The granulator is the most common type of pelletizing used with plastic recycling. It is capable of turning jugs, large bottles, and other plastic products into flakes, which are referred to as granules. These granules are then sold to manufacturers in order to be remolded into new products.
The machine itself is essentially a large electric motor with a rotor. The motor rotates the rotor, which contains cutting blades. The motor, the rotor, and the blades are all located inside a closed chamber in which the plastic is placed. The blades and the chambers of plastic granulators are available in various sizes and shapes in order to meet different needs.
There is also a screen located inside the chamber. This screen sifts the plastic in order to ensure all of the pieces are small enough to be reused, which generally ranges from .125 to .375 inches. Any pieces that are too large to fit through the screen are processed once more within the granulator.
The efficiency of a plastic granulator is based upon how much plastic it can shred in one hour, which is referred to as its pounds per hour rating. For industrial recycling purposes, the plastic granulator needs to be very large in order to process massive amounts of plastic. There are, however, smaller plastic granulators available for home use. No matter the size, these machines can be dangerous. Therefore, it is important to always follow the manufacturer's instructions when using a plastic granulator.
A plastic granulator also must be kept clean in order to remain efficient. Usually, the screen of the plastic granulator is cleaned out after each large job. Otherwise, pieces of plastic can get stuck in the screening and prevent other granules from falling through. The blades of the plastic granulator also need to be wiped clean and oiled to keep the machine running smoothly.
