Hellweg Maschinenbau: Nine Challenging Material Samples Successfully Shredded in Grinding Trials

Sprues made of ultra-elastic TPE following a successful impromptu grinding trial at Fakuma 2026 - (Photo: Hellweg Maschinenbau).

Hellweg Maschinenbau GmbH & Co. KG conducted nine grinding trials at Fakuma 2026 using materials that participants had classified as difficult to process. Eight samples were brought directly to the company's stand by trade fair visitors. An additional sample consisting of a particularly soft nitrile rubber compound (NBR) was delivered after the trade fair had ended and subsequently tested. According to the company, all nine samples were successfully shredded.

Shear Cutting Process for Elastic and Foamed Materials
The trials were carried out using a fully operational "MDSi 230/150" granulator. According to the manufacturer, each material was processed into regrind with a particle size of approximately 2 mm within just a few seconds. The materials tested included highly elastic thermoplastic elastomers (TPE), expanded polystyrene (EPS), rubber, polyamide and foams. Hellweg reported that even the soft NBR compound tested after the trade fair could be shredded without pretreatment, release agents or additional cooling.

Advert

The company attributes these results to the shear cutting principle, in which the feed material is cut by blades working against one another. Hellweg reports that the process produces uniformly cut regrind with a low proportion of fines, a narrow particle size distribution and smooth cut edges. No quantitative data on fines content, throughput or energy consumption during the trade fair trials was published. The company also offers comparable trials using customer-supplied materials at its facility in Roetgen, Germany.

Demand for Granulators and Monitoring Systems
Managing Director Mark Hellweg sees signs of a recovery in investment activity following a weak start to the 2026 financial year. According to the company, demand is increasing particularly for energy-efficient granulators and condition monitoring systems designed to reduce operational downtime and running costs.

Based on its current order intake, the company expects to at least match its 2025 revenue in the current year. No specific revenue figures or growth rates were disclosed. Management considers a further recovery possible in 2027, driven by postponed investments and additional demand.

Founded in 1985, Hellweg Maschinenbau GmbH & Co. KG is a second-generation family-owned company. It manufactures granulators and auxiliary equipment for plastics processing and recycling, including laboratory, beside-the-press, central and specialised granulators, as well as extraction and dedusting systems.

Fakuma 2026, Friedrichshafen, Germany, 12-16 October 2026

More information: www.hellweg-maschinenbau.de

Hellweg Maschinenbau GmbH & Co. KG, Roetgen, Germany

back to news list