How Bonnot Extruders Help Improve Rubber Extrusion Safety

Working in the rubber industry is a challenging job, and it can be particularly dangerous for the people who work with the rubber directly. But the rubber industry has come a long way in its 130 years of existence — and the Bonnot Company has seen all those changes firsthand. On top of ensuring your facility always operates at peak productivity, safety considerations in extrusion are a high priority when we design our extruders, cutters, bulk feeders and more.

Bonnot Extruders Improve Rubber Extrusion Safety By:

• Reducing manual rubber bale handling and cutting
• Eliminating the need for talc and chemicals in the granulation/dissolution process
• Lower noise output for a more comfortable, less stressful work environment

Less Manual Handling & Cutting

Having to manually handle and cut rubber bales is one of the leading causes of injury at rubber plants. Cutting or granulating rubber bales has generally been a necessary part of processing, however, since some extruders have difficulty breaking down large quantities at a time.

With a Bonnot rubber bale feeder or live bottom extruder, the issue of breaking down bales is eliminated. Our modern, field-tested design ingests partial and full-sized rubber bales to push them through the rest of the extrusion process easily and efficiently. Thus, rubber extrusion safety improves since the machine does all of the hard and dangerous work.

No More Chemicals

Talc has traditionally been used to help in the granulation and dissolution process of rubber. Recently, it has come to light that the fibers of talc break down similarly to asbestos and may cause similar health issues, such as mesothelioma, after long exposure.

Bonnot extruders completely negate the need for chemicals. Our live bottom extruders break down massive batches of rubber (up to 3,500 pounds) using a system of jacketed barrels and feed augers. The rubber is processed just as effectively even without talc and other chemicals. And more importantly, plant workers are no longer exposed to potentially harmful chemicals.

Lower Noise Output

When considering extrusion safety, it is easy to forget that noise can be just as harmful to workers as dealing with harsh chemicals and unwieldy materials. Hearing damage from exposure to loud noises is irreversible in the long-term, and in the short-term can cause issues like tinnitus and unhealthy levels of sustained stress.

Along with not requiring chemical or manual assistance, Bonnot extruders also do their jobs much more quietly than traditional machines. Extruders and rubber bale feeders produce sound at a much lower decibel level than granulators, which are often used for breaking down rubber bales.