Plastics Recycling, Our Laser Filter History
ActionLaser with its patented laser drilling technology has been the global leader in specialised screen filtration manufacturing since 1988.
We are the global experts in laser drilling filtration screens & discs.
Erema Plastics of Austria recognised our advanced laser drilling technology and commissioned ActionLaser to drill the world’s first laser drilled Melt Filters in 1996.
Plastics recycling places significant mechanical and thermal demands on filtration systems. Feedstock quality varies, contamination levels fluctuate, and plastic melt behaviour changes as various polymers are processed. As pressure and temperature increase, filtration accuracy becomes a controlling factor in overall line stability.
Historically, plastic recycling systems used disposable mesh filtration systems that were labour intensive and with high wastage rates as the system demanded constant replacement of the blocked screens. These systems struggle under conditions where heat, load build up, blockages and manual handling of replacement screens meant frequent interruptions to production.
ActionLaser pioneered the development of continuous filtration systems for partner OEMs in the plastic recycling space revolutionising the plastic melt industry. This new technology enables the reduction of waste and downtime as the continuous LaserFilter could be cleaned and reused multiple times depending on the cleanliness of the feedstock.
ActionLaser – Our Disc Product Offer
Plastics recycling systems vary widely depending on polymer type, contamination level, and operating pressure. Filtration requirements for PET, PP, PE, or nylon can differ significantly, particularly in mixed or post-consumer feedstock streams.
ActionLaser offers two distinct melt filter disc products to address the above conditions.
The LaserFilter
The economic case to buy ActionLaser’s LaserFilter Disc
The LaserFilter disc is for plastic recyclers with a relatively uniform feed stock. In these conditions, the processor has control over nearly all the variables in the plant, except knowledge of the exact hole size of the melt filtration disc. In order to maximise plant flow rates and achieve optimal finished product melt pellet quality – one needs to know the exact hole size of melt filtration disc.
This is the final plant variable.
ActionLaser’s LaserFitler provides certified assurance for every bespoke melt filtration disc ordered by our customers. A global first by the global leader in filtration technology.
Summary of ActionLaser’s LaserFilter:
The LaserFilter is the premium laser drilled plastic recycling disc. Its advantages over all other competitive discs is simple;
Super smooth work surface allowing enhanced core hardness.
- Certified hole size and standard deviation
- Bespoke or Customised laser filter disc calibrated to optimise your unique operation
- Long life from core hardening and deep plasma surface hardening
Defined LaserFilter Holes - The Facts
As the global leader in laser drilling, let’s define how many holes are in the various Erema replacement melt filtration disc
Dics Hole Range Standard Size | Number of holes Per disc | ActionLaser holes inspected per disc |
70-90u | 470,000 | 77,000 |
90-110u | 470,000 | 77,000 |
110-130u | 389,000 | 64,000 |
130-150u | 339,000 | 57,000 |
150-180u | 299,000 | 50,000 |
180-210u | 223,000 | 38,000 |
230-260u | 158,000 | 26,000 |
300-330u | 128,000 | 21,000 |
400-430u | 103,000 | 17,000 |
430-460u | 103,000 | 17,000 |
LaserFilter Customers define the exact Hole Size for their recycling plant. Certified.
Every ActionLaser LaserFilter Disc is measured to give a certified average hole size and a standard deviation – showing the spread of hole sizes from the mean or average. For example, if a customer orders an 80 micron disc, from the 90-110 micron standard hole size range, we measure 77,000 holes. ActionLaser sets its laser drilling to achieve the average hole size of 80 microns.
This is the disc specification you expect from a global leader in laser drilling and is the exact information you need to optimise the volume flow and pellet quality of your plant.
Customers have the knowledge and confidence to order the LaserFilter disc to the exact hole size calibrated for your plant.
The LaserFilter is shipped with the certified Average Hole Size and standard deviation.
As you expect from the global leader in laser drilling holes, we have developed the world’s first quality control system to measure our LaserFilter holes.
MeltFilter – ActionLaser’s Competitive Melt Filter
The economic case to buy the ActionLaser MeltFilter Disc
For recycling applications where feed stock variability is significant, disc usage is high and disc price is a significant factor in your purchase decision, the MeltFitler is for you.
The MeltFitler discs are competitively priced, 1.5mm thick, H13 toughened, core hardened and surface hardened. It is a tough melt filtration disc. Like the LaserFilter, the exceptional quality standards and the extensive level of measurements is the same.
The key advantage is you know the Average Hole Size of the MeltFilter is in the industry standard hole range definition (see below table).
The key benefit is, subject to your recycling plant’s operation, you can safely try different hole size filtration discs in higher or lower band sizes with 100% confidence you are getting exactly what you ordered.
For example, if you currently buy a 130-150 micron melt disc and feel the next size up [150-180 micron] will give you better volume flow and no impact on pellet quality, you can purchase an ActionLaser MeltFitler with 100% confidence your disc is certified to be the exact range.
Dics Hole Range Standard Size | Number of holes Per disc | ActionLaser holes inspected per disc |
70-90u | 470,000 | 77,000 |
90-110u | 470,000 | 77,000 |
110-130u | 389,000 | 64,000 |
130-150u | 339,000 | 57,000 |
150-180u | 299,000 | 50,000 |
180-210u | 223,000 | 38,000 |
230-260u | 158,000 | 26,000 |
300-330u | 128,000 | 21,000 |
400-430u | 103,000 | 17,000 |
430-460u | 103,000 | 17,000 |
The MeltFilter is ActionLaser’s competitively priced melt filtration disc. It can be summarised as:
- 1.5mm H13 disc with defined hole taper
- Core hardened and surface hardened
- Certified hole diameter to be in the disc hole range – noted above
- Knowledge and confidence you know exactly the ActionLaser MeltFilter hole range of your disc
The MeltFilter is the same as the LaserFilter except it has not gone through the final surface smoothness operations. It has the same hardness specifications as the LaserFilter.
Specific Applications for LaserFilter and MeltFilters for Plastics Recyclers
ActionLaser manufactures LaserFilter and MeltFilter discs to application-specific requirements, allowing defined aperture size or defined aperture range, hole spacing, surface treatment & hardness to be matched to the demands of each recycling system. This provides both confidence in the knowledge of the filtration product and economic benefit to reflect the real-world of the plastic processor.
By tailoring the above filtration parameters, ActionLaser supports optimal melt behaviour in recycling lines where consistency, pressure control, and separation and final melt pellet quality are critical.
For guidance on both LaserFilter and MeltFilter discs geometry, hole size verification, and application-specific filtration requirements, contact ActionLaser to discuss your recycling process.
