Shredding of PTFE scraps and shavings

Semi-finished products in Polytetrafluoroethylene (abbr. PTFE), commercially known as Teflon, can cost more than €12/kg. This highlights how cost-effective it can be to recover processing scraps of this material.

This is likely what one of our Milan-based customers in the sector thought when they presented us with their PTFE scrap and shaving shredding problem.

The proposed solution, based on the waste volumes to be treated and the loading method, was a K25 CV series dual-shaft shredder mounted on a support frame with gates and a truncated conical loading hopper.

The shredder is equipped with 50 mm 4-hook blades.

Since the customer collects processing scraps and shavings in bins, we proposed a loading system featuring our newly produced lifter-tipper, which uses a loading platform to tip the bin contents directly into the hopper.

The entire PTFE scrap and shaving shredding cycle is managed by a single control panel with a Siemens PLC, featuring remote assistance.

To keep the treated material as “clean” as possible, the grinding chamber is entirely galvanically treated. This process increases surface hardness and, more importantly, prevents the detachment of metal particles and the formation of oxide, ensuring the material remains uncontaminated.

The loading hopper, however, is made of AISI 304 stainless steel.

The supply also includes our new remote diagnostic system which, by utilizing the machine’s internet connection, redirects process data to an IoT (Internet of Things) web platform that the customer can easily access via desktop, tablet, and smartphone.

Reading the signals from the PLC allows for the generation of rules and actions via email or SMS, for both alarm and maintenance purposes. Our technical support team directly handled the installation and commissioning of the system at the customer’s site.