Glass fiber reinforced engineering plastics have become the structural backbone of modern lightweight manufacturing, and launching a dedicated twin-screw compounding factory to produce them is one of the most resilient business models in the plastics value chain. Kerke, a Wanplas factory with more than 12 years of experience in compounding extruder design and manufacturing, operates a 19,997-plus square meter production base, has placed over 2,000 machines in service worldwide, and ships to more than 70 countries, ranking among the top five twin-screw extruder suppliers in China. This guide explains how to start a glass fiber reinforced engineering plastic twin screw compound factory from zero, covering market rationale, site planning, process flow, equipment bills of materials, staffing, quality control, and the selection of the right Kerke KTE twin-screw line for your target output and fiber level. Whether you intend to compound glass fiber reinforced PA, PP, PBT, or ABS at fiber loadings from 10 percent to 50 percent, the roadmap below gives you a concrete, engineering-based plan rather than a generic machine list.
Starting this type of factory is different from buying a single machine. You are building an integrated production system where raw material handling, feeding, melting, glass fiber incorporation, pelletizing, cooling, screening, and quality control must work as one continuous line. The engineering plastic compound must reach tight specifications for glass fiber dispersion, fiber length, mechanical strength, color, and moisture. The good news is that co-rotating parallel twin-screw extrusion is a mature, modular, and scalable technology, and a well-planned factory can begin with a single pilot line and grow into a multi-line plant. Throughout this article we reference real Kerke product families, including the KTE series twin-screw extruders from KTE-16B to KTE-135D, the SE single-screw extruder for recycling from 30 to 800 kg/h, and the full range of feeding systems such as side feeders and loss-in-weight feeders, so the plan maps directly to equipment you can procure and commission.
Why Glass Fiber Reinforced Engineering Plastics
Glass fiber reinforced engineering plastics combine the toughness, heat resistance, and dimensional stability of engineering polymers with the stiffness and strength contributed by continuous or chopped glass fibers, delivering metal-replacement performance at a fraction of the weight and cost of machined metal parts. The market demand is driven primarily by three sectors: the automotive industry, the electrical and electronic (E&E) industry, and the household appliance industry, each of which needs materials that survive heat, load, and chemical exposure while reducing vehicle or device weight. A compounding factory that masters glass fiber incorporation sits close to these end markets and enjoys steady, specification-driven orders that are less volatile than commodity resin trading.
Polyamide, commonly known as PA or nylon, is the most important base resin for glass fiber reinforcement because it offers excellent mechanical strength, fatigue resistance, and temperature performance; PA6 and PA66 with 15 percent to 50 percent glass fiber are used for automotive engine covers, radiator end tanks, intake manifolds, and connector housings. Polypropylene, or PP, is the cost-efficient workhorse; glass fiber reinforced PP is widely used in fan shrouds, battery trays, appliance structures, and power tool housings where moderate strength at low weight is required. Polybutylene terephthalate, or PBT, brings high dimensional stability, good electrical insulation, and fast cycling, making glass fiber reinforced PBT a staple for E&E connectors, relays, and sensor bodies. Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, or ABS, fortified with glass fiber raises heat deflection temperature and rigidity for appliance and power equipment parts. The table below summarizes how the base resin choice maps to fiber level and typical end products.
Base Resin, Glass Fiber Level, and Target Applications
| Base Resin | Typical GF Content | Key Properties Gained | Representative End Products |
|---|---|---|---|
| PA6 / PA66 (nylon) | 15% to 50% | High strength, heat resistance, fatigue life | Intake manifolds, connector housings, engine covers |
| PP (polypropylene) | 10% to 40% | Stiffness, low cost, chemical resistance | Fan shrouds, battery trays, appliance structures |
| PBT | 15% to 45% | Dimensional stability, electrical insulation | E&E connectors, relays, sensor bodies |
| ABS | 10% to 30% | Rigidity, heat deflection temperature | Appliance parts, power tool housings |
The technical reason a dedicated compounding factory adds value is fiber protection. Glass fiber is brittle and loses length under high shear, and the final mechanical performance depends on preserving an optimal fiber length distribution inside the matrix. Co-rotating twin-screw extruders let the processor control where the fiber enters, how much shear it sees, and how it is wetted by the melt, which is why twin-screw compounding is the standard route and why the side feeder is central to glass fiber incorporation. For an entrepreneur, the implication is clear: invest in a properly configured twin-screw line and the glass fiber reinforced compounds you make will command a quality premium over simple filled blends.
