cnx_vinyl/docs/equipment/pressing-line.md

# Pressing Line: Equipment Plan

## Current plan: an all-Newbilt fleet of five presses (October 2026)

Two **Newbilt Duplex** systems, each with two HRP 12 presses fed by an
**EX 50** main extruder with an **EX 35** auxiliary extruder beside it for
a second colour, plus one **Newbilt Classic** fully automatic press. The
whole fleet runs from **one shared hydraulic supply and one shared
compressed-air supply** (October 2026):

| | Presses | Extruders | Hydraulics and air |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duplex system 1 | 2 semi-automatic | EX 50 main + EX 35 colour | shared central supply |
| Duplex system 2 | 2 semi-automatic | EX 50 main + EX 35 colour | shared central supply |
| Classic | 1 fully automatic | built in | shared central supply (to confirm with Newbilt) |
| **Fleet** | **5: 4 semi-automatic, 1 automatic** | **2 EX 50, 2 EX 35, 1 built in** | **one hydraulic plant, one air plant** |

This replaces the earlier target of a 50/50 split between automated and
semi-automatic presses (two of each, with the Pheenix AD12 as the
automated candidate). What it means:

- **The semi-automatic side carries most of the volume.** Splatter and
  other colour effects, special editions and small runs are where an
  operator working the mould is an advantage rather than a cost, and
  Newbilt itself recommends the Duplex for splatter, and the EX 35 on
  each system adds the second colour strand for splatter, marble and
  half-and-half work, which is what the flyer offers it for. The Classic
  takes the long standard runs.
- **One vendor, one mould family.** Classic and Duplex share insert sets
  (below), so the whole fleet runs one family of moulds and spares and one
  service relationship. The single-vendor risk is the same one the Pheenix
  path would have carried.
- **Phasing.** The Newbilt Single 2.1 system of the 2024 quote (one press,
  one extruder) is the launch configuration and the first half of Duplex
  system 1: its hydraulic aggregate is already sized for the second press.
  The second press and the EX 35 complete system 1; system 2 and the
  Classic complete the fleet ([scale](../scale.md) capacity table,
  [roadmap](../roadmap.md) item 24).
- **One shared hydraulic and air supply.** A central hydraulic plant
  (pumps, tank, accumulators) and one compressed-air plant feed every
  press through ring mains, instead of a hydraulic unit per system. It
  means one plant room to maintain and one place for noise and heat, and
  it makes adding presses a matter of tapping the ring main. In the
  [Payap scenario model](../site-candidates.md#payap-scenario-model-october-2026)
  it is a plant room at the west end of the press hall, with a service
  trench along the press rows. Open for the re-quote (below): whether the
  Single 2.1's own aggregate becomes part of the central plant or a
  standby, and whether the Classic can run from it.
- **Cell layout (October 2026).** Each Duplex system is one operator's
  cell, as sketched in [duplex-cell-layout-sketch.png](duplex-cell-layout-sketch.png)
  (arrangement only, not to scale):
  - the operator stands in the middle, with the two presses either side
    turned 45° towards him;
  - the EX 50 and the EX 35 stand side by side behind him, between the
    presses;
  - one trimmer per cell stands in front of him on the left.

  At Newbilt's sizes (site requirements p. 10: press footprint about
  0.9 m², extruder about 0.5 m², room to walk around every machine, at
  least 60 cm to walls) the cell is about 5 × 3 m, with 0.6 to 0.8 m
  between machines. The EX 35 and trimmer footprints are not published,
  so those are estimates. The [Payap scenario model](../site-candidates.md#payap-scenario-model-october-2026) draws
  both systems this way.
- **Room to grow: possibly ten more Classics.** The plant may add up to
  ten more Newbilt Classics at some point. This is an option, not part of
  the plan or the investment: the layout keeps floor for it (ten Classic
  positions in the Payap scenario model), and the central hydraulic and
  air plant should be sized or extendable for it. At Newbilt's per-press
  figures, fifteen presses would draw ~2.3 to 2.7 t/h of steam and up to
  ~1.9 MW of cooling, so boiler, chiller and grid connection would be a
  phase of their own ([scale](../scale.md)).
- **Capacity** at maturity stays at ~1.0 to 1.5 million records a year on
  two shifts, the range the [revenue model](../finance/revenue-model.md)
  uses: four semi-automatic presses at 60 to 80 records an hour (estimate)
  and the Classic at ~128 an hour (28 s cycle, vendor figure).
- **Utilities do not scale from the old figures.** At Newbilt's per-press
  figures (steam 150 to 180 kg/h, cooling up to 125 kW per press), five
  presses draw ~750 to 900 kg/h of steam and up to ~625 kW of cooling,
  against the ~400 kg/h steam generator and ~250 kW cooling system that the
  2024 quote's exclusions describe for one Duplex. The boiler, chiller,
  electrical connection and [utilities CSV](../finance/utilities-investment.csv)
  are **not yet re-sized** for this fleet; that waits for the re-quote's
  figures ([scale](../scale.md)).
- **Investment**: the fleet change is carried in the added-scope table of
  [total investment](../finance/total-investment.md) until the next
  re-base.
- **For the re-quote** ([roadmap](../roadmap.md) item 4): the Duplex with
  an EX 50 and an EX 35 as an upgrade of the Single 2.1 and as a second
  complete system, and whether the EX 50 is the VEX 50 of the 2024 quote;
  whether one EX 50 keeps both presses of a system at full rate (the
  flyer's Duplex main configuration runs two presses on one extruder); the
  Classic's price, weight, power, steam and cooling figures; and the
  central hydraulic supply (an option the flyer offers) for the whole
  fleet, extendable to ten more Classics, including whether the Classic
  can run from it.

