Rubber Granulators: Reducing Natural & Synthetic Bales to Bits

Every year, millions of tons of rubber are produced worldwide.

This compound is used in many different ways throughout our daily lives. We use it so often because it's strong, durable and flexible, but it can also be difficult to transport, breakdown and assemble.

Scientists, engineers and environmentalists have developed systems that effectively break down natural and synthetic bales of rubber into smaller bits so they can be made into useful rubber parts.

A common machine that gets the job done is a rubber granulator.

There is a lot to learn about rubber granulators and the process of breaking down bales of rubber, and we've gathered all the most important information for you to know.

What Are Rubber Bales & What Is Their Purpose?

A rubber bale is a large chunk of natural or synthetic rubber. A common form used in rubber bales is EPDM rubber, which is a synthetic rubber that has many useful applications.

Not much can be done with rubber bales in their present state. It will require processing, heating and molding in order to be of use for a rubber product manufacturer or distributor.

Most suppliers will use a large guillotine to slice rubber bales down into smaller chunks, but that’s a slow and labor-intensive process. It also can't possibly get the material down as small as it needs to be.

That’s why it’s important to have access to a rubber granulator, such as the VULCANATOR®, that breaks bales down to small pieces and dramatically reduces the time it takes to dissolve the rubber.

How Do Rubber Granulators Work?

Rubber granulators receive large bales of rubber and process them into smaller bits.

The VULCANATOR®, the granulator that we specialize in at Franklin Miller, has the unique ability to reduce the entire 75 lb. bales of synthetic or natural rubber.

This device is specially designed for the rubber and heavy plastics industry and can drastically reduce processing time, resulting in dramatic cost savings. It comes in two models; KM10 and KM30.

It can handle all types and shapes of vulcanized or non-vulcanized, natural or synthetic rubber including full bales, sheets and chips.

The way it works is rubber material is fed into the unit either manually or over a conveyor belt. Built-in rotary knives grab the material and slice the bale into the desired output size.

What makes the VULCANATOR® stand out compared to other standard granulators is the fact that it quickly reduces rubber into small bits without the heat rise associated with other designs that require expensive cooling devices.

What’s Next For Rubber Bits?

As mentioned, rubber is a strong compound with many applications in our daily lives.

After rubber bales are reduced to bits, they can be used in making any number of rubber parts.

Some common applications include rubber gloves, gaskets, tires, turf fields, rubber sheets for flooring and insulation, roadway embankments and train tracks, adhesives such as glue and sealants along with other other rubber components, pieces and parts.

Find a Rubber Processing Center

Breaking down rubber properly is very important. If not done correctly, it can be a very labor-intensive and costly process that’s also not good for the environment.

The best thing to do is find a facility that can process your rubber bales, or invest in a device of your own to get the job done.

If you have more questions on using rubber granulators to slice up bales of rubber, or are ready to get started, contact us today!