For size reduction of bales of natural and synthetic rubbers to facilitate blending with other ingredients or dissolving.
The heavy-duty Rubber Chopper by Hosokawa Micron is a workhorse of a machine used for coarse-grinding bales of natural, synthetic and recycled rubber into smaller chunks and pieces. This very popular equipment is trusted by industry-leading Hosokawa customers from around the world, who use it as a primary grinding tool for shearing, shredding and crushing prior to dissolving or mixing the chopped rubber with other materials in order to make a wide range of products. The high torque the Rubber Chopper generates means excellent processing efficiency is achievable at a low speed. The Rubber Chopper can be fitted with an optional automatic pneumatic ram feeder (bale feeder), making it far easier to introduce heavy and cumbersome synthetic rubber bales into the equipment safely and efficiently with 100% feeding capability. There are many advantages to choosing a Hosokawa Micron Rubber Chopper, not least the environmental benefits, such as low noise levels and energy efficiency. The Rubber Chopper is also renowned for its high performance, reliability, robust construction and ease of maintenance. Built to last, its typical lifespan can be more than thirty years.
The Hosokawa Micron Rubber Chopper is robustly constructed from materials including stainless steel, normal steel and, for the ultimate corrosion resistance, duplex alloy. Perfect for the processing of a wide range of materials, including butadiene, high impact polymer, isoprene, nitriles, styrenes, natural rubber, butyl and reclaim, it is available as a single size unit (PB15) offering power ranges up to 132ku and a heavy-duty design for exceptionally tough grades of rubber.
Production capacity is largely dependent on the raw material being processed, the rotor speed and the power generated under test conditions, but generally speaking the Rubber Chopper is capable of processing from 1.2 to 6 tonnes of material per hour.
The adaptable Rubber Chopper can be fitted with various drive assemblies and chopper configurations to suit customer requirements and features a wear protection discharge barrel.
ATEX-certified versions can be tailor-made to meet European standards, if necessary.
Bale Ram Feeders
The Hosokawa Micron Rubber Chopper can be supplied with an automatic pneumatic bale feeder, which is an extremely popular option for safety and process optimisation reasons.
Most bales of raw material weigh 35kg or more, making them difficult to manage safely when manually fed into the Rubber Chopper. This can lead to bale non-feeding/bridging over the machine rotor, but the pneumatic bale feeder solves this issue, allowing for 100% feeding capability.
The heavy-duty, low maintenance pneumatic bale feeder we have developed addresses and solves those problems by more safely introducing the raw material into the Rubber Chopper mechanism, which results in a more efficient processing speed.
Conveniently, there is no requirement to upgrade the Rubber Chopper’s motor drive or increase the speed of operation to integrate a bale feeder and the bale feeder can also be fitted to the PB15 model without it needing modification.
For hazardous materials or situations, an ATEX-certified version can be supplied for equipment to be used in Europe.
Hosokawa Micron’s Rubber Chopper is used to efficiently and speedily shred and grind bales of all types of rubber prior to dissolving or mixing with other materials, such as solvents, to make a wide range of end products, including the latest generation of energy-efficient tyres, high-performance plastics and adhesives.
The Rubber Chopper is primarily used to shred bulk rubber material that arrives for processing in bale form (35kg+).
The bales are very heavy and normally enter the Rubber Chopper via an optional automatic bale feeder, featuring a pneumatic mechanism for ease of use.
Upon entering the grinding mechanism of the Rubber Chopper, the material to be processed comes into contact with progressive claw primary hammers, which are located at the bottom of the raw material inlet hopper.
The hammers rotate at a low speed of generally between 10-40rpm and transport the material toward the two-piece orifice plate (which is installed at the product outlet side). At the same time, shearing force is generated between the fixed and adjustable anvils and double-ended hammer to chop the material into smaller and smaller pieces that can transit through the orifice holes.
The amount of raw material and motor power that can be processed by the rotor mechanism can be adjusted by simply changing the position of the adjustable anvil.
Cut-off knives shear the processing material as it passes out of the orifice plate, which governs the final size of the material that has been extruded. The knife has its own motor and operates at between 200 and 1,000rpm.
Conveniently, the Rubber Chopper has a two-piece orifice plate, which allows it to be easily removed without disassembling the shaft. The standard orifice plate comes with round holes (with a maximum aperture of 35mm), but we can offer alternative shapes, including spoke slots and similar.
There are several options available for drive assemblies and chopper configurations, which can be chosen depending on the specific nature of the material to be processed and the result that is required.
Our expert sales team has a wealth of technical knowledge and first-hand experience working with many Hosokawa Rubber Chopper customers from several different industry sectors and would be pleased to offer advice and recommendations on the optimal piece of equipment or process system for your requirements.
Hosokawa Micron is a leading player in the Rubber Chopper market. The Rubber Chopper can be used as a standalone piece of equipment but is often utilised by our customers as part of a process system, including for turnkey projects.
Our process system expertise includes continuous in-line and recirculation-type dispersion systems for secondary processing of synthetic rubbers with styrene and other solvents.
Hosokawa Micron Ltd has wide-ranging experience and in-depth knowledge of designing, engineering and manufacturing reliable, efficient process systems for customers from a wide range of manufacturing sectors, including pharmaceuticals, chemicals, cosmetics, automotive, pigments and ceramics. Our processing knowledge encompasses more than a century of pioneering innovation centred around cutting-edge technology and the latest processing methods, including scientific, technical and mechanical engineering expertise.
Our service includes everything from design studies and product testing, to engineering, manufacture, installation and commissioning. A wide range of dedicated lifecycle and digitalisation services augment the diligent and reliable customer service we also offer.
Browse though the Hosokawa Micron product catalogue to view all of our innovative processing equipment or contact us directly on
