Plastics Manufacturing & Processing

Plastic Bulk Material Handling Solutions

Plastics manufacturing success comes down to throughput, product quality, and cost — and bulk material handling affects all three. From raw resin receiving to compounding, molding, finishing, and packaging, consistent, controlled material flow is essential at every stage. When pellets bridge in hoppers, powders compact in silos, or finished parts don’t de-mold cleanly, the line slows and costs climb.

Plastic Material Handling Challenges

Plastic resins, powders, and additives present a range of bulk handling challenges:

Inconsistent feed rates into extruders, injection molding machines, and compounding lines
Hygroscopic resins that clump and resist flow
Inconsistent settling of finished parts
Pellets and granules bridging or ratholing
Powders and additives compacting and resisting flow
Electrostatic buildup causing clumping and adhesion
Irregular particle shapes that interlock and resist flow
Additive, colorant, and filler segregation
Finished parts sticking in molds
Pellet sorting and sizing challenges

Why Plastic Bulk Materials Are Difficult to Handle
Plastic resins and compounds span a wide range of forms and flow behaviors, and the handling challenges differ significantly depending on what’s moving through the line:
- Pellets are generally free-flowing but bridge readily in poorly designed hoppers and can pack tightly under their own weight
- Regrind and reclaimed material has irregular, interlocking shapes that resist gravity flow
- Fine plastic powders are prone to compaction, electrostatic buildup, and adhesion to bin and chute walls
- Hygroscopic resins — nylon, ABS, polycarbonate — absorb ambient moisture, changing flow characteristics
- Abrasive or glass-filled resins accelerate wear on equipment in contact with the material stream
- Color concentrates and fine additives are light and prone to segregation during transfer, affecting blend consistency
- Finished molded parts vary widely in size, shape, and fragility, making consistent de-molding and container settling a challenge
Plastic Raw Materials & Products Handled
Our equipment is designed to handle the full range of plastic raw materials and finished products throughout the production process:
- Virgin plastic pellets and granules — polyethylene, polypropylene, nylon, ABS, PET, PVC, polycarbonate
- Additives, fillers, and reinforcements, including glass fiber, talc, and calcium carbonate
- Plastic powders and fine resins
- Regrind and reclaimed plastic material
- Color concentrates and masterbatch
- Compounded plastic blends
- Finished molded plastic parts
End Products Supported
Our equipment supports consistent handling, feeding, and packaging across:
- Injection molded parts and components
- Blow molded containers and bottles
- Extruded profiles, pipe, tubing, and sheet
- Thermoformed packaging and trays
- Compounded plastic pellets and specialty resins
- Recycled and reclaimed plastic products
- Bulk packaged resin and finished parts
Operational Benefits for Plastics Manufacturers
Our products help plastics manufacturers achieve:
- Consistent, reliable feed rates into extruders, molding machines, and compounding lines
- More product per carton, gaylord, or bulk container through consistent settling and compaction
- Pellet and regrind sorting and sizing for cleaner, more consistent material entering the process
- Cleaner, more complete de-molding without damaging finished parts
- Reduced downtime from bridging and flow interruptions
- More consistent blend uniformity
- Reduced manual intervention
Where Our Products Fit in the Supply Chain

Raw Material Receiving & Storage Plastic resins arrive by hopper trailer, railcar, and bulk bag. Vibration promotes complete discharge and consistent flow from silos and bins into the production line.

Compounding & Blending Consistent, metered feeding of resins, additives, colorants, and fillers into compounding lines and mixers is critical to product consistency. Vibratory feeders deliver accurate, repeatable feed rates.

Extrusion & Molding Feed Consistent hopper and silo discharge into extruders and injection molding machines prevents feed rate fluctuations that affect part quality and cycle time.

Pellet Sorting & Sizing Vibratory screens separate oversized, undersized, and contaminated pellets or regrind material from good product, keeping only properly sized material in the process stream.

De-Molding & Part Handling Industrial vibrators assist in releasing finished parts from molds cleanly and consistently.

Packaging & Container Settling Compaction tables settle finished plastic parts, pellets, or regrind into cartons, gaylords, drums, and bulk bags maximizing fill density, reducing shipping costs, and improving container stability.

Products Typically Used In This Application

MARTIN^® PKL^® Interval Impactors

Interval impactors generate individual blows similar to a hammer.

Great for spray dryers, pipes and dust collectors
Superb controllability
Reduces noise, energy costs, and bin damage
Available with ATEX certification

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MARTIN^® Bantam Series of Miniature Air Vibrators

These are compact pneumatic vibrators engineered for small hoppers and tight spaces.

Designed for food and pharmaceutical applications
Provides powerful, performance in a mini size
Works with Stick & Shake™ Adhesive Mounting System

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MARTIN^® VAC-MOUNT™ Portable Vibrators

This mount uses vacuum suction allowing for quick, easy installation and portability.

Designed for applications requiring flexibility and portability
Can be mounted wherever hangups occur
No welding required

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MARTIN^® NTP™ Continuous Impacting Linear Vibrators

This continuous impacting linear vibrator delivers high acceleration for removing sticky materials from vessel surfaces.

Sanitary coating ideal for food or pharmaceutical applications
Comes with cushioning strike plate to reduce stress on vessel walls

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MARTIN^® NTS™ Non-Impacting Bin Vibrators

This bin vibrator offers low-frequency, high-amplitude energy best suited for larger particle sizes and light bulk densities.

Delivers powerful linear force without impacting
Designed for use with bowl feeders
Available with ATEX certification

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MARTIN^® E-Z™ Vibratory Feeders

These stainless steel feeders are ideal for food, bakery, chemical and pharmaceutical applications.

Simple design ensures reliability and ease of maintenance
Handles feeding applications up to 8 tons per hour
Flat, vee, or custom trays available

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MARTIN^® Stick & Shake™ Adhesive Mounting System

This is a revolutionary option for permanently mounting vibrators with no welding, bolting, or drilling.

Designed to work perfectly with our miniature air vibrators
Installs quickly and easily on virtually any surface
First one FREE

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Compaction Vibrating Tables

Compaction tables are used to settle, compact and consolidate material. Normally the material is in a container being prepared for shipment.

Custom-made and designed specific to the application
Available with either electric or pneumatic drives.

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Why MARTIN®?

Our vibration solutions are built around the full scope of plastics bulk material handling — from raw resin receiving through finished product packaging. Equipment needs to handle a wide range of material forms, deliver precise and controllable feed rates, and fit into production lines that evolve over time.

Contact our application experts to discuss how our equipment can improve throughput, product quality, and cost efficiency at your facility. Engineering and application assistance is always free.