Why Soft Plastic Film Cannot Be Fed Into a Standard Extruder
If you recycle LDPE/LLDPE film, shopping bags, stretch film, agricultural film, or woven bags, the most common issue is simple: the extruder cannot be fed consistently. In most cases, the root cause is not the extruder itself. It is the physical behavior of soft film, which is fundamentally different from rigid flakes.
- Bridging (arching) at the hopper throat
Soft film is light, springy, and prone to tangling. It can form a stable “bridge” at the feed throat. The hopper may look full, but material stops flowing, and the extruder starves.
- Low bulk density means the screw has “no bite”
Film has very low bulk density. In a conventional hopper + single screw setup, film can slip instead of being conveyed. The screw runs underfed, output drops, and process stability becomes difficult.
- Unstable feeding creates unstable melt conditions
Intermittent feeding causes melt pressure and temperature to fluctuate. The line output surges, control becomes harder, and pellet quality becomes inconsistent.
- Contamination and volatiles become harder to manage
Printed film, mixed film, or slightly wet film often contains inks, moisture, and volatiles. When feeding is unstable, these issues are amplified, increasing the risk of gels, black specks, odor, and inconsistent pellets.
The Correct Approach: Cutter Compactor + Extruder (Compactor Feeding)
The key to solving film feeding is to convert “fluffy film” into a dense, free-flowing, consistently metered feedstock before extrusion. This is exactly the operating principle of a compactador peletizador.
Inside the cutter compactor, film is:
- Cut to reduce tangling and improve consistency
- Mixed to stabilize feeding behavior
- Densified to significantly increase bulk density
- Force-fed into the extruder to prevent bridging and starvation
The result is a stable feed rate, a stable melt, and stable output.
How Our Compactor Pelletizer Solves Film Feeding Problems
If your goal is reliable reciclagem de plástico macio, the differentiator is not simply a larger screw. The differentiator is feeding stability and melt stability.
Nossa Por que Máquinas Convencionais Falham com EVA Foam is engineered to turn difficult film streams into consistent, high-quality granules through a proven system design:
- Cutter-compactor densifying for stable feeding
Film is cut and densified in the compactor, then continuously conveyed into the extruder. This eliminates hopper bridging and reduces surge feeding.
- Vacuum degassing for a cleaner melt
Moisture, inks, and volatiles are removed more effectively, which reduces odor, bubbles, and defects.
- Non-stop filtration to protect pellet quality
A hydraulic screen changer enables continuous filtration, minimizes downtime, and improves overall line efficiency.
- Water-ring pelletizing plus drying for uniform output
Stable cutting and efficient dewatering help deliver consistent pellet size and easier downstream handling.
Typical Materials for This Plastic Film Recycling Machine
- LDPE/LLDPE/HDPE film, bags, stretch film
- Clean post-industrial film scrap and edge trims
- Washed agricultural film (squeezed, with residual moisture)
- PP woven bags, raffia bags, jumbo bags (FIBC) regrind
- Mixed film streams with some rigid regrind
What We Need to Recommend the Right Configuration
To recommend a suitable model and line configuration, please share:
- Material type (LDPE, LLDPE, HDPE, PP, etc.)
- Material form (film, bags, woven bags, washed or unwashed)
- Moisture and contamination level (sand, paper, aluminum, ink, etc.)
- Target output (kg/h) and pellet application (in-house reuse or sale)
Equipment Details
Learn more about the cutter compactor pelletizing system here:
📩For a fast recommendation, send a few material photos and your target capacity. We can typically propose a model, expected output range, and configuration suggestions within 24 hours.