Factory Setup Roadmap
Building a glass fiber reinforced engineering plastic compounding factory follows a predictable sequence: confirm the product plan, size the site, design utilities, install raw material silos and handling, commission the compounding line, add pelletizing and cooling, build a quality laboratory, and train the team before trial production. Treating the project as a staged roadmap prevents the two most common failures, which are undersized utilities and disconnected material flow between dosing and pelletizing.
Begin with the product plan because every downstream decision flows from it. Define the target base resins, the glass fiber content range you will offer, the planned output in kg/h, the number of product grades, and the certification requirements of your customers. A factory serving automotive Tier suppliers will need stricter traceability and more rigorous quality control than one serving general appliance and construction parts, but both benefit from the same core line architecture. With the product plan fixed, move to site selection and layout.
Site Area, Building, and Zoning
The workshop should be divided into clear zones so material moves in one direction and never crosses back. A practical zoning layout places raw material receiving and silos at one end, the high-speed mixer and gravimetric feeders in the middle, the twin-screw compounding line and side feeder as the core, the pelletizing and cooling zone next, the screening and packing area after that, and the quality laboratory and finished goods warehouse at the clean end. Glass fiber itself is supplied either as chopped roving on spools or as continuous roving, and it should be stored in a dry, low-dust area because moisture and broken fiber dust both hurt housekeeping and operator comfort.
Floor area scales with output. A small pilot or sample grade line around a KTE-35 twin-screw extruder needs roughly 600 to 900 square meters of covered workshop plus silo and packing space. A commercial line rated 500 to 800 kg/h based on a KTE-65 or KTE-75 needs about 1,500 to 2,500 square meters. Plants above 1,500 kg/h typically occupy 3,500 to 6,000 square meters including raw material silos, compounding hall, pelletizing, laboratory, warehouse, and finished goods storage. Ceiling height should allow overhead cranes or hoists for barrel and screw maintenance, with a clear height of at least 6 meters in the compounding bay.
Power, Compressed Air, Water, and Exhaust
Electrical power is the largest utility. The extruder main drive, feeders, pelletizing, and auxiliaries together draw a continuous load that scales with screw diameter and torque; a KTE-35 line draws roughly 35 to 60 kW, a KTE-50 line about 90 to 140 kW, a KTE-65 line about 160 to 280 kW, and a KTE-75 line about 250 to 450 kW. Plan for a three-phase supply with sufficient transformer capacity, soft starters or variable frequency drives on large motors, and a stable grounding scheme for the control system. Compressed air runs the pneumatic conveying, screen changer, and some pelletizing air knives; budget a dedicated compressor with dried air to avoid moisture in the compound.
Cooling water is essential. The barrel, gearbox, and die head reject heat that must be carried away by a cooling tower or chiller loop, and the pelletizing stage needs cooling water or a water bath for strand or underwater systems. Exhaust is required at the devolatilization port to remove moisture, residual monomer, and volatile additives; connect the vent to a filter or scrubber so the plant meets local environmental rules. Dust collection at the glass fiber cutting and packing points keeps the workplace clean and protects motors and controls.
Raw Material Silos and Central Feeding
Engineering plastic pellets, powders, and additives arrive in bags, supersacks, or bulk trucks. For steady production, install silos or day bins for the main resin, a separate loss-in-weight feeder for each additive, and a central vacuum conveying system that moves material from the silo area to the mixer and the extruder main feed. Color masterbatch, flame retardant, stabilizers, and coupling agents are dosed separately so recipes can be changed without shutting the line. This modular feeding design is exactly what Kerke feeding systems support, with volumetric metering for low-value fillers and loss-in-weight gravimetric metering for expensive additives where accuracy matters.
Process Flow: From Metering to Packing
The glass fiber reinforced compounding process is a continuous, closed material loop that turns resin, additives, and glass fiber into uniform, free-flowing pellets ready for injection molding or extrusion by your customers. Each stage has a defined purpose, and the document below describes the standard flow so you can design the line and train operators around a single mental model.
Stage 1: Metering and Pre-Mixing
Base resin and dry additives are first pre-blended in a high-speed mixer to improve batch uniformity, though many modern lines feed components separately and let the twin-screw do the mixing. The main resin and powder additives enter through a volumetric or loss-in-weight main feeder at the feed throat. Accurate metering is the foundation of a consistent compound; even small deviations in additive dose change mechanical properties, so gravimetric loss-in-weight feeders are recommended for flame retardants, impact modifiers, and coupling agents.
