Lab & Pilot Extruder
What is a Lab & Pilot Extruder?
A Lab or Pilot Extruder is a small-scale extrusion system designed to develop, test and optimize polymer formulations and processes before full-scale industrial production.
ICMA Lab & Pilot extruders allow companies to replicate industrial extrusion conditions on a reduced scale, making them ideal for material development, process validation and scale-up activities.
ICMA Lab & Pilot extruders are designed according to the same construction principles as full-scale production extruders, ensuring reliable scale-up from lab to industrial production.
Processes and formulations can be developed and validated on ICMA Lab & Pilot extrusion systems before being transferred to full-scale production lines.
Why using a Lab & Pilot Extruder?
Lab and pilot extrusion systems are used to:
- develop new polymer compounds and formulations
- test compounding and extrusion processes
- validate recipes before industrial production
- reduce development risks and time-to-market
- support R&D, technical centers and innovation departments
A pilot extrusion line is not just a small machine, but a strategic tool to transform ideas into industrial processes.
ICMA Lab & Pilot extruders are equipped with co-rotating twin-screw extruders designed according to the same construction principles as full-scale production machines.
This ensures:
- reliable process scalability
- comparable shear, mixing and thermal profiles
- direct transfer of process parameters from lab to production
Applications and processes
ICMA Lab & Pilot extrusion systems are suitable for:
- polymer compounding
- material formulation development
- pilot extrusion of sheets, foils, pipes and profiles
- testing of recycled and highly filled materials
- process optimization for industrial scale-up
Who are Lab & Pilot extruders for?
- compounders and processors
- R&D and technical centers
- material producers
- companies developing new products or entering new markets
From idea to industrial production
ICMA does not consider a Lab & Pilot system as a standalone unit, but as the first step of an industrial extrusion strategy, supporting customers from material development to full-scale production lines.
