Disposable food container factories often handle different types of plastic materials while operating multiple production processes. When recycled shredded material is also reused, material storage, conveying, and mixing become more challenging.
This case study presents a central feeding system designed for a disposable food container factory in Thailand, covering both sheet extrusion and injection molding production.
Project Overview
he customer operates two main production processes:
- Sheet extrusion: 3 sheet extrusion machines
- Injection molding: 10 injection molding machines
The materials used in the project include PP, PCR, and recycled shredded material.
Instead of supplying each machine independently, the central feeding system organizes material storage, conveying, weighing, and mixing into an integrated workflow.
Central feeding system layout for a disposable food container factory in Thailand
The general material flow is:
Raw Material Unpacking / Scrap Shredding → Separate Material Storage → Central Conveying → Machine-Side Weighing & Blending → Production Machines
Virgin materials and recycled shredded materials are stored separately before being conveyed to the required production machines.
Separate Storage for Virgin and Recycled Materials
The system provides separate storage arrangements for raw materials and recycled materials.
This helps keep different material streams organized and reduces the risk of material mixing during storage and conveying.
For recycled sheet material, the material characteristics are particularly important. Shredded material usually has a lower bulk density and irregular shape compared with conventional plastic pellets. As a result, it can be more difficult to flow and may form bridges inside storage or feeding equipment.
This is one of the key challenges addressed in this project.
Assembled square silo for raw materials/recycled materials
Screw-Assisted Forced Feeding for Recycled Shredded Material
To handle the lightweight shredded material more effectively, the system incorporates a screw-assisted forced feeding system.
Instead of depending only on gravity, the screw actively pushes the recycled material forward. This helps reduce the risk of material bridging and feeding interruptions caused by lightweight or irregularly shaped shredded material.
This design is particularly important when a factory wants to continuously reuse production scrap as part of its material mix.
The feeding solution is therefore designed according to the characteristics of PCR, PP, and recycled shredded material, rather than applying the same feeding method to every material.
recycled materials
screw-assisted forced feeding system
One System for 3 Extruders and 10 Injection Molding Machines
Another key feature of this project is the ability to coordinate material supply for 3 sheet extruders and 10 injection molding machines through one planned material handling system.
Centralized storage reduces scattered material storage around individual machines, while planned conveying routes distribute materials to the required production points.
Load cells under the silos can provide material weight information for inventory monitoring. When connected with PLC controls, the system can also support centralized data management and reporting.
The result is a more organized material handling process across different production areas.
Gravimetric blender
What This Solution Helps Improve
For disposable food container manufacturers, the value of the system is not simply automatic conveying. It addresses several practical production challenges:
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- Better recycled material handling for lightweight shredded material
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- Reduced material bridging through screw-assisted forced feeding
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- Less manual material handling and weighing
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- More consistent material proportioning
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- Separate storage of virgin and recycled materials
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- Centralized supply for multiple extrusion and injection molding machines
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- A cleaner and more organized production workshop
An organized production workshop with centralized material handling
Planning a Similar Project?
Whether you are building a new factory, expanding production, or upgrading an existing feeding system, the material characteristics and production layout should be considered before equipment selection.
If your factory uses PP, PCR, recycled shredded material, or other recycled plastics, send us your machine list, factory layout, material types, and estimated consumption.
Our engineering team can evaluate your production process and develop a customized central feeding system solution for your extrusion and injection molding lines.
Contact us to discuss your project and request a customized solution.