The Pheenix AD12 leaves the plan; it stays in the
[vendor landscape](../suppliers/vendor-landscape.md) as the comparison if
the Classic re-quote disappoints, and Pheenix stays a galvanics candidate
([galvanics and stamper prep](galvanics.md)).

## Semi-automatic line: Newbilt

The core semi-automatic machinery under evaluation comes from
**Newbilt machinery GmbH** (Alsdorf, Germany):

- **Newbilt Single 2.1 system**: one VEX 50 extruder feeding one HRP 12
  hydraulic press (~150 t press force), pressing 12" records at 140 or 180 g
  with a Newbilt book mold set. A Vario trimmer handles 12" cuttings, with
  a 7"/10" upgrade path.
- **Duplex upgrade path**: the hydraulic aggregate is already sized for a
  second press, and an additional press and extruder are quoted options, so
  the plant can scale from Single to Duplex without replacing infrastructure.
- **Supporting equipment**: label dry oven, shrink wrapper, PVC grinder
  (scrap feeds back as the ~20% recycled share of the feedstock), 7" center
  label punch, buffer spindles and separator plates.

The June 2024 Newbilt quotation totals **EUR 200,500** (about **USD 232k
/ 7.7M THB** at August 2026 rates), including freight from
Alsdorf to Thailand and seaworthy packaging. Two major utility systems are
deliberately excluded and will be **sourced and installed locally in
Thailand**: a ~400 kg/h steam generator (with water treatment) and a ~250 kW
cooling water system. The quotation has passed its validity date and will need
re-confirmation before ordering.

## Newbilt range: Making Vinyl Europe 2026 flyers

Collected at the Newbilt booth in Haarlem (30 September to 2 October 2026);
the PDFs are in [`newbilt/flyers-2026/`](newbilt/flyers-2026/). Figures are
vendor-published, not quoted.

| Machine | What it is | Flyer figures |
|---|---|---|
| **Classic** | Fully automatic press: hydraulic 3-column frame based on the Toolex Alpha, built-in extruder, automatic cake loading, label feed, record loading and unloading, cooling-plate handling and spindle stacking | 12" at 110, 140, 160 and 180 g, 7" in development; 28 s cycle at 180 g, claimed ≥95 % yield and ≥95 % uptime (2024 flyer); steam temperature, cooling-water temperature and flow monitored; cooling by time or by delivered water volume, adjusted automatically as the cooling water warms up; Siemens safety PLC, cycle and trend recording, SCADA interface with OPC UA (2024 flyer) |
| **Duplex** | Semi-automatic system in three configurations: Single (1 press, 1 extruder), Duplex main (2 presses, 1 extruder), Duplex with two extruders (2 presses, 2 extruders run as one system with shared control and one hydraulic unit) | 12", 10" and 7"; solid colours, splatter, marble, half and half, picture discs; hydraulic unit normally supplied, or an external central supply shared by several systems |
| **EX 35** | Auxiliary extruder beside the main one, for a second or third colour | 35 mm PVC screw, 3 heating zones, 2 fans, frequency-controlled screw speed, PVC strand output, touchscreen HMI, prepared for Newbilt online support |
| **Edge Trimmer** | Trims the pressed record to its final diameter | Hardened heated blade with adjustable temperature; 7", 10" and 12" with one trimming plate per size (sold separately); standalone, or wired and piped to the Newbilt extruder and then part of the Duplex/Single emergency-stop circuit |
| **Granulator 400** | Grinds edge trim and label-free records into regrind | 200 to 250 kg/h, 7.5 kW, crushing chamber 410 × 270 mm, 12 rotor knives, 8 mm screen, 800 kg; cyclone collection with stainless contact surfaces, dust bags and outlet magnet, about 100 kg storage |
| **Label Punch** | Removes the label area so rejected records can be granulated | 106 mm punch for 7", 10" and 12"; manual loading, then automatic transport, punching and collection; optional dinker for 7" |

