The word granule comes from the word grain. It makes sense. The first machine granulators were used to produce grains of sand from rocks and process wheat grains. Today, granulators are used in hundreds of industries to break down large chunks of material into smaller grains.
Plastic granulators are the heavy lifters of the recycling industry. By transforming large plastic waste into smaller, manageable granules, recycling becomes a simple process of sorting, melting, and remodeling the plastic. Not all plastic granulators are the same, however. The best granulator for a recycling line will depend on multiple factors, including:
- The type of plastics the plants process
- How the recycling line is organized
- The volume of plastic that needs processing
Every plastic recycling plant sits at different points along the scales of soft to hard, bulky to compact, and large to small volumes of plastic. These specifics determine which kind of plastic granulator is the best fit for their recycling process.
Plastic Granulator Components
Granulators typically consist of the following three key components:
- The feed hopper
- A cutting chamber with rotating and stationary knives
- Screens to filter the size of the granules
Types of Plastic Granulators
The five main types of plastic granulators are each designed for specific materials and applications. Because of their differences, granulators offer unique advantages to specific niches of plastic processing.
1. Central Granulators
Central granulators are the largest and most robust granulators. They can handle large plastic parts or large volumes of scrap plastic. They are often installed in a centralized location within a facility where large amounts of waste are generated.
2. Beside-the-Press Granulators
These granulators are more compact than central granulators. They are designed to work alongside plastic molding machines. They are often used for granulating small reject parts immediately after they are produced. The advantage of Beside-the-Press Granulators is that their setup reduces waste on the production floor.
3. Shredder Granulators
These machines combine the functions of a shredder and a granulator. They are ideal for processing bulky, hard-to-manage materials that cannot be fed directly into a traditional granulator. As their name suggests, shredder granulators first shred the material into smaller pieces before granulating it to the desired size. If you are running a smaller operation and want an all-in-one machine, shredder granulators are the way to go.
4. Low-Speed Granulators (Screenless Granulators)
By operating at a lower speed, these granulators produce less noise pollution, less dust, and more consistent granules than faster granulators. They are often used for softer, more flexible materials like soft plastics, rubber, and thin-walled materials. Because they are more precise there is often less need for screens to separate out different-sized granules.
5. High-Speed Granulators
On the other end of the spectrum from low-speed granulators are the high-speed variety. These racehorse machines operate at higher speeds necessary for processing harder plastics, such as injection-molded parts and high-impact polystyrene. Depending on the input material, they can still produce precise and uniform granule size.
Applications of Plastic Granulators
Recycling: As mentioned previously, granulators are essential in the recycling industry. They reduce the diverse forms of plastic waste into uniform granules, readying them for processing into new products. This includes post-consumer plastics like bottles, containers, and packaging materials.
Manufacturing: In the plastic manufacturing industry, granulators are used to repurpose scrap plastic from production processes, such as injection molding, blow molding, and extrusion. This helps reduce waste and lower material costs
Automotive: While we often think of cars as primarily metal, they also have many large plastic components. The automotive industry uses granulators to recycle plastic parts like bumpers, dashboards, and interior panels. Manufacturers can reuse granulated plastic to produce new automotive components.
Medical: Plastic is highly prevalent in medicine due to its cheap and versatile ability to keep equipment sterile. Syringes, IV bags, and tubing are just some of the plastic that gets thrown away daily from almost every hospital.
Construction: Construction projects don’t need a granulator to decrease plastic waste as much as to create granules for various construction projects. Granulated plastic is used to make plastic lumber and composite decking, for example. This use reduces plastic waste and provides durable, weather-resistant materials.
Summary
Plastic granulators are indispensable in the modern world. From their location in the factory to the speed at which they operate, there is a plastic granulator for every situation. If your business is considering investing in a granulator, ECO Green Equipment can offer advice on what kind of granulator to purchase.
These granulator machines help minimize environmental impact and contribute to a circular economy by transforming plastic waste into reusable granules. Understanding the applications can help industries choose the right machine for their specific needs, optimizing efficiency and sustainability. In a circular way, granulators build up the world by breaking down waste.