Stage 2: Twin-Screw Compounding and Glass Fiber Incorporation
Inside the co-rotating parallel twin-screw extruder, the material is conveyed, plasticized, sheared, dispersed, homogenized, devolatilized, and pressurized by a computer-aided screw arrangement of conveying and kneading elements. The barrel is divided into zones with independent temperature control, and a typical glass fiber PA profile rises from about 230 degrees C in the feed and plasticizing zone to 260 to 290 degrees C in the melting and mixing zone, then eases slightly at the metering and die zone to stabilize the melt. Glass fiber is introduced downstream through a side feeder, not at the main throat, so the fibers enter the melt after the polymer is already plasticized and where shear is controlled. This protects fiber length and improves dispersion. For very high fiber loadings, a second side feeder or a crammer feeder can be used. The screw design features a kneading co-type geometry with excellent self-cleaning, good interchangeability, and the ability to realize transport, plasticization, shearing, dispersion, homogenization, exhaust, and pressure building in one barrel.
Stage 3: Pelletizing
The homogeneous melt leaves the die and is cut into pellets. For glass fiber engineering compounds, two methods dominate. Strand pelletizing pulls extruded melt strands through a water bath, dries them, and cuts them on a strand pelletizer; it is simple and robust for most grades. Underwater pelletizing cuts the melt directly at the die face under water and is preferred for high output, heat-sensitive, or dusty-free premium grades. Kerke supplies water-cooled strand pelletizing, air-cooled strand pelletizing, air-cooled die face hot cutting, water ring die face hot cutting, eccentric water mist hot cutting, and underwater granulation systems, so you can match the method to the resin and output.
Stage 4: Cooling, Screening, and Packing
After cutting, pellets are cooled and dried, then passed through a vibrating screen that removes fines and oversized agglomerates. Clean pellets move to a packing station where they are weighed into bags, woven sacks, or bulk containers, labeled with grade, lot number, and date for traceability. A dust collection system at this stage keeps the product clean and the environment safe. The entire loop from metering to packing is automated, so staffing is concentrated in operation, quality control, and material logistics rather than manual handling.
Kerke KTE Series Twin-Screw Extruders for GF Compounding
Kerke, a Wanplas factory, builds the KTE series of parallel co-rotating twin-screw extruders from KTE-16B up to KTE-135D, with output ranging from about 30 kg/h in the laboratory size to very high capacity in the large production models. The series is engineered for compounding applications such as glass fiber reinforced engineering plastics, masterbatch, biodegradable compounds, cable compounds, and PVC, and it is fully optimizable in aspect ratio, barrel structure, screw arrangement, exhaust configuration, feeding method, and electrical control. For a glass fiber compound factory, the KTE-35, KTE-50, KTE-65, and KTE-75 are the core production sizes, while KTE-16B to KTE-26 serve the laboratory and formula development need.
What makes the KTE series suitable for glass fiber is the modular barrel and screw system. The barrel can be opened into multiple sections for side feeding and venting, the screw elements are built from wear-resistant alloy for the abrasive glass fiber environment, and the gearbox delivers the high torque needed for filled engineering plastics. The computer-aided screw assembly realizes material transport, plasticization, shearing, dispersion, homogenization, exhaust, and pressure building in a single continuous process, with the excellent self-cleaning function that prevents cross-contamination between grades. The specification table below lists representative KTE models and their typical placement in a glass fiber compounding factory.
KTE Series Specification for Glass Fiber Compounding
| Model | Screw Diameter (mm) | Typical L/D | Output Range (kg/h) | Role in GF Factory |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| KTE-16B | 16 | 40 | 1 to 5 | R&D, formula trials |
| KTE-35 | 35 | 36 to 48 | 30 to 120 | Pilot, sample grades |
| KTE-50 | 50 | 36 to 48 | 150 to 350 | Small commercial line |
| KTE-65 | 62.4 | 36 to 52 | 400 to 800 | Core production line |
| KTE-75 | 71 | 36 to 52 | 800 to 1,500 | High output line |
| KTE-95 to KTE-135D | 91 to 133 | 36 to 56 | 1,800 to high capacity | Large plant, multi-grade |
For glass fiber reinforced engineering plastics, the KTE-65 is the most common first commercial line because it balances output, footprint, and power, while the KTE-75 is chosen when automotive or E&E volumes demand higher throughput. The side feeder is sized to the glass fiber roving throughput, and a loss-in-weight feeder meters it precisely so the final glass fiber percentage holds within tight tolerance. Kerke also offers the triple-screw extruder for special materials and the double-stage mother-baby system for compounds that cannot be processed on a single stage, giving your factory room to expand into difficult formulations later.
