Rotogran International updates its line of granulators for plastics recycling
Advancements include replaceable wear inserts on granulators and a new pathway deflector into the cutting chamber
Rotogran International, the Ontario-based size reduction equipment manufacturer for the plastics and recycling industry, recently made new advancements to its line of granulators that will maximize throughput and longevity for customers.
The new advancements include using tool steel replaceable wear inserts in all of its recycling granulators. In addition, Rotogran introduced a new pathway deflector into the cutting chamber.
Tool steel inserts
Rotogran has offered inserts for wear resistance for its granulators for years, such as regular mild steel inserts coated with tungsten carbide. However, since tungsten carbide is so brittle, it tends to break off easily due to the impact with hard plastic. In order to improve abrasive wear, Rotogran changed all of its inserts to tool steel, which does not chip while also extending the usable life of the inserts.
The company's engineers designed a system where the wear areas of the granulator chamber are fitted with removable inserts. These updates to tool steel inserts target abrasive materials that are extremely dirty or glass-filled plastics. The inserts can be replaced without disassembling the entire granulator chamber, and the operation can be performed in less time than a typical blade change.
Pathway deflector
For those working with a granulator and a shredder, Rotogran has introduced a pathway deflector into the cutting chamber. This method deflects the partially cut material back directly into the cutting circle for cutting again. The pathway deflector is offered as a bolt-in replaceable optional upgrade to help increase throughput and is usually used in conjunction with a shredder.
"One of our big strengths is the front-end application engineering, where we look at the machines up close and evaluate where it can improve to maximize throughput," says Rotogran International president Mike Cyr. "The key is listening to what the customers are saying and learning if they're experiencing any difficulties. These latest innovations we've launched are all designed to provide maximum production for recyclers and processors."
"Companies are recycling a wider assortment of products, including the dirty stuff that others won't take, thus requiring higher productivity and improved wear resistance," Cyr says. "We designed the removable inserts within the granulators so that when they wear down from use, they can be replaced with a new insert, making the total change over easy and economical."
