China PLA Straw Making Machines For PLA Straw Production

The Main Extruder refers to the PLA straw extrusion machine, which is primarily used to extrude and shape PLA straw material. The straw material is fed from the hopper into the barrel with a screw inside. The screw functions to heat and melt the straw material, while also mixing and homogenizing it to achieve full plasticization. We use our self-developed screw for our straw extrusion machine, which is designed based on the characteristics of PLA material and over 20 years of experience in straw machine production and research. We have secured multiple patents for our innovative screw design. With a length-to-diameter ratio of 33:1, this screw is capable of handling PLA material and a wide range of straw materials available in the market. It allows for precise control over the properties of the extruded material, ensuring consistent output throughout the production process.

After extrusion, the straws are in a hot state. To achieve their desired shape, a cooling water tank, referred to as Vacuum Calibration and Cooling, is utilized. This tank effectively cools down the extruded straws, enabling them to solidify and maintain their desired form.

The straws are cut using a Haul-off and Cutter machine, and the length of the produced straws is regulated by adjusting the traction speed and cutting speed of the machine.
Following the cutting process, the diameter, length, wall thickness, or weight of the cut straws are measured manually. If they meet the production requirements, they are deemed to be essentially qualified.
At this stage, the production of straight straws is completed.
If there is a requirement to produce bent straws using PLA material, an additional step of straw forming is introduced after Step 3. Cutting. The process of forming flexible straws involves the use of a specialized straw-forming machine. Different shapes of straws necessitate the use of corresponding machines designed specifically for those shapes. For instance, a Z-shaped straw-forming machine is employed for Z-shaped straws, an expandable straw-forming machine is utilized for expandable straws, and a U-shaped straw-forming machine is employed for U-shaped straws.