SE Single-Screw Extruder and Auxiliary Equipment
Although the twin-screw extruder is the heart of glass fiber compounding, a complete factory needs supporting machines. The Kerke SE series single-screw extruder, with output from 30 to 800 kg/h, is mainly used for plastic recycling and for reprocessing off-grade or rejected material back into usable pellet. In a glass fiber factory, rejected strands, start-up scrap, and customer returns can be reground and, where fiber content allows, re-compounded or sold as recycled compound, improving material yield and reducing waste cost. The single-screw machine is simpler and lower cost than the twin-screw, making it an economical complement rather than a replacement for the main line.
Feeding Systems and Auxiliary Machines
Glass fiber compounding depends on precise feeding. Kerke supplies a full set of feeding systems: the volumetric metering system for inexpensive bulk fillers, the side feeder with twin screws for glass fiber roving, the crammer feeder for low-bulk-density powders, the loss-in-weight feeder for accurate gravimetric dosing of costly additives, and the liquid feeder for coupling agents, lubricants, and flame-retardant emulsions. Selecting the right feeder mix is part of line design, not an afterthought, because feeding accuracy directly controls the final compound specification. The auxiliary equipment list for a complete factory includes the high-speed mixer, plastic granulator, pulverizer, extruder core parts, and water chiller, each supporting smooth, uninterrupted production.
SE Single-Screw Specification
| Model Family | Output Range (kg/h) | Main Function | Value in GF Factory |
|---|---|---|---|
| SE small (lab / low) | 30 to 150 | Recycling, re-pelletizing | Recover start-up scrap |
| SE medium | 150 to 400 | Recycling, regrind | Recover rejected parts |
| SE large | 400 to 800 | Bulk recycling | Dedicated recycled compound |
In addition to the extruders, budget for the granulator that size-reduces rejected parts and purgings, the pulverizer that prepares powder additives, the high-speed mixer that pre-blends batches, and the water chiller that stabilizes process temperature. These machines are less glamorous than the extruder but they determine whether your line runs continuously or stops for material shortages and quality deviations.
Equipment Bill of Materials by Capacity
A bill of materials translates your target output into a concrete equipment list. The table below gives three representative factory scales, each built around a Kerke twin-screw core with matched feeders, pelletizing, and auxiliaries. Use it as a starting point and refine the exact models with the factory after sharing your product plan.
Three Reference Factory Scales
| Item | Pilot (KTE-35) | Standard (KTE-65) | High Output (KTE-75 + SE) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Twin-screw extruder | KTE-35 | KTE-65 | KTE-75 |
| Output (kg/h) | 30 to 120 | 400 to 800 | 800 to 1,500 |
| Main feeder | Volumetric / loss-in-weight | Loss-in-weight | Loss-in-weight |
| Glass fiber side feeder | 1 set | 1 to 2 sets | 2 sets |
| Liquid feeder | Optional | Included | Included |
| Pelletizing | Strand | Strand / underwater | Underwater |
| Single-screw recycle | SE small (optional) | SE medium | SE large |
| High-speed mixer | 1 set | 1 to 2 sets | 2 sets |
| Granulator | 1 set | 1 set | 2 sets |
| Water chiller | Small | Medium | Large |
| Power (kW) | 35 to 60 | 160 to 280 | 250 to 450+ |
| Floor area (sqm) | 600 to 900 | 1,500 to 2,500 | 3,500 to 6,000 |
| Headcount | 4 to 6 | 8 to 12 | 15 to 25 |
Note that the table corrects a common misconception: a single twin-screw line does not need a second twin-screw for recycling. The Kerke SE single-screw extruder handles scrap recovery economically, keeping the twin-screw line focused on high-value glass fiber compounds. As your order book grows, you add a second twin-screw line in parallel rather than enlarging one machine, which gives scheduling flexibility and protects output during maintenance.
Cost Structure and Investment Tiers
Investment in a glass fiber compounding factory is best discussed in relative tiers rather than absolute amounts, because land, construction, labor, and utility costs vary strongly by region and are outside the equipment scope. The framework below uses four cost tiers, Low, Medium, High, and Very High, plus a Premium tier for large multi-line plants, and expresses equipment and utility scale through physical quantities and an index normalized to 100 at the KTE-65 standard line.
