Knowledge
Selection, process and service notes from the shop floor
This extruder selection guide collects six articles that answer the questions customers actually ask on the phone: what size machine, which pelletizer, why the vent spits, how much energy a kilo costs, and what to check at 2,500 hours.
- Twin Screw Extruder Startup: The 9-Step Sequence That Protects the Screw
Most screw damage happens in the first ten minutes of a shift, not in the tenth month of service. Here is the sequence we teach at commissioning, with the temperatures and checks that matter.
Operation · 7 min read - Twin Screw Extruder Troubleshooting: Nine Symptoms, Nine Causes
Most faults reported as 'the machine is not working' resolve to feeding, vacuum, temperature or wear. This is the tree we use on the phone before anyone books a flight.
Service · 9 min read - Seven Pelletizing Methods Compared: Strand, Water Ring, Underwater, Hot Face
The pelletizer is chosen by the polymer, not by the budget. This table compares all seven methods we build on the criteria that actually decide the purchase: filler ceiling, water contact, pellet shape and fines.
Process · 8 min read - Twin Screw Extruder Size Chart: 16 mm to 135 mm, 1 to 4,000 kg/h
The complete model table with screw diameter, speed, motor, torque and reference output — plus how to read it without over-committing on capacity.
Selection · 6 min read - Extruder Maintenance Schedule: 250 / 2,500 / 5,000 / 10,000 Hours
What to check at each interval, and the three measurements that tell you a wear part is finished before it fails.
Service · 6 min read - Extruder Energy Consumption: kWh per kg, and Where It Goes
Specific energy for compounding typically lands between 0.12 and 0.35 kWh/kg. This article shows which of the two ends you are on, and what actually moves the number.
Process · 5 min read
In preparation
Formulation notes for filler masterbatch (CaCO3 activation, coupling agent dosing), a 22-material L/D selection table, and a comparison of twin screw versus triple screw dispersion at equal output. Ask us for a draft if you need one now.
FAQ
What is in the knowledge section?
Selection guides, temperature profiles by material, troubleshooting sequences, maintenance schedules and energy benchmarks - written from the shop floor, not from a catalogue.
Are the guides free to read?
Yes, all of them. No registration gate; the figures are stated with the conditions they were measured under so you can compare them with your own data.
Can I suggest a topic or ask a question?
Yes - write to kerkepm@gmail.com; questions that come up repeatedly become guides, and the specific answer to your line arrives by email within one working day.
Send 25–50 kg and we run it on our lab extruder: pellets, running video and a capacity report back in 3–7 days.
Extruder selection guide — the short version
Note on Extruder selection guide: every figure on this page is a reference range measured on Kerke's own test line in Nanjing, not a catalogue maximum. If your material differs from the one in the table, send 25–50 kg and we will replace the range with a measured number.
Related on this site: Twin screw extruder range · Extrusion lines by application · free extrusion line quotation · Wikipedia: Masterbatch