Plastic shredder machine is a key piece of equipment in the reclamation and recycling of industrial plastic waste. It is important to get these large amounts of scrap material down to a size that can be handled and reprocessed into new components or materials. Whether it’s PET bottles, plastic sheets, vinyl materials or long strips of purgings, getting these materials down to a manageable size is the first step in the recycling process.
There are a variety of different machines that can be used to do the initial cutting and reduction of these larger plastic pieces. These include hammer mills, granulators, shear shredders and chippers. Each of these machines has its own advantages and disadvantages depending on the type of material that is being shredded and the level of precision required. For example, a hammer mill will reduce material to very small particles through the force of a rotating drum with swivelling hammers. This is ideal for reducing plastics to a very fine particle size, but can be difficult to use on harder or brittle materials such as glass and ceramics.
A shear shredder, on the other hand, will cut and shear materials rather than crushing them. These machines are more efficient for softer or more flexible materials such as paper, cloth, soft metals and rubber. They are able to achieve very precise cuts because of the sharp blades operating against each other, and the tolerance between the individual blades. These types of shear shredders can be found in many different applications, from the smallest machines that are designed to take care of office documents, all the way up to large industrial shredding plants that can handle thousands of kilograms of waste by the hour.
These machines are generally powered by either an electric or hydraulic drive. Electric drives are good for most general purposes, but a hydraulic drive can be better for heavier-duty reduction jobs like in the shredding of tires. Hydraulics are also better at handling shock loads that can occur during operation.
Once the material is shredded to the desired size, it can be sorted and sold to other Precious Plastic workspaces in the network to be reformed into useful products. This helps reduce waste, maximizes profits for the company and provides a valuable service to the community. Anyone interested in helping to fix the world’s plastic problem is welcome to join this movement by setting up their own workspace. We’ll help you find a space, build your own shredder, sell the shredded plastic and make a difference! Check out our How-To Guide for more information.