Views: 100 Author: Site Editor Publish Time: 2026-10-28 Origin: Site
Two recycling businesses can process the same plastic and still need different shredders. One may handle solid PP purgings from an injection moulding plant. The other may receive loose PP woven bags. The polymer is the same, but the way the material feeds, cuts and leaves the machine is quite different.
That is why choosing a plastic shredder machine starts with a close look at your waste stream. Motor power and machine size matter, but they only become useful once you know what the machine needs to handle.
Wobide’s WPS, WLS, WT and WTF series offer different feeding and cutting arrangements. Here is how those differences relate to everyday recycling work.
Before comparing models, look at the material in the condition it will actually arrive at the machine.
A large, solid lump needs to be held against the rotor so the knives can take repeated cuts. Loose film can occupy a full hopper while weighing relatively little, and it may fold or wrap instead of feeding steadily. A hollow container presents another problem: it must fit through the opening and reach the cutters without bridging across the chamber.
Photos help, but they do not always show the whole picture. Wall thickness, individual item weight, bale density and contamination can all change how a batch behaves.
It also helps to work backwards from the next machine in the line. Are you reducing volume for easier handling, or preparing material for a crusher or washing system? Those jobs can lead to different equipment choices.
If you are still deciding which stage you need, our guide to plastic shredders vs. plastic crushers explains where each machine fits.
WPS and WLS both use a single shredding rotor. Their main difference is the way they move material into the cutting zone.
The WPS Single-Shaft Shredder uses an internal hydraulic pusher to press material towards the rotor. Rollers and guide rails support the pusher as it moves through its stroke.
This arrangement is worth considering when solid plastic purgings and lumps make up a large part of your feedstock. The pusher keeps the material presented to the knives as the rotor removes it piece by piece.
WPS can also process materials such as film, woven bags and waste fabric, although these applications call for attention to the rotor and screen. A machine set up for solid lumps should not automatically be treated as the best configuration for loose film.
The WPS1000, for example, lists a rotor speed of 78 rpm, a 55 kW main motor and a separate 5.5 kW hydraulic system. These figures help describe the machine, but a useful capacity estimate still needs to be based on your material and required discharge size.
The WLS Swing Ram Single-Shaft Shredder moves material towards the rotor with an arc-shaped pushing action. Its external pusher arm leaves more effective space inside the shredding chamber.
This makes WLS worth a closer look for bulky, lightweight feedstock and for projects where installation space is limited. Its applications include soft and medium-hard materials such as film, woven bags, waste fabric and suitable plastic lumps.
The screen cradle opens hydraulically, providing access when blades or screens need to be changed.
When comparing WPS and WLS, watch how your material moves through a full feeding cycle. Does it reach the rotor steadily? Does it bridge above the cutting zone? How much material remains when the hopper appears nearly empty? These observations often tell you more than a comparison of motor ratings alone.
For bulky plastic waste, the discussion often moves to double-shaft and four-shaft machines. Here, the important questions are how the cutters grip the material and whether the discharged pieces suit the next stage.
The WT Double Shaft Shredder uses two interacting cutter shafts to shear, tear and compress material. Typical applications include plastic pallets, industrial containers and appliance housings.
Its blades follow a V-shaped helical arrangement to distribute the cutting load. Auxiliary cutters help clear material from the main cutters, and a hydraulic feeding device can be configured where the application requires it.
WT discharges without a screen. This suits primary size reduction, where the immediate goal is to turn large items into pieces that are easier to handle or process further.
The output still needs to be checked. Blade thickness influences the cut, but it does not mean that every piece will have the same length, width and thickness. If a downstream machine needs a narrower size range, include that requirement in the discussion from the beginning.
The WTF Four Shaft Shredder uses coordinated upper and lower cutter shafts for bulky materials with more complex shapes and structures. Its applications include plastic products, packaging waste, appliance housings and containers.
Like WT, Wobide's WTF uses screen-free discharge. The reason to consider it is the way its four-shaft arrangement handles the material—not an assumption that adding shafts automatically produces a particular particle size.
For reference, WTF1200 lists a 1,200 × 1,200 mm cutting chamber and a shaft speed of 10–15 rpm. To decide whether it is appropriate for a project, examine the feedstock, the resulting pieces and the demands of the rest of the line.
The table below gives a starting point for discussion with the equipment supplier.
Your main requirement | Series to consider | What to check |
|---|---|---|
Processing solid purgings and lumps | WPS | Rotor arrangement, pusher action and screen selection |
Feeding soft or medium-hard material with a large loose volume | WLS | Chamber use, feeding behaviour and installation layout |
Reducing bulky pallets, containers and similar waste | WT | Cutter engagement and suitability of the discharged pieces |
Handling bulky waste with complex shapes and structures | WTF | Performance of the coordinated shafts with representative material |
Some materials appear in more than one series’ application range. The final choice comes down to the form of the waste and the result you need.
