Plastic Recycling Machinery

At Rotajet were all about plastics. We design, manufacture and supply plastic recycling, drying, washing and plastic separation machinery. We handle size reduction, conveying, material separation, washing, bagging and depacking for the recycling industry. 

PLASTIC PLANTS

Turnkey recycling systems

SIZE REDUCE

SEPARATE

specific density separation

Critical Spares Manufacture

Rotajet are a major manufacture and distributor of critical spares for recycling machinery. 

SHREDDER BLADES

Shredder-recycling-banner

GRANULATOR BLADES

SIEVE REMESHING

Remeshing service for vibrating sieves

ROTOR REPLACEMENT

drying plastic granulate

Plastic Plants

We specialise in the manufacture and integration of plastic recycling machinery to be integrated into a full turnkey plastic plant. Over the years we have developed not only standardised machinery but also standardised designs for full process plants. 

WEEE

Waste electrical equipment recycling

PE | HDPE | LDPE

Recycle HDPE Plastic

PET

Recycle PET plastic with a integrated Rotajet System

Mixed Rigids

Recycle mixed plastics with Rotajet

Films

Recycling Plastic Film

Car Battery

Recycle led acid batteries

Container

How to recycle containers

PROJECT MANAGEMENT

MACHINE REFURBISHMENT

FACTORY RELOCATIONS

INSTALLATIONS

3D DESIGN

ENGINEERING DESIGN

About Rotajet

Rotajet create cutting-edge recycling equipment, enabling our customers to achieve high throughput rates with little labour output. Our machines are modular in design and can be scaled to suit any application; from standalone machines to turnkey plastic recycling plants.

The development of efficient plastic recycling technologies has become critical to both the ecological and economic security of businesses around the world. Recent developments in environmental policies to fight plastic pollution are creating huge opportunities across the globe within the plastic recycling industries.

Size Reduction

Size reduction is a necessary step in plastic recycling to ensure that the plastic feed can be processed through the washing, drying, and separation stages efficiently. The Size Reduction of plastic material can be achieved using two options of machinery:

Granulators

A Rotajet Granulator comes fully equipped with rotor bearings, knife mounts, rotor shafts and a removable deflector wedge, to allow for reducing the plastic particle down to between 6mm and 10mm. 

A Granulator can be used as a standalone or integrated system, and due to its intelligent design is fit-for-purpose across a wide range of applications and in-feed materials.

Shredders

A Rotajet Shredder is used as-standard in plastic recycling plants to shred the in-feed material down to a suitable size for processing among the other stages. 

Capable of reducing plastic down to a particle size of 20mm, a Rotajet Shredded comes fully equipped with fitted hydraulic mesh opening screens that can process a wide range of materials, including plastics, textiles, foodstuffs and wood.

Plastic Washers

Rotajet’s range covers 3 different methods of washing plastic, which have been optimised for use depending on the contamination, application and its process position.

Friction Washers

Our friction washers are our most popular plastic washers due to the versatility of their operation and their low operational costs. These washers use a combination of heat, chemical, pressure and kinetic energy to wash the contaminated plastics.

Inside the Friction Washer, high-speed rotating paddles creates kinetic energy that forces the material forward as well as centrifugal force that pushes the contamination out and through its integrated perforated screen.

Rotary Washers

Our Rotary Washers can achieve throughput rates of between 250KG and 3,000KG per hour. With two possible wash stages, these machines typically use a 1% caustic wash solution heated at between 65-70°C to remove contaminants such as oils and foodstuffs.

 The rinse stage then removes any residual chemicals. For applications that require the removal of inert particles (e.g. sand/glass), the Rotary Washer can be used instead of a Pre-Washer depending on the severity of the contamination

Pre-Washers

A pre-washer would generally be situated in the initial stages of the plastic recycling line to remove high levels of contamination such as glass, stone and heavy oils

Available in a range of sizes, a pre-washer can manage a throughput of between 500kg and 6 tonnes per hour to remove the bulk of contamination before being fed into Wet Granulation. To remove heavy contamination, the pressure and flow of liquid from the spray nozzles impinges upon the surface of the plastic whilst the incline screw conveyor transfers the material on to the next stage

Plastic Separation

Separating product fractions is a critical step to ensuring that a quality product is achieved at the end of the recycling process. Using Rotajet’s separation equipment could help to separate everything from; different plastic-types to various contamination, and filter through size separation.

