INDIA – Coperion has collaborated with Herbold Meckesheim to construct an advanced bottle-to-bottle recycling plant for Magpet Polymer, a preform and plastic packaging manufacturer.
This comprehensive facility will feature integrated technologies for the entire recycling process, from mechanical processing of used PET bottles to extrusion with a ZSK twin screw extruder, pelletizing, and an SSP (Solid State Polycondensation) reactor.
Designed for a throughput of 5,500 kg/h, the PET bottle recycling system will produce PET recyclate approved by the European Food Safety Administration (EFSA) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for direct food contact. Additionally, the PET pellets produced will be approved by brand owners.
“Magpet has always aimed to be a pioneer in adopting new technology,” said Devendra Surana, managing director of Magpet, part of Magnum Group.
“This PET recycling unit is a significant step in that direction, aligning with our commitment to responsible business practices and environmental sustainability. We are excited to partner with Herbold and Coperion to establish this state-of-the-art PET bottle recycling line in India.”
Magpet awarded the contract for the entire system to Coperion and Herbold Meckesheim, both operating companies of Hillenbrand, due to their well-coordinated technologies and efficient plastic recycling solutions that consistently deliver high-quality PET recyclate.
Coperion’s and Herbold Meckesheim’s bottle-to-bottle plants are designed to process all recyclates together, even with varying IV (Intrinsic Viscosity) values or fluctuating bulk densities.
Moreover, the Coperion-Herbold solution offers savings on operating costs, logistics costs, and energy consumption compared to conventional PET recycling processes.
The recycling process begins with transforming PET bottles into flakes using Herbold’s granulators with forced feeding and washing system technologies.
This step efficiently and gently processes the PET, minimizing material loss and maximizing yield.
The preprocessed flakes are then conveyed and fed into the ZSK recycling twin screw extruder. The PET regrind is gently melted, intensively dispersed, and processed into a homogeneous mass. The twin screw technology of the ZSK efficiently transfers energy into the melt.
Due to the extruder’s high 18 Nm/cm³ torque, the PET’s residence time is short, processing occurs at low temperatures, and polymer chain degradation is minimal, resulting in high product quality. Volatile components such as monomers, oligomers, and water are removed from the melt.
After being discharged from the ZSK recycling extruder, the still-warm material stream is transferred via a gear pump to an underwater granulator and an SSP reactor, condensed and decontaminated.
“In the bottle-to-bottle recycling plant for Magpet, we have combined the strengths of Coperion and Herbold Meckesheim technologies,” says Jochen Schofer, head of Sales Recycling at Coperion.
“All process steps, from mechanical pretreatment to producing finished recyclate, are optimally coordinated to produce high-quality PET with maximum energy efficiency.”
“With this bottle-to-bottle recycling system, Magpet takes the next step in their journey. We wish Magpet every success and look forward to continuing our collaboration,” adds Mehmet Kaya, Sales Team Leader Asia for Herbold Meckesheim.
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