1
Bale opening and first sorting
Nodes 1–3
Bale opener → Belt conveyor → Manual sorting platform
Plastic Recycling Washing Line
PET Bottle Washing Line for Post-Consumer Bottle-to-Flake Recycling
Configure a PET bottle washing line around the actual feedstock, contamination profile, target flakes, utilities and acceptance method. The documented reference flow contains 32 nodes in eight stages; 1,000 kg/h is a reference-project design capacity, not a guaranteed output.
- 32-node documented reference process in eight stages
- Project-specific configuration based on feedstock and target flakes
- Two-stage hot wash in the 1,000 kg/h reference design
- Defined sampling, testing and acceptance boundaries
- Separate scope for pelletizing, SSP and food-contact validation
32documented process nodes
8major process stages
2hot washers in the reference flow
1,000 kg/hreference-project design capacity
Project-specific configuration
Define the material before defining the machine list
Bottle source, bale condition, labels, caps, color mix, residual contents and contamination all affect sorting, washing, drying and acceptance requirements.
Incoming materialBottle source, bale or loose feed, bulk density and contamination profile.
Target flakesFlake size, color categories and downstream recycling route.
UtilitiesElectrical supply, water concept, heat source, compressed air and discharge limits.
Site conditionsBuilding dimensions, access, civil constraints and preferred layout direction.
Acceptance methodSampling point, test method, frequency, limits and reporting format.
Documented reference process
Eight stages from bale opening to final color sorting
The stage grouping is a reader-oriented summary. Node ranges preserve the controlling order of the documented 32-node reference process.
2
Label removal and second sorting
Nodes 4–6
Belt conveyor → Bottle label remover → Manual sorting platform
3
Size reduction
Nodes 7–9
Belt conveyor → Crusher → Screw transfer
4
First wash and dewatering
Nodes 10–13
Wash tank → Screw transfer → Mechanical dewatering → Screw transfer
5
Two-stage hot wash
Nodes 14–17
Hot washer 1 → Screw transfer → Hot washer 2 → Screw transfer
6
Friction and intermediate wash
Nodes 18–21
High-speed friction washer → Wash tank → Screw transfer → Mechanical dewatering
7
Two-stage rinse route
Nodes 22–26
Screw transfer → Wash tank → Screw transfer → Wash tank → Screw transfer
8
Final drying and sorting
Nodes 27–32
Mechanical dewatering → Pipeline hot-air drying → Label & Light-Fraction Separator → Lifting loader → Color sorter → Platform
Some screw-transfer functions are integrated into adjacent wash tanks or dewatering machines. Final standalone equipment quantities must follow the approved process layout and bill of materials.
Real equipment photography
Equipment visible in the documented process
Captions identify visible equipment only; they do not extend customer, location, commissioning or performance claims.
Reference configuration
A project snapshot, not a fixed standard line
These quantities describe the documented 1,000 kg/h reference project and support project discussion only.
Reference item
Documented configuration
Application note
Hot washing2 hot washersSequential positions in the reference flow
Wash and rinse4 wash tanksOne initial, one intermediate and two later positions
Mechanical dewatering3 positionsAfter the first wash, intermediate wash and final rinse route
Friction washing1 unitLocated after the two-stage hot-wash section
Final dryingPipeline hot airLocated after the third dewatering position
Final separationLight-fraction + colorSelected for the defined removal duty and acceptance method
Confirmed project auxiliaries
- One air fan and silo set
- Two vibrators
- Three electric cabinets
Layout and supply boundary
- Some screw-transfer functions are integrated
- Placement follows the approved layout
- Standalone status follows the final BOM
Process and acceptance boundaries
Separate washing performance from downstream claims
Quality and acceptance depend on agreed feedstock conditions, sampling, test methods and the approved project configuration.
Bottle-to-flake preparation
Sort, wash, separate, dewater and dry post-consumer PET bottles into flakes prepared for the agreed downstream route.
Separate extrusion scope
Suitable flakes may move into a separately engineered extrusion and pelletizing process. It is not evidence of washing-line performance.
Separate solid-state process
SSP may be required by the downstream route, but it is not part of the documented 32-node washing flow.
Food-contact evidence boundaryFood-contact suitability cannot be established by a washing line alone. It depends on the complete process chain, incoming material controls, operating conditions, validation tests, applicable market rules and the responsibilities of the relevant project parties.
Published URIDGE pages
Related equipment and project context
These links lead only to existing published pages. Their scopes remain separate from this reference configuration.
Product category
Plastic recycling washing lines
Current URIDGE washing-line category.
Downstream equipmentPET SSP equipment
Separate downstream IV-upgrading stage.
Downstream categoryPlastic pelletizing equipment
Published general pelletizing category.
Project referenceAlgeria PET washing project
Fiber-grade PET washing reference.
Project referenceManaus PET project
PET washing and pelletizing reference.
Project referenceSalvador PET project
Published washing, pelletizing and SSP project page.
Frequently asked questions
Planning and acceptance questions
Define the project basis before finalizing equipment quantities or performance acceptance.
What information is needed before configuring a PET bottle washing line?
Share the feedstock source, bale or loose-feed condition, bottle color mix, labels and caps, contamination profile, required design capacity, target flake size, downstream route, utilities, site constraints and proposed acceptance method.
Does the line always produce 1,000 kg/h?
No. The 1,000 kg/h figure is the design capacity of one reference project. Actual configuration and acceptance depend on feedstock, operating basis, target quality, utilities and approved project design.
Why does the reference flow use two hot washers?
The documented layout places two hot-wash positions in sequence. Temperature, chemistry, residence time and dosing must be determined for the project.
How should flake quality be verified?
Agree the sampling point, preparation method, test method, frequency, acceptance limits and reporting format before contractual acceptance.
How much water does the line use?
Water demand is project-specific. Makeup water, circulating flow and discharge are separate quantities calculated from the approved process, recovery concept, feedstock and local constraints.
Can washed flakes be described as food-contact material?
Not on the basis of the washing line alone. Any assessment requires a complete, market-specific evidence package covering the process chain, material controls, validation and responsible entities.
What happens after washing?
Depending on the intended product, qualified flakes may move to a separate pelletizing process and, where required, a separately engineered SSP process.
Start with your material and target flakes
Request a project-specific configuration review
Send representative feedstock information, planned throughput and schedule, target flake requirements, utilities, site dimensions and proposed acceptance method.