Cable granulation systems are among the most important machines in modern cable recycling. They enable the efficient recovery of copper and aluminum from cables—with high purity and minimal material loss. But how exactly does such a system work? And what advantages does it offer in daily use?
This article explains the design, operation, and key advantages of a cable granulation system.
A cable granulation system consists of several components that are designed to work together. Each section performs a specific task in the process of separating the conductor from the insulation.
Before the material enters the pelletizer, it is reduced to a manageable size using a pre-crusher or shredder. This ensures that the process runs smoothly and without blockages.
The core of the system is the granulator. A high-speed rotating blade rotor cuts the cable into small pieces, separating the conductor from the insulation.
The screen size determines how fine the final material will be.
After granulation, the material is passed through an airflow system.
Since copper and aluminum are heavier than plastic, the fractions can be cleanly separated from one another. The heavy metal particles fall to the bottom, while the light insulation residues are extracted.
Many plants are equipped with additional separation systems to remove fine residual materials. This further improves the purity of the granulate.
The result: single-grade copper or aluminum granules that can be resold or processed directly.
The process can be broken down into three steps:
Material Preparation
Cable scraps, mixed cables, or production waste are collected and pre-shredded.
Granulation & Separation
The system crushes the material, separates the metal from the insulation, and sorts the fractions.
Final Product & Recycling
Depending on the facility, the recovered granulate achieves very high levels of purity and can be returned to the raw material cycle.
This turns waste material into a valuable raw material.
Cable granulation systems offer both economic and environmental benefits and are therefore standard equipment in the scrap and recycling industry.
Modern facilities achieve copper purity levels of over 99%, which significantly increases the material's value.
Whether it’s thin data cables, installation wires, or heavily insulated power cables—many systems can process different types of materials in a single process.
Modern drive systems and optimized air separation systems enable relatively low energy consumption.
The processes run largely automatically. The system simply needs to be loaded and monitored.
Because of the high material value of the produced granulate, many systems pay for themselves faster than expected—especially when processing regular volumes of cable.
Cable granulation systems enable the fast, clean, and cost-effective recovery of valuable metals from cable scraps. Thanks to precise separation technology, automated processes, and energy-efficient components, they are the ideal solution for many recycling facilities looking to process material streams and maximize yields.
Those who regularly process cables will benefit in the long term—both technically and economically—from a professional granulation system.