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Plastic recycling process to save CO2 and costs
Injection moulding process for processing recycled materials
The use of recycled materials improves the CO2 balance. At the same time, contamination brings with it odour pollution and fluctuations in quality. With our innovative recycling processes for plastics, we are responding specifically to these challenges. ENGEL enables its customers to operate within a circular economy.
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30% CO2 savings through direct processing of flakes
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Solutions to increase the proportion of recycled material in the component by up to 100%
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No odours, streaks or moisture residues in the component thanks to degassing
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More safety thanks to filtration of the melt
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Realisation of Design for Recycling with ENGEL technologies
The regranulation of used plastics is an energy-intensive processing step in recycling. With our two-stage plastics recycling process, this step is skipped. Depending on the recyclate used, you save more than 400 Wh of energy per kilogram of plastic. This corresponds to a CO2 reduction of 30%.
With our injection moulding processes for the Circular Economy, you increase the recyclate content in the component. A recycling content of 50% is achieved with the skinmelt process. The percentage is much higher with the foilmelt process. In the two-stage process, no virgin material is used at all. The component thus consists of 100% recycled material.
Volatile components in the material such as gases or moisture are eliminated with our integrated degassing. Degassing enables a wider range of recyclates to be used, component quality without streaks and less tool build-up. Odour pollution is reduced enormously. Especially with lacquered components, you achieve beautiful surfaces thanks to degassing.
Filter systems reliably remove contaminants from the recyclate. Depending on the design, they protect plasticising, hot runner and mould. Suitable filter systems are offered for different degrees of contamination. This prevents clogging of the mould, hot runner and sprue channels by foreign parts. In addition, the component quality increases.
Design for recycling can be implemented with a visible high-quality outer skin and recycled material in the background. Our plastic recycling processes in the field of multi-component injection moulding are particularly suitable for this. Provided that the injection moulded part has the same polymer base. Produced components can be recycled again without any problems.
The regranulation of used plastics is an energy-intensive processing step in recycling. With our two-stage plastics recycling process, this step is skipped. Depending on the recyclate used, you save more than 400 Wh of energy per kilogram of plastic. This corresponds to a CO2 reduction of 30%.
With our injection moulding processes for the Circular Economy, you increase the recyclate content in the component. A recycling content of 50% is achieved with the skinmelt process. The percentage is much higher with the foilmelt process. In the two-stage process, no virgin material is used at all. The component thus consists of 100% recycled material.
Volatile components in the material such as gases or moisture are eliminated with our integrated degassing. Degassing enables a wider range of recyclates to be used, component quality without streaks and less tool build-up. Odour pollution is reduced enormously. Especially with lacquered components, you achieve beautiful surfaces thanks to degassing.
Filter systems reliably remove contaminants from the recyclate. Depending on the design, they protect plasticising, hot runner and mould. Suitable filter systems are offered for different degrees of contamination. This prevents clogging of the mould, hot runner and sprue channels by foreign parts. In addition, the component quality increases.
Design for recycling can be implemented with a visible high-quality outer skin and recycled material in the background. Our plastic recycling processes in the field of multi-component injection moulding are particularly suitable for this. Provided that the injection moulded part has the same polymer base. Produced components can be recycled again without any problems.
 "Johannes Kilian | ENGEL")
Take advantage of our expertise, plant engineering and technologies for processing plastic flakes or regranulate. We will be happy to advise you on the selection of the right plastics recycling process.
| Procedure | Product name | Industry | Applications | Process |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Two-stage process | Automotive & Mobility, Technical Injection Moulding, Packaging, Electronics | Bumpers, engine covers, logistics, buckets, flower pots, drainage shaft | Direct processing of recyclates with degassing and filtration of the melt | |
| Sandwich injection moulding | skinmelt, co-injection | Automotive & Mobility, Technical Injection Moulding, Packaging, Electronics | Furniture/furnishing, logistics (boxes), buckets | Multi-component injection moulding with high-quality material on the surface and recyclate in the core |
| Foil back-moulding | foilmelt | Automotive & Mobility, Technical Injection Moulding, Packaging, Electronics | Interior/exterior trims, trims for white goods, electronic products | Create functional, haptic and decorative surfaces with films - the film is back-injected with recycled material |
| PET / rPET processing | Packaging | Thin-wall packaging | PET processing with modified high-performance machines |
The two-stage injection moulding process enables a circular economy with minimal use of resources. Contaminated regrind is processed directly at the injection moulding machine. The material is degassed and filtered in the process. This eliminates an entire work step: regranulation. This significantly reduces costs and energy consumption.
By integrating degassing, filtration and additivation into the injection moulding process, process-reliable processing is possible - even of contaminated recyclates.
Direct processing of regrind in injection moulding requires more than 30% less energy for processing the recyclate, as regranulation is no longer necessary.
