XPS Embossing Machine

Why emboss XPS foam?

Extruded Polystyrene (XPS) insulation boards are used in various applications in construction where you must stick them to a surface, for example, when covering building facades. The extruded polystyrene surface is sleek as it comes out of the extruder and although the smooth surface is the objective of any production manager there is one problem with the finished product: it is difficult to glue smooth surfaces on wall facades and have a sufficient cohesive strength. This is why most XPS foam producers use some kind of mechanical method to change the surface from completely sleek to grooved or embossed.

Different methods of embossing XPS insulation boards and their attributes:

1. Disk cutters- groovers. Spinning cutting disks that cut vertical lines on the surface of the board.

Disadvantage: The only anchor points between the glue and the XPS are inside the carved lines, so this process leaves the rest of the surface (more than 97%) practically free from attachment.

1. Pressure embossing (cold). Since the XPS foam is a relatively soft material, applying pressure with a grooved or spiked cylinder on its surface will create some kind of uneven surface on it.

Disadvantage: The spiked cylinder breaks the surface cells and reduces the insulating properties. The grooves created by pressure procure less and have fewer anchor points, this is why producers combine them with disk cutter grooves as well. Another drawback, applying pressure vertically on the surface of the XPS board reduces its thickness and increases its density, this in turn increases the overall production costs for the XPS producer.

1. Hot Embossing Cylinder machine: This is the best embossing method in relation to the quality of the result. Throughout its surface, the XPS board has a pattern that is dense enough to allow for the maximum adhesive strength. At the same time a very thin top layer (less than 1mm) of polystyrene melts creating a skin layer that acts as a protective skin. Even if the board is sheered (shaved), hot embossing creates a ‘new’ skin on top of each side. The hot cylinder embossing will give the maximum cohesive strength with the minimum glue consumption. Most hot cylinder embossing machines work with heated oil circulating inside the cylinders.

Disadvantage: Oil leaks are often. Oil becomes even more dangerous in the event of a fire. There is a huge amount of energy-waste when you heat the oil into a separate machine and then you circulate it in and out the spinning cylinders with pipes.

There is also big energy loss in case there are oil expansion vessels that are used to store the hot expanded oil outside the cylinders because these containers disperse heat into the surrounding environment.

Why select the fully electric embossing machine from TSOP?

• TSOP engineering team has developed a system that does not use oil. Instead, is heats up with heating elements embedded inside the cylinders. Furthermore, it can make it available to widths as wide and as fast running as the customer wants.
• The absence of oil creates a safer working environment, eliminating the oil fire hazard.
• The absence of oil also makes the system environmentally cleaner because there are no oil leaks.
• It is also more energy efficient because heat is focused exactly where you need it and there are no other energy-wasting hot surfaces.
• Special technologies implemented into the design of the machine (inverters for all motors, variable current for the heating elements, etc.) make its energy saving capabilities, even higher.
• Our electrical XPS embossing machine comes with an integrated exhaust system to guide fumes outside the working area.
• Service or maintenance are faster and easier.
• The control panel touch screen menu is very user friendly, with easy adjustment of temperatures and speeds and with self-diagnosing system that detects possible faults and informs the user in real time, providing also troubleshooting advise.
• The machine comes with remote control capabilities over LAN or Wi-Fi.