Pelletizing. A redesigned chute is at the center of a new invention that cuts down on the fines produced by a pelletizer.
According to a patent filed by Bay Plastics Machinery, Bay City, Mich., the pelletizer itself is fairly conventional, with a 15-horsepower motor; however, it features upgrades to improve the separation of pellets and fines, and to better capture pellets from the chamber. The company says its aim is to produce more good pellets, curb waste and prevent “double-cutting” — when pellets inadvertently travel back into the cutting chamber and are chopped more than once.
In particular, it envisions a chute that can be connected to one or two vacuums, to direct the movement of fines and pellets away from the cutter. The pelletizer also can employ compressed or ionized air to steer fines and pellets in the right direction. Additionally, a divider plate can separate the pellet section of the chute from the section that carries fines out of the machine.
“By providing the separate collection of pellets and fines, the yield of accurately sized pellets is improved, and the contamination by fines is reduced,” the patent states.
Patent 10,589,283; issued March 17
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