Generally speaking most US and European tire recycling machinery manufactures utilize a 4 step approach to tire recycling.
Step one into use a Primary Shredder which reduces the whole tire (with bead) down to a 12’ minus chip.
Step two involves a Secondary Shredder (also referred to as a grater or liberator) which reduces the 12” material down to a smaller material, usually 2” down 3’4” minus depending on the screen size used. This is the stage where the majority of the wire in the tire is removed. The screen size used determines the amount of wire that is removed from the rubber, up to 98% with a 3/4”screen.
Step three is to run the rubber chip or “nugget” into a Granulator which reduces the rubber to as small as 1/4” minus. Unlike the Primary and Secondary Shredders, both of which are low speed / high torque machines the Granulator is a high speed, single rotor machine similar to a plastic granulator. At this stage the remaining embedded wire is removed to produce 99.9% wire free material.
Step four is the Cracker Mill (Eco Green calls this our Krumbuster) which reduces the crumb rubber down to “powder’ with finish mesh sizes as small as 80 mesh minus material.