What is a screen changer used for?

A screen changer removes solid contaminants from the polymer melt in a plastic extrusion line. It is installed between the extruder and the die and forces the melt through a wire mesh screen pack that physically blocks particles above a specified size. It also maintains melt pressure stability between the extruder and die, which directly affects product uniformity in film, fiber, sheet, and pipe applications. When screens become saturated, the screen changer provides the mechanism to replace or clean them — with varying degrees of line interruption depending on the type: manual, hydraulic, or continuous.

What is the difference between a manual and an automatic screen changer?

A manual screen changer requires the extruder to be stopped to replace saturated screen packs. Each change takes 15–45 minutes and generates scrap during restart. An automatic or continuous screen changer replaces or cleans screens while the extruder runs, with no interruption to melt flow and no pressure spike. A line making three manual changes per 8-hour shift loses 45–135 minutes of production per shift. A continuous screen changer eliminates this entirely. The AP Series self-cleaning design and the Gorillabelt belt design are both continuous: the line never stops for screen maintenance.

How do I know when to change the screen pack?

The primary indicator is upstream melt pressure, measured by a pressure transducer immediately upstream of the screen changer. As the screen captures particles, differential pressure (ΔP) rises. When the ΔP threshold is reached, the screen needs replacement or cleaning. On a continuous self-cleaning system such as the AP Series, the ΔP signal triggers an automated cleaning cycle that restores filtration capacity without stopping the line.

What screen changer is best for recycled plastic?

Post-consumer recyclate contains contamination at 3–8% by weight. At these contamination levels, self-cleaning systems reach their capacity limits quickly. The engineering solution for recycling applications is a continuous belt screen changer such as the Gorillabelt, which advances fresh belt continuously through the melt zone as the saturated section exits. The Gorillabelt handles contamination up to 10% by weight without pressure disturbance and without line stops.

Can a screen changer improve product quality as well as reduce downtime?

Yes. Manual screen changers operating near saturation cause melt pressure instability that directly degrades product quality: bubble instability in blown film, gauge variation in cast film, filament breaks in fiber spinning. Continuous screen changers maintain stable differential pressure throughout production, reducing gel counts, improving film optical properties, and reducing the reject rate from pressure-related defects — benefits that accumulate in addition to the downtime savings.

GorillaBelt Screen Changer

GorillaBelt Automatic Screen Changer
Designed for High-Contamination Recycling Applications

GorillaBelt is built for the toughest recycling environments — delivering continuous filtration for highly contaminated post-consumer and post-industrial plastics.

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The Challenge in Plastic Recycling Filtration

Recycling lines face extreme contamination levels that cause frequent filter clogging, unplanned stops, and pressure instability. Standard screen changers cannot handle these conditions without constant manual intervention..

High contamination causes rapid filter blinding

Frequent manual screen changes required

Inconsistent melt quality during transitions

Material waste from repeated start-stop cycles

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Continuous Filtration Without Compromise

With GorillaBelt your production line can be improved in multiple aspects

1

Contaminated Materials

Processes post-consumer and post-industrial plastics with high impurity levels, ensuring top-quality recycled output.

2

Continous

Changes screens with an accumulator system, keeping extrusion running 24/7.

3

Minimal Polymer Loss

Discards only impurities, minimizing waste and disposal costs.

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Built for Recycling Lines

GorillaBelt is designed for the specific demands of recycling operations where contamination levels and throughput requirements push conventional systems to their limits.

Post-Consumer Film

Agricultural Film

Construction Waste

Post-Industrial Scrap

Mixed Plastics

LDPE Recycling

PP Recycling

Technical Data

Parameter	Specification	Notes
Filtration type	Continuous, automatic belt advancement	Fresh filtration area advances automatically as contamination accumulates — no production interruption
Belt system	Continuous loop filtration belt	Belt indexes forward continuously through the melt channel, replacing contaminated sections without stopping the line
Material compatibility	High-contamination polymers	Designed for post-consumer and post-industrial recycled materials with impurity levels up to 10% by weight
Max operating temperature	Up to 350°C	Designed for high-temperature polymer processing
Max operating pressure	Up to 210 bar	Suitable for high-pressure extrusion applications
Throughput range	5 – 2,000 kg/h	Wide operating range depending on configuration and material
Filtration area	Multiple belt mesh counts available	Belt media selected based on contamination type and required filtration fineness
Screen change	Without production interruption	Belt advancement is fully automatic — no operator intervention required during normal operation

Resources

Download GorillaBelt screen changer brochure

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Download GorillaBelt screen changer layout drawings

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