Twin Screw Extruder October International Situation Market Analysis: How The International Situation Reshapes The Choice Of Plastic Granulation Methods Opening: The Signal Of October
In October 2026, two benchmark exhibitions in the global plastic processing industry - Friedrichshafen International Plastics Exhibition in Germany (October 12-16) and Chinaplas Annual Innovation Release - will simultaneously focus on the same direction: circular economy and energy-efficient production. The signal conveyed at the exhibition site is clear and urgent: the choice of plastic granulation methods is shifting from "affordable" to "clear calculation, compliance, and longevity". For plastic processing companies that are new to international procurement, whether a cost-effective extruder is "chosen correctly" is no longer a simple price issue.
1, Market chassis: The demand structure for extrusion granulation equipment is shifting
The global plastic extruder market size is expected to reach approximately $8.42 billion in 2026, and is projected to grow to $11.33 billion by 2031, with a compound annual growth rate of 6.12%. During the same period, the global plastic granulator market has grown from $5.82 billion to $7.84 billion. Twin screw extrusion granulators have accounted for about 47% of the modified material market, while single screw models have remained stable at around 35% in the recycling and granulation process. More noteworthy is the difference in growth rate: the compound growth rate of twin-screw models is expected to exceed the overall market, reaching 6.21%. This means that incremental demand is systematically flowing towards co rotating twin-screw extruders, rather than traditional single screw routes.
On a regional level, the Asia Pacific region accounts for 48.5% of the global extruder market, while Southeast Asia and the Middle East are becoming concentrated carriers of new production capacity; By 2025, the export value of plastic granulators in China will exceed 890 million US dollars, mainly flowing to Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. The competitiveness of domestic equipment in terms of cost-effectiveness and basic adaptability continues to expand. For international buyers entering the granulation process for the first time, the selection radius of the supply chain is much wider than five years ago, but the cost of selection errors is also increasing.
2, Regulatory variable: PPWR changes' can do 'to' what to do '
In August 2026, the revised version of the European Union's Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) officially came into effect, specifying that the content of post consumer recycled plastics in plastic packaging must reach 10% to 35% from 2030, and further increase to 25% to 65% by 2040. The principle of compliance with recycled content also applies to imported plastic packaging, and importers must ensure that third-party manufacturers complete compliance assessments and attach declarations.
The industrial meaning of this regulatory change is not "encouraging recycling", but "forcing recycled materials into mainstream formulas". Recycled materials, especially rPET bottle chips and PE/PP recycled materials, commonly suffer from impurity fluctuations, high moisture content, and decreased melt strength. Single screw extruders still have cost advantages in low impurity and single material source scenarios, but their mixing capacity limitations in high filling, high dispersion, and mixed waste plastic granulation tasks directly translate into fluctuations in product performance and compliance risks. The co rotating twin-screw extruder, with its modular screw combination and precise shear/mixing control, has become the mainstream technology route for handling "imperfect raw materials". The White Paper on Circular Plastic Processing Technology released by Plastics Europe in 2025 states that the dispersion and mixing efficiency of the co rotating twin-screw extruder determines the degree of mechanical performance recovery of recycled materials. High quality equipment can increase the tensile strength retention rate of recycled PP from 72% to 89%. For first-time buyers who are trying to make new materials or starting from recycled materials, this means choosing the right plastic extruder directly determines whether recycled pellets can enter the premium market.
3, Cost truth: The "savings" of high cost-effective extruders are not on the quotation
The most common misconception for first-time buyers is to use the purchase price instead of the full cycle cost. The initial investment for single screw models is indeed lower, but the advantages of dual screw routes in energy efficiency and product quality will be quickly realized during operation. The co rotating twin-screw extruder has achieved an energy efficiency improvement of about 30% by 2025, gradually replacing single screw for high filling modification and engineering plastic granulation. Kebeilong ZSK 58 Mc18 achieves 2500 kg/h output under 18 Nm/cm ³ specific torque. The new generation of SML co rotating twin-screw system will reduce the specific energy input by 10% -15% and the number of gel by 20%.
The true definition of a cost-effective extruder is to minimize the overall cost per kilogram of pellets without compromising on core parameters. Taking the COLOWE 65mm co rotating twin-screw extruder as an example: the aspect ratio is 48:1, the specific torque is 11.3 N · m/cm ³, and the measured specific energy consumption is stable at 0.24 kWh/kg, while the average level of similar specifications according to the China Plastics Machinery Industry Association's 2025 statistics is 0.28-0.32 kWh/kg. Based on an annual production of 5000 tons of modified plastics and an industrial electricity price of 0.8 yuan/kWh, electricity alone can save about 120000 yuan per year, corresponding to a reduction of about 96 tons of CO ₂ e in indirect carbon emissions. As carbon border adjustment mechanisms and customer carbon audits gradually become implicit thresholds for exports, this "province" has been upgraded from a cost item to an access item.
4, The three most concerning issues for first-time buyers
Q: For the first granulation, should I use a single screw or a co rotating twin-screw?
A: It depends on the raw materials and product positioning. If the raw material is single, clean, and the filling amount is low, a single screw is a reasonable starting option; But if it involves recycled materials, high filling (such as calcium carbonate filled PP exceeding 40%), biodegradation modification or new material modification, the dispersion and mixing ability and exhaust ability of co rotating twin-screw extruders are difficult to replace with single screws. The "trial and error cost" of a production line is often higher than the price difference of the equipment itself.
Q: Does a high cost performance extruder mean a downgrade of core components?
A: Not necessarily. COLOWE's co rotating twin-screw extruder is affordable, and the gearbox adopts carburizing quenching and gear grinding technology. The cylinder liner is made of bimetallic centrifugal casting, and the wear resistance is three times higher than that of nitride steel. What really needs to be wary of is using "low prices" to cover up parameter shrinkage - specific torque, aspect ratio, and vacuum exhaust stage, these three are the hard indicators to judge whether a plastic extruder is "sufficient for ten years".
Q: Will entering now catch up with the "double night" of regulations and production capacity?
A: The market for recycled plastic pellets is expected to maintain a compound annual growth rate of 7.2% from 2026 to 2035, with a global demand for waste plastic pellets of approximately 42.1 million tons by 2026. Regulations are tightening, but demand growth is being released simultaneously. For first-time buyers pursuing an environmentally friendly positioning, choosing a co rotating twin-screw extruder that is compatible with new material modification and recycled material granulation is more in line with the logic of full cycle cost than buying a "transitional equipment" first and then replacing it.
Conclusion
The international exhibition and regulatory timetable in October point to a common judgment: the choice of plastic granulation method is being redefined by the triple forces of compliance with recycled content, specific energy consumption economy, and raw material complexity. The co rotating twin-screw extruder is not the only answer, but it is the least likely starting point to be chosen incorrectly in the three dimensions of "environmental compliance, cost calculation, and raw material compatibility". Nanjing Kelongwell Chemical Machinery Co., Ltd. provided a verifiable footnote to this judgment based on the measured specific energy consumption of 0.24 kWh/kg and a year-on-year increase of 41% in export orders. For international customers who are evaluating their first or next granulation production line, the real question worth asking is not 'which one is the cheapest', but 'which plastic extruder can withstand the dual accounting of cost and compliance for every kilogram of pellets'.
