Recycle more waste and profit with an industrial plastic shredder
Many plastics processors have pelletizers for recycling waste. But for injection molding machines and extruders with large parts or dense materials, plastic recycling shredders may be a better choice for first-stage material size reduction.
If you're like many plastics processors, you probably have a pelletizer for recycling scrap, but may not think you need a shredder. Those are for commercial recyclers and really high-volume processors, right?
Maybe not. If you injection mold, blow mold or extrude large parts or dense materials and have to manually cut them before feeding them into the pelletizer, you are probably spending more on labor than you realize . The same is true if you are extruding film and need to unwind the roll to process it. Or, if you're sending your waste to landfill, it might be time to rethink recycling.
In all of these cases, plastic shredders can provide a cost-effective alternative. It begins by investigating returns and making sure you are looking at the best equipment for your application. For many plastics processors, successfully recycling waste can make a significant contribution to increased profits. However, for waste to retain its value—whether recycled back into the process or sold to others for recycling—it must be reduced to a manageable and uniform size.
This is where pelletizing and shredding equipment comes in.
Where Shredders Fit: When to Use Them
If you are only grinding relatively small quantities of sprues, runners, off-spec parts and film edge trims, an on-machine pelletizer is for you. For higher volumes, perhaps a central granulator makes sense. But when you have to chew through tough materials, large parts, rolls of film, and other difficult materials, shredders are great. This explains why shredders are so common in recycling applications involving wood, metal and paper, and why they are gaining popularity in plastic recycling.
To evaluate your application, consider the following factors:
Volume - Shredders are available for higher volume applications. This is especially true of single-shaft shredders, which use horizontal hydraulic cylinders to drive waste material to the cutting area where the rotor and stationary knives intersect. In fact, the more and heavier the waste in the feed bin, the better it will be for the shredder.
Density - Some scrap can put considerable stress on shredding equipment. A good example would be a filth that can be several inches thick and weigh 30 or 40 pounds. Some molders first cut them with a band saw for recycling. With a shredder, you can put them whole in the feed box. The same applies to off-spec film or fiber rolls, or other forms of heavy, dense waste that can cause serious damage to the pelletizer.
Feed method – When using a pelletizer, filling the cutting chamber with scrap can cause all sorts of problems, so you typically have to manually meter the feed. With a shredder, you just toss most of your material in the trash and walk away. This makes the shredder a "throw and forget" machine that requires far less labor.
final material state
Shredders typically output chunks of material that are ½ - 2 inches in diameter, which is sufficient if the material is going to a recycler. If the material is to be mixed with virgin pellets back into your process in an injection molding machine or extruder, the shredded waste may need to go through a secondary pelletizing process for optimum size and uniformity.
what to look for in a shredder
Significant innovations have occurred in the industrial shredder industry. Now more than ever, not all shredders are created equal, and certain product features can have a significant impact on the ease and safety of machine operation and maintenance, as well as life expectancy. With a long history of manufacturing shredder equipment for a variety of industries and numerous patents in this field, SUPU Machine addresses the features and functions that are important to getting the most out of your shredder.
Monolithic rotor
The rotor is the most expensive component in a shredder and the one that takes the most abuse. Replacing a damaged rotor is an extremely expensive and time-consuming proposition, so it needs to be as tough as possible. Some rotors are made of two or three pieces welded together. A better option is a one-piece rotor machined from a single block of steel, including the shaft for SUPU Machine shredders. In fact, we are so confident in the durability of our rotors that they are guaranteed to last the life of the machine without failure.
Does a shredder not need a granulator? Maybe, if you're just selling scrap and want to make sure you're getting the best price. However, if you deal with regrind frequently and spend a lot of time and effort on manual size reduction activities, a shredder may still be a total cost savior in addition to a granulator.
Go to SUPU Machine to learn more about shredders for plastic processing.
https://www.supushredder.com/