#Recycling / Circular Economy

2020-12-17

rPET pellets for BOPET film production

When two mechanical engineering technology leaders work together in order to fulfil specific customer requirements, unique recycling solutions are the result. The recycling of production waste in the manufacture of biaxially stretched flat films is already common practice, but film production becomes an application-specific challenge if post-consumer recyclate is also to be added to a BOPET film. EREMA and Lindauer DORNIER were able to fulfil this specific customer requirement by integrating components from both companies for the first time in a recycling line for a film manufacturer in Europe.

EREMA and DORNIER combine machine components to create an innovative recycling solution

They combined an INTAREMA 1512 TE recycling machine with a DORNIER melt filter for fine filtration. The compact INTAREMA® recycling system has proven its merits again and again over the years for the recycling of BOPET and BOPP waste in the manufacture of packaging film. The EREMA machine features a short single screw extruder and in the TE series is equipped with double degassing. The Lindauer DORNIER melt filter is an electric-heated filter that the manufacturer of weaving machines and specialty machines normally implements in the extrusion stage of its film stretching lines. The filter is designed individually for the required throughput of the customer and is suitable for 10 µm filtration grade.

Even when operated around the clock, a filter change is only necessary every four weeks. The integration of these two components reduces the load on the melt filters in the film stretching system during further processing of the recycled pellets, because the fine filtration of the rPET material has already been carried out during the recycling process. As a result, it increases the availability and production output of the film stretching line.

The customer that operates this recycling combination uses it to process washed PET bottle flakes that they buy-in. The flakes have a bulk density of 370 kg/m³ and measure between 0.6 and 8 mm. The 3 x 3 x 2 mm recycled pellets with a bulk density of 700 to 800 kg/m³ are part of the recipe for a biaxially stretched polyester film with a thickness of 23 and 30 µm for industrial applications. The main extrusion layer of this BOPET film is manufactured using a recycled pellet content of 30 percent. Additional clouding of the film cannot be detected as a result.

By investing in this recycling machine, the customer is now able to continuously monitor the processing of the bought-in PET bottle flakes themselves. This means that they have full control over the quality of the recycled pellets as well as in-house added value. "Our customers' customers increasingly specify plastic film with the highest possible proportion of recycled polyester. With the recycling machine especially configured by EREMA and DORNIER for this application, the recycled pellets are optimised to match the highest possible performance of the film stretching line," says Michael Stötzel, Head of Service at DORNIER. "Overall, the demand for higher proportions of rPET in film products is continuing to grow," confirms Andreas Dirnberger, Business Development Manager Application Inhouse & Industrial in the EREMA Group: "Film manufacturers are driven by the development of sustainable product concepts. The high quality rPET pellets that this customer now produces is the result of the ongoing technological development of the post-consumer material recycling process. This is only possible if the project partners work together efficiently towards the same goal." EREMA and DORNIER have been cooperating for many years on in-house recycling solutions for BOPET film manufacturers. "The fact that the teams involved in this project are already familiar with each other's product was certainly a decisive success factor for this customer's application," say Michael Stötzel and Andreas Dirnberger in agreement.

Fewer pores, greater impact tolerance: Peter Dornier Foundation Prize 2026 honours material research on fibre-reinforced composite components for aerospace industry

Microscopically small pores that form during manufacture, or barely visible impact damage, can severely impair the load-bearing capacity and service life of fibre-reinforced composite components. Two young researchers have presented groundbreaking work in this field and will both be awarded the 2026 Peter Dornier Foundation Prize: Dr.-Ing. Benedikt Neitzel from the Technical University of Ilmenau for his doctoral thesis on pore minimisation in the RTM process, and Johanna Buschmann, M.Sc., for her master’s thesis, completed at the German Aerospace Centre, on the improved impact tolerance of 3D fabrics compared to 2D laminates.

From carbon to canvas: DORNIER presents flexible and reliable weaving technologies for 3D weaving and dynamic markets at Techtextil

At Techtextil from 21 to 24 April 2026 in Frankfurt am Main (Hall 12.0, Stand D95), Lindauer DORNIER will be showcasing reliable and flexible weaving technologies for ever-changing market requirements. The machine and plant manufacturer will present retrofits for existing machines, the new TRITOS® FLEX 3D weaving technology, intuitive automation concepts and software solutions for data-sovereign networking of the weaving machine fleet.

40 years of the Peter Dornier Foundation: Four decades of non-profit commitment to people, culture and the environment in Lindau, Germany and worldwide

The “Haus Brög zum Engel” hospice, the historic farm “Haug am Brückele” and numerous other projects: for over 40 years, the Peter Dornier Foundation has been supporting social and cultural life in Lindau and beyond. The company-related foundation can look back on more than 500 projects it has supported in Germany and worldwide. It was founded in 1985 by Peter Dornier, founder and long-time Managing Director of the international machine and plant manufacturer Lindauer DORNIER, whose profits go into the foundation at a rate of ten percent annually via a holding company. In the future, the foundation intends to expand its commitment in an even more targeted way.

Managed workwear services are providing a blueprint for the circular textile economy

Managed workwear service providers are demonstrating how commercial success and circularity can go hand in hand by extending garment lifespans through repair, laundering, reuse and recycling, according to “Managed workwear services—a circular textile economy ahead of the game”, a new 14‑page report from the global business information company Textiles Intelligence.

Eco-design as the foundation of circular textiles

Based on the results of an extensive European analysis, the Erasmus+ project Skills4Circularity is currently developing three practice-based training modules covering recycling technologies, eco-design for the circular economy and sustainable manufacturing. This was preceded by a comprehensive company survey and a joint analysis conducted by the project partners under the leadership of IVGT. The results show that the greatest challenges lie not so much in a lack of technology as in skills gaps.

Usha Yarns secures growth equity investment from Fullerton Carbon Action Fund

Usha Yarns Limited (“Usha Yarns”), a producer of high-quality recycled yarns with advanced, well established production processes, announced a growth equity investment from the Fullerton Carbon Action Fund (“Fullerton”), a private equity strategy managed by Fullerton Fund Management that backs established mid-market companies across Emerging Asia to accelerate decarbonisation.

PERFORMANCE DAYS announces new focus topic & forums for October 2026

With its upcoming October 13–14, 2026 edition, PERFORMANCE DAYS is placing the spotlight on one of the textile industry’s most important transformations: “Bio-Based Materials – From Fiber to Fabric”, a two-part Focus Topic exploring the future of bio-based innovation across the textile value chain. Part 1, presented in October 2026, will focus on fibers and next-generation material developments, while Part 2 at the March 2027 edition will shift the perspective toward dyeing, finishing, additives, and processing technologies.

Febratex 2026 to be the largest edition of the leading textile trade fair in the Americas with 10 exhibition halls

Febratex 2026 will be the largest edition in the history of the leading textile trade fair in the Americas. Dedicated to the textile and apparel manufacturing industries, the event will take place from August 18–21, 2026, in Blumenau, Santa Catarina, Brazil, with a strong focus on technology, sustainability, and business generation.

Cotton Brazil Dialogues field trip brings international stakeholders closer to Brazil’s cotton production chain

How do you build trust across the global textile value chain? By opening the farm gates. This is the principle behind the Cotton Brazil Dialogues. At the end of July, the programme welcomed its first group of international participants for a five-day immersion into Brazilian cotton production, combining field visits with technical workshops to showcase the quality, sustainability, innovation and traceability behind one of the world’s leading cotton origins.