Granulators grind up scrap pieces of plastic previously discarded during the plastics process. Granulator machinery has not changed significantly in recent years and used granulators offer a high return on investment. The typical life of a new granulator from a reputable manufacturer is 20+ years. Its life can be extended if properly cared for and maintained. The most important considerations when buying a new or used granulator is cost, quality and delivery time.
Plastic Granulators
Plastic granulators are used to regrind or recycle product. This reground product is then reintroduced into an extruder to be reprocessed or reused.
The granulator consists of four major parts: a hopper (feeding into the feed throat), cutting chamber, rotor, and motor. Located inside the cutting chamber are bed knives and a rotor. The bed knives are positioned on opposite sides of the cutting chamber.
There are three types of rotors: open, closed, and hog. Open and closed rotors have several blades running the full length of the rotor. Open rotors allow product to pass between the blades. Closed rotors don’t allow product to pass between the blades. The gap between the bed knives and knives on the rotor can be adjusted to regulate the size of the ground plastic.
Equipment Components
When purchasing a used granulator, consider the horsepower of the motor, the size of the feed throat, the number of blades and the style of the rotor. An open rotor is usually preferable because it allows a higher production rate. A hog rotor is a drum with many staggered smaller blades on its surface and used to process larger pieces of scrap. The smaller blades make smaller cuts in the scrap and won’t damage the rotor. Another important component of the rotor is the number of blades. Open and closed rotors generally have three blades. In order to optimize production capacity, two or more bed knives on opposite sides of the cutting chamber is most desirable. The discharge is either drum height, bin height or by a blower. Other granulator features include water cooling, the cutting chamber wall and rotor, and hard surfacing inside the cutting chamber and rotor.
Brands include Cumberland, Rapid, Nelmor, Ball & Jewell, Polymer, Gloucester, Wortex, Alsteele, Entoleter, Granutec, Condux, Rotogran, and Mitts & Merrill.
Used Granulators
When purchasing a used granulator consider equipment age, manufacturer, capacity and, the type of rotor. Ensure the blade configuration of the rotor and horsepower are adequate for the desired production rate. Consider whether the process requires the granulator to have additional attributes. The advantages of buying a used granulator include immediate delivery and competitive price. Perry Videx maintains a large inventory of used granulators. Contact us now to discuss your specific needs.