Sink-Float Tanks

A Rotajet Sink Float Tank is intelligently designed to use water as a density medium to separate product fractions. Through the alteration of the water’s gravity, a Rotajet Sink Float Tank can be adjusted to accurately separate a range of plastics and other in-feed materials.

To ensure that the best quality end-product is achieved, we recommend the in-feed material is pre-shredded or granulated down to at least 40mm prior to its processing in a Sink Float Tank. This could be assisted through the use of a Shredder or Granulator before material is sent through to separation.

Vibrating Sieves

Able to separate up to 5 product fraction in 1 operation, a Rotajet Vibrating Sieve can offer the most acute grading down to as little as 200 micron. With 7 available sizes, a Vibrating Sieve is the ideal solution for a wide range of applications and throughputs, across a broad range of industries.

Zigzag Separators

A Rotajet ZigZag separator is generally placed towards the end of the recycling line to ensure the best quality of out-feed material before bagging off. Plastic granulate is fed into the ZigZag separator at a staggered rate, whilst the upward stream of airflow filters out remaining contaminants such as; paper, dust, and fine particles. Depending upon the unique application, the size and airflow of the ZigZag Separator can be refined to process the specific throughput, material, and contaminant particle size.

Plastic Dryers

To account for the varying needs and throughput capacities across the industry, Rotajet manufactures a series of 4 dryers for use as standalone or integrated in plastic recycling:

Horizontal Mechanical Dryers

A horizontal mechanical dryer can efficiently reduce moisture levels down to as little as 1%. With the use of high-speed rotator paddles, the plastic granulate is moved to the outside of the dryer where it is passed through the dewatering fixed screen and out of the output mouth. From here, the dried material is normally sent to bagging off, or transferred through a Rotajet Zigzag separator for further processing.

Vertical Mechanical Dryers

Like the horizontal mechanical dryer, the vertical mechanical dryer is designed to efficiently reduce moisture on the plastic infeed material down to around 1%. Using the centrifugal force of rotor paddles, the plastic is forced to the outside of the dryer to be passed through dewatering fixed screens and out through the output mouth.

Thermal Dryers

For applications requiring particularly low moisture levels, a Rotajet Thermal Dryer can dewater materials down to around 0.5%. Using a high-volume air blower, the rotating Archimedes drum dryer is the most effective way of dewatering shredded and granulated plastic.

Screw Compactors

Due to a larger surface area, drying times can be intolerable when drying film with a mechanical or thermal Dryer. To increase the efficiency of the dryer whilst also ensuring that energy usage is kept to a minimum, the assistance of a Screw Compactor can squeeze any excess water from the material. Once the material has passed through the Screw Compactor, a Mechanical Dryer can help to further reduce moisture levels on the outfeed material.

Hoppers

A Feed Hopper is typically installed at the beginning of a recycling line to process the in-feed material. The Feed Hopper can be fitted with multiple screw augers, in multiple various available diameters, to suit the level of throughput required by the operation. 

Feed Hopper

This machine allows for the regulation of the in-feed material, producing a smooth and consistent flow of out-put material that can then be evenly processed by the next stages in the production line. 

With the integration of a Feed Hopper, a production line can become much more efficient, allowing for a better quality end-product and a reduced risk of potential machine downtime. 

Conveyors

Swan Neck Conveyors

A Swan Neck conveyor provides the ideal solution for transferring material either up or down within the recycling line, for example, feeding the material up into a Feed Hopper. 