What this changes in the plan:

- **Classic and Duplex share inserts.** Insert sets move between the two
  machines, so the current all-Newbilt fleet (Duplex systems for the
  semi-automatic side, the Classic for the automated press) runs one mould
  family. Newbilt itself recommends the Duplex for splatter, which is why
  the semi-automatic side carries most of the fleet. The Pheenix AD12
  stays the comparison for the Classic.
- **Regrind loop.** The granulator flyer puts edge trim at about 20 to 40 g
  per 12" 180 g record, 11 to 22 % of the record's mass, which brackets the
  ~20 % recycled share in the process schematic. Rejected records go
  through the Label Punch first; trim goes into the granulator directly. A
  Classic at 28 s makes about 128 records/h, so roughly 2.5 to 5 kg/h of
  trim per press (estimate): one Granulator 400 at 200 to 250 kg/h runs in
  short batches, not continuously.
- **Compound storage (October 2026).** Special designs will run in tens
  of colours, so the compound store is sized for them:
  - a colour store with pallet racking next to the regrind and conveying
    room: about 100 pallet positions on four levels in the
    [Payap scenario model](../site-candidates.md#payap-scenario-model-october-2026) (estimate);
  - a few outdoor silos (proposed) for black and the standard colours,
    filled from big bags or by bulk truck and conveyed to the extruders.

  Compound is the heaviest material in the plant (~160 to 270 t a year at
  the mature fleet: 1.0 to 1.5 million records at roughly 160 to 180 g
  each with trim), so it
  stays on the ground floor. The compound suppliers' answer on 25 kg sacks
  versus big bags
  ([Making Vinyl briefing](../suppliers/making-vinyl-europe-2026-exhibitors.md))
  decides how the silos are filled.
- **Hydraulics.** One central hydraulic supply for several systems is an
  option on the flyer and is now the plan, together with one shared
  compressed-air supply (see "Current plan" above); it changes the
  machine-floor layout and the utility list in [scale.md](../scale.md).
- **Colour effects.** The EX 35 is the add-on for multi-colour work on the
  semi-automatic side. It is not in the 2024 quote; the current plan has
  one per Duplex system.
- **For the re-quote**, where sources disagree: the Classic's operator panel
  (two 21" touchscreens in the 2024 flyer, one 10" on the Newbilt website);
  its built-in extruder power (7.5 kW, 400 V drive motor in the 2024 flyer,
  15 kW in this repo's earlier notes, source not recorded); 10" on the
  Classic (in the 2024 flyer and on the website, not in the 2026 flyer);
  and whether the Edge Trimmer is the Vario trimmer of the 2024 quote.
- **Stamper fit.** Ask both press vendors which stamper centre hole and
  edge form their moulds expect: the Sibert VSP punches Ø25.4 mm as
  standard and the VSC coiner needs tooling per mould type (see
  [galvanics and stamper prep](galvanics.md)).

## Site requirements

Site planning for the semi-automatic line works from Newbilt's Duplex
requirements: roughly 200 m² of production floor, 32 kVA connected
electrical load, saturated steam at 10 bar, and compressed air and cooling
water circuits, plus side rooms for materials, compressor, chiller, and
finished goods. These are per Duplex system: the current fleet needs two,
plus floor for the Classic (~400 m², plus ~50 to 75 m² for the Classic,
estimate). The machines themselves are small: a press is about 0.9 m², an
extruder about 0.5 m², and the hydraulic aggregate about 1.0 m², which
Newbilt prefers outside the pressing room; the minimum room height is
2.5 m. Most of the 200 m² is walking, handling and side-room space. The
layout drawing that page 11 of the site requirements refers to is not in
our copy; ask for it with the re-quote.

**Floor loading is a building-selection criterion**: the slab must carry
multiple tons per m² in the machine areas. A Newbilt press weighs 1,350 kg
on a footprint under 1 m², and the boiler, chiller, hydraulic aggregate,
battery stack, and stacked material storage all concentrate weight the same
way. The floor must also be flat but not slippery (machine levelling pads
need grip) and resistant to the solvents used in production. Dynamic loads
from press cycles come on top of the static figures, so the structural
engineer gets the vendor data sheets, not just the totals.

Source documents live in [`newbilt/`](newbilt/): the budgetary offer, the
Duplex site requirements, the process schematic, the service rate card, and
the 2026 product flyers in [`newbilt/flyers-2026/`](newbilt/flyers-2026/).