Extruded Polystyrene (XPS) foam is a staple in construction and packaging due to its exceptional insulation and durability. However, for businesses handling XPS waste, its greatest strength—volume—is also its greatest liability. Lightweight yet bulky, uncompressed XPS drains operational budgets through high storage and transportation costs.
But what if you could turn that cost center into a profit center?
At Rumtoo, we help manufacturers transform this logistical nightmare into an opportunity. By using industrial-grade XPS Recycling Machines, you can convert loose foam into dense, high-value ingots, effectively turning waste into a tradeable commodity.
Why Invest in XPS Recycling? The Business Case
Beyond environmental responsibility, recycling XPS is a strategic financial decision. Discarding XPS foam in landfills is increasingly expensive and regulated.
- Slash Logistics Costs: Unprocessed XPS is 98% air. Transporting it is essentially “shipping air.” Rumtoo densifiers reduce this volume by up to 90%, allowing you to fit 50 truckloads of loose foam into a single truck of compacted blocks.
- Create New Revenue: Recycled XPS (rXPS) is a sought-after raw material for manufacturing insulation boards, picture frames, and decorative moldings. High-quality compacted blocks command premium prices in the global market.
- Circular Economy Compliance: Meet stringent environmental regulations and boost your corporate sustainability profile without sacrificing profitability.
The Rumtoo Advantage: Engineered for Efficiency
Not all recycling machines are created equal. A generic crusher might handle soft foam, but rigid XPS requires specialized torque and temperature control. Rumtoo’s XPS Series is designed specifically for the high-density and rigid nature of Extruded Polystyrene.
1. Precision Crushing Technology
Our heavy-duty shredders utilize wear-resistant alloy blades with a unique V-shape design. This ensures consistent shredding of rigid insulation boards without jamming or producing excessive dust, a common issue with inferior machines.
2. Intelligent Temperature Control
One of the biggest challenges in XPS recycling is degrading the material through overheating. Rumtoo machines feature PID smart temperature control systems. This ensures the foam melts at the optimal viscosity—preventing burning and ensuring the final blocks are uniform, light-colored, and of high resale value.
3. High-Compression Screw Extrusion
Our optimized screw design delivers high torque at low speeds. This powerful compression achieves a volume reduction ratio of up to 90:1 (depending on the model), producing dense, stackable blocks that maximize container loading weights.
4. Energy-Efficient Operation
Designed with modern European standards, Rumtoo motors are paired with high-efficiency gearboxes to deliver maximum output with minimum energy consumption, lowering your cost-per-ton processed.
How the Process Works
Our integrated system streamlines the entire workflow, minimizing labor requirements:
- Feeding & Shredding: Waste XPS (boards, offcuts, or packaging) is fed into the hopper. The high-torque shredder breaks the rigid foam into uniform flakes (20-50mm).
- Melting & Densifying: The flakes are conveyed into the screw melting chamber. Here, controlled heat and mechanical friction melt the material, removing the air pockets.
- Extrusion & Cooling: The melted polystyrene is extruded through a die head. It passes into a cooling trough or is air-cooled, solidifying into solid logs or pellets.
- Collection: An automatic cutter (optional) slices the logs into manageable bricks, ready for palletizing and sale.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: What is the reduction ratio of Rumtoo XPS recycling machines?
A: Our hot-melt densifiers typically achieve a volume reduction ratio of 90:1. This means 90 cubic meters of loose XPS foam can be compressed into approximately 1 cubic meter of dense blocks, drastically reducing shipping costs.
Q: Can your machine handle dirty or contaminated XPS foam?
A: Minor dust or labels can usually be processed. However, for XPS collected from construction demolition (which may contain cement, glue, or metal), we recommend our specialized washing and sorting lines prior to the densifier to protect the screw and barrel from wear.
Q: What is the difference between a Cold Compactor and a Hot Melt Densifier for XPS?
A: While Cold Compactors press foam without heat, rigid XPS resists cold compression and often re-expands. Hot Melt Densifiers (Rumtoo’s recommendation for XPS) melt the foam chemically, ensuring a higher density and a form that does not re-expand, making it superior for export and resale.
Q: Do you offer after-sales support and spare parts?
A: Yes. Rumtoo provides comprehensive after-sales support, including installation guidance, operator training, and lifetime availability of spare parts (blades, heaters, screens) to ensure your production never stops.
Q: Can the recycled XPS be used to make new products directly?
A: The output from our densifiers (ingots/blocks) is a raw material. It is typically sold to granulation factories that turn it into pellets (PS granules), which are then used to manufacture new plastic products. Rumtoo also offers complete Pelletizing Lines if you wish to skip the middleman and produce granules directly.
Ready to Optimize Your Waste Management?
Don’t let bulky XPS waste eat into your profits. Contact Rumtoo today for a free consultation and discover how our recycling solutions can pay for themselves in under 18 months.