Once you have narrowed down the machine structure, look inside the cutting system. This is where two machines from the same series can be configured for quite different jobs.
Wobide’s WPS range includes a blade-holder rotor and a W-type rotor.
The blade-holder design uses multiple rows of knives for materials such as large sprues and solid lumps. Knife holders can be bolted or welded, depending on the proposed configuration.
The W-type rotor is designed for soft materials, including film, fishing nets and fibres, with a focus on reducing wrapping.
This distinction matters when comparing quotations. “Suitable for plastic waste” is a broad description. Ask which rotor is included and why it has been chosen for the material you supplied.
Blade shape and mounting affect cutting, but they also affect the work involved when an edge wears.
Before ordering, ask how the rotating and fixed knives are accessed, which parts are replaced together and which spares should be kept on site. Maintenance access deserves particular attention when the shredder will run for long shifts.
Be clear about contamination, too. Sand, embedded metal and other foreign objects can change the wear conditions. Showing the supplier a clean sample while the normal feedstock contains dirt or metal makes it harder to specify the right equipment.
On a screened shredder, material remains in the cutting chamber until it can pass through the openings. Changing the screen therefore affects both the discharge and the amount of cutting required.
Wobide’s WPS screen options include round-hole, slotted and honeycomb designs. Slotted screens are intended for film and tough fibrous materials, helping these materials pass through the screen.
A smaller opening can mean more cutting and a lower processing rate. If a quotation gives a capacity figure, check which screen and material conditions that figure relates to.
Also remember that an opening size does not describe every dimension of every discharged piece. Long or flexible material may pass through according to its orientation.
For WT and WTF, which use screen-free discharge, discuss downstream crushing if the line needs smaller, more consistent flakes.
A good quotation should make it clear what the machine is expected to process and under which conditions.
Item | Details to confirm |
|---|---|
Feedstock | Polymer, material form, contamination and variation between batches |
Largest item | Length, width, height, wall thickness and approximate weight |
Required throughput | Target kg/h or t/h and expected operating hours |
Discharge | Acceptable size range and the needs of the next machine |
Power supply | Local electrical supply, main drive, hydraulics and auxiliaries |
Installation | Loading method, feed height, conveyors and maintenance clearance |
Service parts | Blades, screens where fitted, and other recommended spares |
Take care when reading dimensions. WPS1000, for example, lists a 1,000 × 1,000 mm cutting chamber and overall dimensions of 3,170 × 2,050 × 2,850 mm. The chamber size describes the processing space; the overall dimensions help with installation planning. You still need to check the feed opening and how the largest item will be loaded.
Power figures need similar care. Installed motor power is not the same as measured electricity use per tonne.
Where possible, arrange a trial with representative material. Ask to see a sustained run, the discharged sample and any feeding interruptions. A short clip of a machine cutting a few selected items will not answer all the questions about daily production.
The most useful starting point is a clear description of what comes in and what needs to leave.
Send photos or videos of the normal feedstock, including the largest items and any contamination. Add your required throughput, target output size, power supply and available space.
From there, Wobide can review the feeding arrangement, rotor, blades, screens where fitted and connection to downstream equipment.
A plant handling production lumps may start by evaluating WPS. A film recycler may need to compare WLS feeding with a WPS W-type rotor configuration. A business processing large containers may need a closer comparison of WT and WTF.
In each case, the aim is to choose equipment that fits the whole process. Where shredding alone cannot provide the required flake size, a shredding-and-crushing line may be the more suitable arrangement.
WPS uses an internal hydraulic pusher, while WLS uses an arc-shaped feeding motion with an external pusher arm. Both have a single shredding rotor. The choice depends largely on the form of the material, how it feeds and the installation layout.
Both WPS and WLS include these materials in their application ranges. For WPS, the W-type rotor is designed for soft materials. Compare the actual feeding and wrapping behaviour of your waste before settling on a configuration.
No. WTF uses screen-free discharge, as does WT. If you need a smaller, more consistent output for the next stage, discuss additional crushing and review a sample of the processed material.
It can, because the material may need more cutting before it can leave the chamber. The supplier should assess your capacity target and output requirement together.
Material photos or videos, polymer type, contamination, maximum item dimensions, required capacity, target output size, power supply and installation space. Including these details at the start helps avoid a quotation based on assumptions.
A reliable plastic shredder selection starts with the waste you handle every day. The closer the specification reflects that material, the more useful the equipment recommendation will be.
Send your material details to Wobide for a configuration review. Include a few photos or a short video, the largest feed dimensions, your capacity target and the output needed by the next stage.
Specifications shown are reference values. Final equipment details should be confirmed in the project quotation.
