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Home / 6 major advantages of Topstar granulator machine in processing rigid plastics and brittle plastics

6 major advantages of Topstar granulator machine in processing rigid plastics and brittle plastics

2026/01/14 By le zhan

granulator machine 1-2

When customers talk about “difficult-to-process” plastics in injection molding, they refer to materials that tend to break, generate fine powder, and overheat during grinding—problems that lead to contamination and quality issues. The Topstar granulator machine is designed to address these pain points. With screenless grinding technology, low-speed gear-driven cutters, a rapid recycling process, and heavy-duty cutter options, Topstar solves the practical problems customers face when recycling PC, nylon, ABS, and other brittle resins in injection molding, reducing waste and improving recyclability.

Screenless Granulator Machine Design

A major innovation of the Topstar granulator machine is its screenless design. Traditional granulators rely on perforated screens to size the material as it leaves the cutting chamber. While screens work effectively for many thermoplastics, they create two persistent problems when processing rigid and brittle plastics: first, long fibers or irregularly shaped fragments easily clog the screens; and second, forcing fragments through narrow apertures generates excessive fine powder.

Topstar’s screenless granulator machine avoids these drawbacks through controlled cutting geometry and a segmented crushing process. Instead of forcing material through small holes, the machine grinds it to produce uniformly sized flakes and chips without abrasive action, thus avoiding dust generation. This directly results in three benefits:

  • Reduced downtime: Operators spend less time cleaning and replacing clogged screens, increasing machine availability.
  • Cleaner workplace: Reduced airborne fine particles, lower cleaning requirements, and reduced worker exposure risks.
  • Higher quality regrind – With no fine powder contaminating the material, the regrind can be mixed with virgin resin more predictably.

From an operational perspective, the screenless granulation method reduces the number of consumables and simplifies maintenance. Screenless granulation is particularly advantageous for customers processing waste materials such as PC, nylon, and ABS; this design tolerates uneven feed and minimizes clogging.

Uniform granulation, minimal powder residue, and reusability

When manufacturers reintroduce recycled materials into the production process, uniform particle size is crucial. Particle size variations and excessive fines can alter melt flow characteristics, leading to air entrapment or unacceptable colour and surface defects in finished parts. Topstar’s granulator machines focus on producing granules with a uniform particle size distribution and minimal powder generation, thereby enabling more precise control over mixing ratios and melt behavior.

Uniform plastic granulation

So how does Topstar achieve uniform granulation and minimize powder generation?

The machine optimizes its rotor and cutting geometry for brittle fracture rather than abrasive grinding. This controlled fracture mechanism causes the material to break along natural fracture planes, producing flakes of similar size rather than dust. Furthermore, low-speed, high-torque operation reduces frictional heat and remelting at the cutting edges. As a result, you’ll see easier downstream processing and metering, with smoother particle flow in the hopper and less bridging. Reduced fines and melt smearing improve the color and surface consistency of remelted products, enabling customers to set specific regrind ratios without excessive trial-and-error.

Granulator machine with a 30-second rapid recycling system

If you want to recycle brittle waste without compromising color or polymer quality, speed is crucial. Topstar granulator machines’ rapid recycling system is designed to produce ready-to-use regrind in approximately 30 seconds of continuous processing time, for a variety of batch sizes – an advantage that reduces the time the waste is exposed to air, moisture, and high temperatures.

Why is this important?

Exposure time affects oxidation, moisture absorption, and even short-term thermal degradation. For some resins, especially transparent or light-colored resins, prolonged exposure to air during grinding can lead to surface oxidation or slight discoloration. Similarly, moisture absorption on the particle surface increases the risk of hydrolytic degradation of the regrind during subsequent melt processing. The Topstar plastic granulator machine reduces the recycling cycle to tens of seconds, thus minimizing these risks.

Specific advantages include: reduced incidence of color deviations in remelted parts, reduced need for subsequent drying, and the ability to instantly recycle scrap during production downtime. For applications requiring high color fidelity—such as automotive trim parts (PC/ABS blends) or consumer electronics housings—this rapid turnaround helps you meet aesthetic specifications while reducing scrap inventory.

PCABS automotive trim parts

20-28 RPM Low-Speed ​​Operation and Teeth Cutters Design Granulator machine

In hard-plastic processing, cutting speed is a critical factor affecting performance. Topstar’s plastic granulator machines use a specially designed low-speed rotor (20-28 RPM) and a high-torque gear-driven cutter assembly. This combination is optimized for brittle fracture and offers several advantages:

  • Reduced Heat Generation: Low speed minimizes frictional heat generation, preventing edge softening or sticking and reducing fines while maintaining polymer integrity.
  • Cleaner Cutting: The teeth cutters provide stable, repeatable cutting force with minimal vibration, producing uniform chip shapes rather than jagged fragments.
  • Lower Noise: The low-speed operation inherently reduces noise compared to high-speed grinding, improving the workshop environment.
  • Improved Energy Efficiency: While lower speeds might imply lower throughput, the high-torque gear drive concentrates energy where it’s needed most.

This configuration is particularly suitable for tough, brittle resins such as PC, certain nylon grades, and ABS, where high-speed cutting can produce long fibres, generate heat, or cause remelting, degrading the quality of the recycled material. The teeth cutter design also handles intermittent feeding better, reducing the risk of cutter jamming or motor stalling, making it a reliable solution for processing irregularly shaped scrap and mixed batches.

TGL-Low-Speed-Sound-Proof-Granulator

Shaft Gear-Motor, Lubrication-Free and Space-Saving

Maintenance and footprint optimization are often overlooked practical considerations in equipment selection. The shaft gear-motor drive used in Topstar’s granulator machines addresses both issues simultaneously without requiring external lubrication. Unlike traditional gearboxes that require regular oil changes, seals, and separate gearbox space, the hollow shaft assembly offers several operational advantages:

  • No External Lubrication Required: Eliminates the need for routine oil changes and reduces the risk of contamination from leaks—especially important in clean production areas. Space-Saving: The compact, integrated design reduces the machine’s footprint, allowing for closer integration with molding units or presses and simplifying factory layout.
  • Reduced Maintenance Burden: Fewer maintenance points mean your team spends less time on routine maintenance, freeing up more time for value-added activities.
  • Cleaner Environment: The absence of oil mist or drips simplifies cleaning and reduces the risk of product contamination in nearby operations.
Lubrication-Free and Space-Saving

Optional SKD-11 Tool Steel – Suitable for Abrasive and High-Strength Applications

Tool life directly impacts downtime, maintenance costs, and the consistency of granule output. Topstar offers optional SKD-11 tool steel for blades and wear parts – a significant advantage for abrasive or high-load applications.

Advantages of SKD-11 tooling include:

  • Extended Blade Life: Blades and holders wear more slowly, maintaining cutting quality and reducing variations in regrinding over extended use.
  • Reduced Replacement Frequency: Fewer blade replacements reduce parts expenditure and labor costs.
  • Higher Precision: SKD-11 maintains a sharper profile for longer, ensuring consistent granule geometry and reducing fines generated by tool wear.
  • Increased Uptime: Longer maintenance intervals mean more efficient production time and less downtime.

Achieve Easy Operation and Excellent Crushing Results

The advantages of Topstar granulator machines lie in their screenless design, uniform granulation, rapid recycling cycle, low-speed, high-torque blades, shaft gear-motor, and durable SKD-11 tooling – combined, these provide a powerful, efficient, and low-cost-per-piece recycling solution for rigid and brittle plastics. This results in easier operation and excellent crushing performance.

 

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