Thanks to the integrated degassing, volatile accompanying substances are eliminated and a better component quality is achieved. Less fogging forms in the mould and the mould service life is increased.
In addition to the filtration of the material, the process enables gentle fibre processing. With the help of the high fibre lengths achieved, you can produce components that meet high mechanical requirements.
Wide range of applications for recycled materials
Component meets high quality requirements
Part of the manufacturing process (regranulation) is skipped - you save valuable energy
On 7 October 2024, Austrian Federal Minister for Labour and Economy, Martin Kocher, presented the award in Vienna. The State Award honours Austria’s most innovative companies, and the jury recognised ENGEL’s contribution as a groundbreaking transformation in the recycling process.
Post Consumer Recycled (PCR) plastic flakes are processed directly with ENGEL's two-stage process. The company AVK Plastics BV uses the technology to produce new pallets from shredded polyolefins. The customer saves costs and valuable energy through the plastic recycling process.
Thanks to the two-stage plastic recycling process, the material cycle can be closed with very little resource input.
Sandwich components offer a circular economy solution. Recycled plastic waste such as post-consumer waste can be hidden inside the product. The recyclate is not visible on the surface.
By using recycled material, valuable resources such as raw materials can be saved.
With high quality material on the outer skin, you inject a lower cost material in the inner core of the component.
Reduce the shot weight of the component with foamed core material. No sink marks are seen on the surface.
The fibre reinforcement in the core increases the strength of the component.
Sandwich components have a visibly high-quality surface
Components with up to 50% recycled core can be achieved
The animation shows the sequential flow of the co-injection process:
Injecting skin material (green)
Injection core material (grey)
Sealing with skin material (green)
This animation shows the sequence of the dosing process:
The upper aggregate contains the skin component (green). The main aggregate contains the core component.
Before injection, the skin component is transferred to the main unit.
The filling process is identical to the conventional injection moulding process.
The skin component forms the edge layer. The core remains inside.
The animation shows the sequential flow of the co-injection process:
Injecting skin material (green)
Injection core material (grey)
Sealing with skin material (green)
This animation shows the sequence of the dosing process:
The upper aggregate contains the skin component (green). The main aggregate contains the core component.
Before injection, the skin component is transferred to the main unit.
The filling process is identical to the conventional injection moulding process.
The skin component forms the edge layer. The core remains inside.
In film back injection moulding, the recycled material is bonded with a film. This happens directly in the mould during the injection moulding process. Only the film is visible on the surface. The product is significantly upgraded.
With the outer film you achieve an improved component surface. The recycled material remains hidden in the background.
You can implement different designs. Switching to a new design is quick and uncomplicated.
Design effects such as metallic, aluminium, chameleon effect or holograms on the surface of the component are possible.
Direct injection moulding production of the surface design in a fully automated production cell. Without rework.
The recyclate is hidden behind the film layer
Your plastic component is provided with a film layer through surface finishing and functionalisation
The component is visually upgraded
Preforming the film
Positioning of the insert by a robot
Hot substrate is injected by standard back- injection and fuses with the film
After cooling, the material and film are ejected in one piece
Foil is inserted into the tool
Foil is positioned in X and Y direction and clamped by a sealing frame
Hot substrate material is injected using the standard back-injection process and fuses with the PUR lacquer layer
After the material has cooled down, the film is ejected in one piece
Foil is inserted into the tool
Infrared preheating and vacuum preforming pull the film into the mould
Hot carrier material is injected in a standard back-injection process and fuses with the foil
When closing the tool, the film is cut by cutting edges
After cooling, the material and film are ejected in one piece
Preforming the film
Positioning of the insert by a robot
Hot substrate is injected by standard back- injection and fuses with the film
After cooling, the material and film are ejected in one piece
Foil is inserted into the tool
Foil is positioned in X and Y direction and clamped by a sealing frame
Hot substrate material is injected using the standard back-injection process and fuses with the PUR lacquer layer
After the material has cooled down, the film is ejected in one piece
Foil is inserted into the tool
Infrared preheating and vacuum preforming pull the film into the mould
Hot carrier material is injected in a standard back-injection process and fuses with the foil
When closing the tool, the film is cut by cutting edges
After cooling, the material and film are ejected in one piece
Produce thin-walled PET containers in just one process step. This is possible with the powerful injection unit of our e-speed injection moulding machine. This significantly expands the range of applications for PET and rPET.
PET can be recycled an infinite number of times. PET products can contain up to 100% recycled content.
ENGEL is the first supplier to enable thin-wall injection moulding for PET. Realise high recycling rates directly on the injection moulding machine.
From 2025, all plastic packaging must have a recycled content of at least 30% and be 100% recyclable. With our plastic recycling process, you meet the required quotas. In addition, they must be 100% recyclable.
With the plastic recycling process, PET bottles or other packaging products can be re- or upcycled.
Thin-walled containers made of PET or rPET
Bottle-to-cup recycling is possible
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