Case Studies 2025: Successful Use of Pneumatic Conveying Systems in Plastics

Case Study 1: GreenCycle Europe – Boosting Throughput in Mixed Plastic Recycling

Company Background: GreenCycle Europe, a leading recycling facility in Germany, processes 1,200 tons of mixed post-consumer plastic waste monthly. Their operation includes shredding, sorting, and pelletizing plastics for reuse in automotive parts and packaging.

The Challenge: Prior to 2025, GreenCycle relied on manual conveyor belts and forklifts to move shredded plastic from shredders to sorting stations—a process plagued by bottlenecks. "We were losing 5-7% of material to spillage, and dust levels in the facility were consistently above EU limits," explains Markus Weber, Plant Manager. "Our team spent 15 hours weekly just cleaning up debris, and throughput was capped at 80 tons/day."

The Solution: GreenCycle partnered with a supplier to install a custom "plastic pneumatic conveying system equipment" network, integrated with high-efficiency "air pollution control system equipment." The setup included:

• Three parallel pneumatic lines (200mm diameter) to transport PET, HDPE, and PP shreds separately
• Vacuum-based conveyors with variable speed control to handle different material densities
• A central dust collection unit with HEPA filters to capture 99.9% of airborne particles

The Results: Within three months, material loss dropped to 1.2%, and dust levels fell to 0.1 mg/m³ (well below the EU's 0.5 mg/m³ limit). Throughput increased by 30% to 104 tons/day, while labor costs for cleanup dropped by 75%. "The pneumatic system eliminated our biggest headache—material jams on conveyor belts," Weber notes. "We're now processing an extra 240 tons/month without adding shifts."

Case Study 2: LiTech Asia – Streamlining Plastic Conveying in Lithium Battery Recycling

Company Background: LiTech Asia, based in South Korea, operates one of the region's largest "li battery recycling equipment" facilities, processing 500 kg/hour of spent lithium-ion batteries. A key byproduct of their process is plastic casings and separators, which are shredded into 5-10mm flakes for recycling.

The Challenge: "Lithium battery plastic is lightweight and static-prone—our old screw conveyors would constantly clog as flakes stuck to the walls," says Ji-Hyun Park, Process Engineer. "We also struggled with cross-contamination: plastic flakes would mix with metal particles, reducing the purity of our recycled plastic."

The Solution: LiTech invested in a specialized "plastic pneumatic conveying system equipment" designed for electrostatic materials. The system featured:

• Anti-static pipeline coatings to prevent material buildup
• Variable frequency drives (VFDs) to adjust air velocity, preventing particle segregation
• Integration with a "hydraulic briquetter equipment" at the end of the conveying line to compact flakes into dense blocks for shipping

The Results: Clogging incidents dropped from 12/week to 1/month, and plastic purity improved from 92% to 99.5%. "By conveying directly into the briquetter, we eliminated a manual transfer step, cutting labor costs by $4,000/month," Park adds. The system also reduced energy use by 18% compared to the old screw conveyors, thanks to efficient VFD control.

Case Study 3: CircuitWorks USA – Precision Conveying in Circuit Board Recycling

Company Background: CircuitWorks USA, a recycling facility in Texas, processes 2,000 kg/hour of printed circuit boards (PCBs) using "circuit board recycling equipment" with dry separation technology. After shredding, PCBs are separated into metal (copper, gold) and plastic fractions, with plastics destined for reuse in electronics housings.

The Challenge: "Our dry separation system produces plastic fines (0.5-2mm) that are difficult to handle—they're lightweight, dusty, and easily contaminated by metal dust," says Raj Patel, Operations Director. "We needed a way to move these fines from the separator to our pelletizer without losing material or fouling the pelletizing process."

The Solution: CircuitWorks installed a dense-phase pneumatic conveying system tailored for fine particles, paired with their existing "dry process equipment." Key features included:

• Low-velocity (8-12 m/s) conveying to prevent particle degradation
• A cyclone separator at the pelletizer inlet to remove residual metal dust
• Pressure sensors to detect blockages and automatically adjust airflow

The Results: Plastic fines recovery increased by 12%, and pelletizer downtime due to contamination dropped by 40%. "We're now producing 200 kg/day more of high-purity plastic pellets, which sell for a 15% premium," Patel reports. "The system pays for itself in under a year."

Case Study 4: EcoBale Canada – Conveying for Efficient Baler Feeding

Company Background: EcoBale Canada, a mid-sized recycler in Ontario, processes 500 tons/month of plastic film and rigid plastics, baling them for export to manufacturers. Their operation relies on a "hydraulic baler equipment" to compress materials into dense bales (500 kg each).

The Challenge: "Feeding the baler was a manual nightmare," says Sarah Chen, General Manager. "Two workers would use pitchforks to load shredded plastic into the baler hopper—slow, labor-intensive, and risky for back injuries. We were averaging 12 bales/hour, but demand was pushing us to hit 15."

The Solution: EcoBale installed a small-footprint pneumatic conveying system to feed the baler directly from their "single shaft shredder equipment." The setup included a 150mm diameter pipeline, a rotary airlock feeder, and a control panel synced with the baler's cycle. "We retrofitted it in just 3 days—minimal downtime," Chen notes.

The Results: Bale production jumped to 16/hour (exceeding the target), and the two workers were reassigned to quality control roles. "Injuries related to manual handling have dropped to zero," Chen adds. "And because the system feeds the baler evenly, bale density increased by 8%, reducing shipping costs by $2,500/month."