruder.

Most screws cannot be seen from outside. “What we actually want to achieve is that our clients forget that they have these screws,” Verhoeven says. “If you do not know that you have them, this really means that you have never have problems with them.”

“We have again found our cooperation with Van Beek to be very positive and customer-oriented,” says Boerrigter. “Van Beek is a really reliable partner with whom we work well.”