These machines are intelligently shaped with a combination of horizontal and raised platforms to move material along at a steady rate. Available in a range of standard sizes to suit the varying requirements of the industry, our Swan Neck Conveyors are a necessary step to automating a full system and ensuring the most smooth and optimised transition of material between key stages.

Screw Conveyors

A Screw Conveyor, otherwise known as an ‘Auger Conveyor’ is a rotating mechanism that is generally installed in the trough of machines such as a Sink Float Tank to move materials along. Depending upon operation requirements, the rotation rate of the Screw Conveyor can be configured to suit the material and meet the desired throughput rates. 

With the robust manufacturing of Rotajet’s Screw Conveyors, these machines can offer an efficient and reliable solution to moving a range of materials and contaminants along, including; foodstuffs, wood chips, metal turnings, and others.

Spiral Elevator

A Spiral Elevator is the newest, most energy efficient solution to the upward-conveying of in-feed material. The optimised combination of oscillation, vibration frequency and stroke-length allows the in-feed to rise up to 20m without causing any degradation. 

Due to the versatile design of this machine, it can manage a range of in-feed material including; plastics, metal turnings, chipped timber and foodstuffs, whilst heating, drying, cooling or dewatering can also be achieved with various optional machine adaptations.

Critical Spares for Recyclers

Depending on the machinery installed in a production line, there are a number of critical spares that Rotajet recommends always having on hand to avoid the potential of prolonged machine downtime, including; shredder blades and granulator blades.

Shredder Blades

Rotajet manufactures a range of Replacement Blades for many different shredding machinery manufacturers, including: Sima, AWC, Barclay, Dreher, Erema, Gretecha, Veisto, and many more. Shredder Blades can be a critical spare to have on hand to avoid prolonged periods of downtime whilst maximising the efficiency of the machine quality of the end product. 

If required, Rotajet can even offer advice and technical support when it comes to the installation of the shredder blades, so that you can be reassured of the process.

Granulator Blades

Rotajet manufactures a full range of replacement blades for Rotajet Granulators, as well as various external granulator manufacturers including: Sima, Precision, Phoenix, MTB, LBL KPS and many more (Eurotools.eu). Granulator blades are delicate equipment that, if not fully protected, can become damaged and ultimately need replacing. 

Rotajet encourages production lines using granulation to have replacement blades on hand in case they should ever be needed, so that the machinery can be as efficient as possible, for as long as possible. 

Sieve Remeshing

To keep the costs of replacement down, where possible Rotajet can offer a full vibrating sieve remeshing service. This service includes the collection and redelivering of the vibrating sieve to make the process as hassle-free as possible for the customer. 

As well as Rotajet manufactured vibrating sieves, we can also provide remeshing for a number of externally manufactured machines, including; Sweco, Russel’s, Boulton’s Cuccolini, Erimaki, SWG, and Gough.v

Rotor Replacement

Rotajet offers a range of Rotor Replacement options for Friction Washers and Mechanical Dryers. Over time, these machines can become worn by the impact of plastic and other materials, and therefore need replacing or repairing at intervals to ensure that machine downtime is minimised and efficiency is optimised. 

When rotors are replaced, rebalancing is also a necessary step that can ensure the future productivity of the machine. In the case of rebalancing, Rotajet can also put in-house designed and manufactured ‘Blue Lining’ plates on the rotors which will reduce future wear by up to 30%.

The Plastics Market

Whilst our understanding of the effects of plastic waste mismanagement is growing, as a population we are beginning to understand the detrimental effects that our treatment of plastic throughout time has been having on the natural environment. 

As a major cause of public concern, the way that we manage our plastic production is fast becoming a topic of interest among industries across the board, thus accelerating the need to produce recycled plastics as an alternative to virgin plastics.

Statistics on Recycled Plastic

In 2017, the UK saw the highest figures ever recorded for plastics collected by the local authorities: amounting to an approximate 550 thousand tonnes in total. 

This amount represents a 10% increase in figures from 2013/14 and serves to demonstrate how the plastics industry is growing quickly and continuously.

