Protan is now running a state-of-the-art, tailor-made three-in-one recycling installation for grinding, agglomerating and pulverising. ‘It would have been stupid not to purchase new technology,’ says Tom Lillemoen, Protan’s technical manager. The company, which has an annual turnover of one billion Norwegian Crowns (€110 million), is one of the world’s largest manufacturers and suppliers of innovative roofs, membranes, technical textiles and ventilation systems. Every year, hundreds of kilometres of its ventilation pipes are installed in mines and tunnels around the globe – mainly in Europe, Africa and South America. It is in its roofing products that Protan uses most of its recycled materials. On average, it incorporates 6% recyclate in its production process, most of which is sourced in-house. Owing to their complexity, it is difficult to dispose of or use these materials in other applications; however, the materials are of high value, making internal reuse worthwhile. In the new facility, grinding is undertaken by Pallmann’s knife mill-type PS 4-7,5; agglomeration is carried out in a Plast agglomerator PFV 250; and a PolyGrinder PM 300 unit takes care of the pulverising. The machines are connected via conveying units, silos and collection units. Pallmann supplied and commissioned the entire package of components.