(Hannover, 7 July 2021) As a pioneer in the design and manufacture of continuously operating Auma rotary presses, KraussMaffei now continues a decades-long tradition by launching a completely new development. Continuous rubber sheet vulcanization is certainly the best-known Auma application, but by no means the only one. The Auma can equally be used for producing composite materials made of plastics and fabric for roofing sheets or floor coverings as well as for welding, embossing or laminating plastics film and sheets. The operating principle of continuous rotary presses is the ideal solution for a wide range of applications. Against this background, KraussMaffei now introduces a completely new Auma series offering a true value proposition for users.

The main advantage of the Auma operating principle over discontinuously operating platen presses consists in constant production conditions. The Auma ensures constant temperature, pressure and residence time values to avoid product quality variations, unevenness or undesired transition marks. That's reason enough why the Auma has firmly established itself in the market in the 0.5 to 20 mm thickness range.

With the new series comprising four models with heating drum diameters of 60, 100, 150 and 200 cm, KraussMaffei launches a modularized machine solution. Designed for uncompromising productivity and maximum efficiency, these rotary presses impress by their flexibility and user-friendliness. All four Auma versions are available in three working widths ranging between 1.3 and 2.5 m as well as with two different belt designs. In addition to steel belts that are suited for many applications, KraussMaffei offers rubberized steel mesh belts for extremely pressure-sensitive or very thin materials.

The operating temperature of all Auma versions is between 80 and 220 °C. The new series also comprises a special version designed for process temperatures of up to 340°C. Optimized temperature distribution across the heating drum width and optional temperature control ensure maximum accuracy and consistency in the entire production process while reducing overall energy requirements. Another plus point of the 60 and 100 Auma sizes is the increase of the process pressures to 10 bar. The two larger machine versions (150 or 200 cm drum diameter) continue to operate at a pressure of 8 and 6 bar.

Janina Roesch, Application Owner Flat & Foam Products at Krauss Maffei explains why this technology ensures easy maintenance: “The Auma core components are the heating drum, three reversing rolls and a pressure belt. The pressure belt is wrapped around a large part of the drum circumference while under high tensile stress and presses the material to be vulcanized, welded or compressed against the heating drum. The easy access to the heating drum and reversing rolls enables effortless and fast replacement of a worn pressure belt. Stable operation, long service intervals, reduced downtimes and conveniently priced spare parts ensure maximum cost effectiveness over the entire service life.”

Thanks to KraussMaffei's proprietary software – available as Basic or Advanced version for the AUMA – functionalities such as data recording, quality management and connection to interfaces of upstream and downstream equipment are incorporated as standard features.

“Having revamped the complete AUMA series, we are pleased to offer our customers an established and proven machine technology in a modern design with a wealth of technical highlights. The smallest model with a heating drum diameter of 60 cm represents an ideal solution for research and development applications and is now available for customer trials in our R&D center,” adds Janina Roesch.