Plastic Recyling: How To Turn Your Plastic Scrap Into Reusable Pellets
Not too long ago, many plastic processors were able to get rid of their scrap material selling them to local MRF (material recycling facilities). Then these recycling facilities would reprocess the collected scrap to reusable plastic pellets and sell off the contaminated or difficult to recycle scrap to countries in South East Asia. This however has changed and we are no longer able to sell our scrap to these countries and they simply don’t want our trash. Our previous methods are no longer accepted and we need to take action and build a strong recycling infrastructure locally instead of land-filling and shipping our trash to other countries.
We work with many plastic processors and they are having trouble getting rid of their scrap. Sometimes it’s difficult to even pay recyclers to haul them away.
Requirements on plastic recycling are becoming more stringent all the time. California is one of the states on the forefront of initiating a clean environment and have been giving grants to many companies that are wanting to recycle plastics to reduce waste.
This seems like an almost impossible task to tackle, but we need to break it down and start with post industrial recycling (PIR). Residual products left behind by the industrial production of plastic products are a high-quality and valuable raw material. To ensure that they can be fed back into production without losses would not only great for the environment to reduce waste, but will be beneficial to the company that will be saving money over time putting recycled material back into their products and reducing virgin consumption.
Does this sound too simple and easy?
Well it’s pretty simple, Next Generation Recycling (aka NGR) has an all-in-one DUMP & RUN machine called the S:GRAN and X:GRAN. It’s a patented system that is a shredder, feeder, extruder and pelletizer.
NGR’s relentless and continuous innovation of their technology introduces the NXT:GRAN system the next iteration of the S:GRAN, which is their most popular model.
NXT:GRAN continues to combine size reduction, feeding and extruding into one extremely efficient process (ONE-STEP technology). In doing so, it draws upon the experience gained from having over 1000 patented shredder-feeder-extruder combination installations worldwide.
- Material feed (conveyor belt, roll feeder, air separator)
2. The shredder chops the material being fed to the extruder via the Duo-Direct feeder.
3. The heated material is melted and homogenized in the extruder. Single or double venting systems remove volatile components in the melt flow
4. The melt is cleaned, depending on the application with a standard screen changer or high-performance melt filter
5. A pelletization unit at the end of the recycling process produces uniform recycling pellets
THE WORKING PRINCIPLE
Using the material efficiently in each process: The patented shredder-feeder-extruder combination provides maximum performance for extremely high output and quality.
First, the materials being fed are pressed against the solid shredder shaft by the hydraulic pusher.
The shredded material is then conveyed into the extruder by the revolutionary Duo-Direct feeder. What this means is that the shredder is now decoupled from the extruder so cutting speed and extrusion speed can be controlled independently. This method enables the system to optimize production and most importantly enables the system to be very reliable.
Both of these process components feature load-dependent and fully automatic control.
In the extruder, the polymer is efficiently melted and homogenized and if necessary, the melt is vacuum degassed at the same time.
The cutter outlet and extruder intake components are placed close together so the heat generated in pre-processing is transferred into the extruder. This design feature optimizes the energy balance and gives the NXT:GRAN extremely efficient operation.
Easy Operation
The system offers an extremely user-friendly large touchscreen that monitors the entire process flow. When your recipe is dialed you can put it in autopilot and let it run automatically.
Malfunction-free Maintenance
Your maintenance manager will love how easy this system is to maintain. Maintenance intervals and instructions are all embedded within the touch screen for easy step-by-step instructions. Less downtime equals better efficiency equals more profit.
Summary
The NXT:GRAN offers improved maximum performance & reliability in all areas.
Zero-waste production between input and output guarantees that the full value of the material is realized.
At the same time, as with all NGR technologies, input of work and energy are reduced to an absolute minimum.
The chart below shows the different shredder and extruder screw diameters for each model within the NXT:GRAN line.
Maximum of 1,760 pounds / hour can be achieved.
In our recycling test centers, we can prove the NGR reprocessing performance on your own scrap materials.
Please contact us if you would like to run a trial on your material, and we look forward to the opportunity to prove it to you in person.
They say the proof is in the pudding!
NGR NXT:GRAN continues to combine size reduction, feeding and extruding into one extremely efficient work step (ONE-STEP technology). In doing so, it draws upon the experience gained from having over 1,000 patented shredder-feeder-extruder combination installations worldwide.
If you have any questions regarding NGR or any plastic process equipment, please contact any of the Hirate America team members to provide a solution tailored to your requirements.
