Machines for grinding tires are used to process scrap tires into crumb rubber, which can be reused in various applications such as playground surfaces, athletic tracks, asphalt modification, and rubber mats. Here are the main types of machines used for grinding tires:
1. Primary Tire Shredders
– Function: Cut whole tires into smaller chunks (2-6 inches).
– Types:
– Single-Shaft Shredders: Use a rotating shaft with blades to tear apart tires.
– Two-Shaft Shredders: Use counter-rotating shafts for more efficient shredding.
– Common Brands: SSI, Granutech-Saturn Systems, Eldan Recycling.
2. Secondary Granulators (Tire Granulators)
– Function: Further reduce shredded tire pieces into smaller chips (~0.5-2 inches).
– Features:
– High-speed rotors with sharp blades.
– Often include screens to control output size.
– Example Machines: Vecoplan VAZ series, Zerma granulators.
3. Tire Grinding Mills (Fine Grinding)
– Function: Grind tire chips into crumb rubber (1-10 mm or finer).
– Types:
– Cracker Mills: Use corrugated rollers to crush and shear rubber.
– Hammer Mills: Use high-speed hammers to pulverize material.
– Examples: Bepex cracker mills, ECO Krumbuster®.
4. Cryogenic Grinding Systems
– Function: Freeze tires with liquid nitrogen (-80°C/-112°F) to make rubber brittle before grinding.
– Process:
1. Tires are shredded into small pieces.
2. Frozen chips are fed into an impact mill for fine powder production (~30-100 mesh).
– Advantages: Produces smoother, finer rubber powder with less heat degradation.
– Brands: Air Products (cryogenic systems), Messer Group.
5. Fiber & Steel Separation Equipment
– After grinding, additional machines remove steel wire and fiber:
– Magnetic Separators – Extract steel from rubber.
– Air Classifiers/Sifters – Separate fiber and fine rubber particles.
6. Complete Tire Recycling Lines
Some manufacturers offer full systems combining shredding
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