With the increased focus on sustainable living in recent years, the recycling industry has been opening its door to bigger opportunities in order to stay on a parallel trajectory. For the plastic market, this has meant that recycled plastic packaging has seen an increase in demand, while the increase in household recycled plastic has been exponential. 

Environmental Impact of Plastic Waste

The profits achievable for plastic recycling are evidently reaching an all-time high: an increase in demand which, for recycled plastic products, is creating an opportunity for supply like never before. While this is great news for plastic recycling companies, it also offers a somewhat critical solution to the alternative option of landfilling. 

With plastic products estimated to take up to 1,000 years to biodegrade, plastic recycling is the sustainable alternative that can reduce plastic landfill, without costing the environment. As well as the environmental impacts of landfilling plastic waste, the effects of plastic pollution can be detrimental to the health of humans and animals.

The more well-known effects of plastic pollution have circulated the media for recent years, with powerful viral campaigns like the Greenpeace Plastic Straw Campaign using thought-provoking imagery of suffering turtles to generate lots of attention among plastic-users. Movements and initiatives like this have led to major outcomes like a ban on one-use plastic straws, stirrers, and cotton buds, as well as a significant reduction in one-use plastic packaging.

However, the lesser-known effects of plastic pollution can equally hold a weighty consequence to the health of humans and animals. For example, plastic particle pollution has been known to end up in our ecosystems, sewerage systems, our ingestive systems and much more. In the case of chlorinated plastic, this can lead to the distribution of potentially toxic particles that can have an effect upon the ecosystem and its organisms.

Among the many other benefits of plastic recycling, these environmental impacts of landfilling present a major incentive for reducing plastic waste. These hazardous impacts created from plastic waste are all factors that can be reduced, if not completely eradicated, by recycling plastic as opposed to landfilling. On top of this, the profitable opportunity presented by plastic recycling creates a win-win for both plastic recycling companies and the environment.

The Future of Plastics

The UK Government has set several targets and trajectories across the board when it comes to creating a sustainable economy. Some such examples of this include moving to fully electric vehicles by 2030, implementing the 25-year environment plan, and donating £5.8billion to combating climate change between 2016 and 2020. For the plastics industry, this has involved implementing ‘the plastics tax’ at £200 per tonne for any plastic packaging produced or imported to the UK that isn’t made up of at least 30% recycled plastic from April 2022, and announcing aims to achieve zero avoidable waste by 2050.

The introduction of the ‘Plastics Tax’ is predicted to be a catalyst for major change across the plastics industry. Incentivising the use of at least 30% recycled plastic, this tax that will take effect in April 2022 has given the plastics industry time to make the shift towards using recycled plastic. While this move towards using recycled plastic is great news for the environment, it also presents fantastic new opportunities for the plastics industry to look towards reducing the costs of one-use plastics and take advantage of the rising demand for recycled plastic

full recycling plant
thermal drying of plastics
IBC recycling
plant for recycling paint pots
lead acid battery plant

Get in touch

Contact us at info@rotajet.co.uk

Recycling Plants

Rotajet produces a full range of recycling plants for taking care of; PP, PE, PET, Containers, WEEE, Film, Batteries, and Mixed Rigids. This video shows a full plastic recycling line.

Rotajet Systems Ltd
Unit 14
Flanshaw Way
Wakefield
West Yorkshire
WF2 9LP

info@rotajet.co.uk
(+44)1924271446

Request a Quote

Request a Quote

Contact us at info@rotajet.co.uk

Request a Quote

Request a Quote

Contact us at info@rotajet.co.uk

Request a Quote

Contact us at info@rotajet.co.uk

Request a Quote

Contact us at info@rotajet.co.uk

Conveyors

Rotajet produces conveyors for transferring materials between the key stages within a recycling line. This video shows the Spiral Elevator vertically conveying materials.

Rotajet Systems Ltd
Unit 14
Flanshaw Way
Wakefield
West Yorkshire
WF2 9LP

info@rotajet.co.uk
(+44)1924271446

Request a Quote

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