Relative Investment Tiers
| Cost Tier | Typical Core Line | Equipment Cost Level | Building + Utility Level | Working Capital Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low | KTE-35 pilot | Low | Low | Low |
| Medium | KTE-50 line | Medium | Medium | Medium |
| High | KTE-65 line | High | High | High |
| Very High | KTE-75 + SE | Very High | Very High | High |
| Premium | Multi-line KTE-95+ | Premium | Premium | Very High |
When comparing configurations, anchor every estimate to the KTE-65 baseline of 100 points. The KTE-35 pilot costs a fraction of the baseline on equipment and utility scale, the KTE-50 sits near 45 to 60 points, the KTE-75 reaches about 150 to 180 points on building and power and about 180 points on output, and a KTE-95 multi-line plant climbs to 230 to 320 points. This index lets you communicate scale to investors and bankers without disclosing sensitive absolute figures, and it keeps the plan defensible because the underlying quantities, floor area, power, headcount, and output, are what actually drive spend. Working capital deserves special attention: engineering plastic base resins and glass fiber are the dominant recurring costs, and a Higher output plant needs proportionally Higher raw material inventory, so size your warehouse and cash cycle for the tier you choose.
Beyond the equipment and building tiers, budget for the soft costs that decide whether the factory opens on time. These include factory design and permitting, environmental and fire-safety approvals for the exhaust and dust systems, commissioning and training time before the first commercial order, and the inventory of spare screw elements and barrel liners sized for the abrasive glass fiber environment. A disciplined owner treats these as part of the High or Very High tier rather than as optional extras, because a line that cannot be permitted, commissioned, or kept running delivers no return regardless of how advanced the extruder is. The relative tier framework keeps this discipline visible during planning and prevents the common mistake of under-funding the support systems while over-specifying the main machine.
Staffing, QC, and Commissioning
A glass fiber compounding factory is knowledge-intensive even though the line is automated. The team blends operators, a line supervisor, a quality technician, and logistics staff, and the headcount scales with the table in the bill of materials. For a standard KTE-65 line, a shift team of three to four operators plus one supervisor keeps the line running, while a quality technician manages the laboratory and a logistics clerk handles receiving and packing. Training focuses on screw configuration changes, feeder calibration, barrel temperature profiling, pelletizing adjustment, and safe handling of glass fiber dust.
Quality Control Laboratory
The laboratory is where you prove the compound meets specification. A basic glass fiber QC lab should measure melt flow rate or melt volume-flow rate to confirm process consistency, determine glass fiber content and fiber length distribution, and run mechanical tests including tensile strength, flexural modulus, and notched impact strength. Moisture content and pellet appearance, including color uniformity and dust level, are checked before bulk packing. For customers with formal requirements, align the compound to recognized standards such as ISO and applicable ASTM test methods, and keep lot records for traceability. The quality loop closes back to the process: if fiber length drops or impact strength falls, the operator reviews side feeder position, screw shear zone, and barrel temperature before the next run.
Commissioning and Trial Production
Commissioning converts a installed line into a producing asset. After mechanical and electrical installation, run the extruder empty to verify rotation, heating, and interlocks, then run a harmless natural material to check feeding and pelletizing, and finally run your target glass fiber grade to tune the screw and barrel profile. Expect several trial runs to lock the recipe and the side feeder setting. Kerke, as a Wanplas factory, provides installation and commissioning support, operator training, and recipe guidance so the line reaches stable output before you accept full production responsibility. Only after a successful commissioning and a consistent quality result should you move to commercial orders.
Model Selection Guide
Choosing the right Kerke model is the single decision that determines whether your factory meets output and quality targets. The selection table below maps target output and glass fiber content to a recommended KTE model and feeder configuration, giving you a direct procurement starting point.
Target Output, Glass Fiber Level, and Recommended Model
| Target Output (kg/h) | Glass Fiber Content | Recommended KTE Model | Feeder Configuration |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 to 120 | 10% to 30% | KTE-35 | Main loss-in-weight + 1 side feeder |
| 150 to 350 | 10% to 40% | KTE-50 | Main loss-in-weight + 1 to 2 side feeders |
| 400 to 800 | 10% to 50% | KTE-65 | Main loss-in-weight + 1 to 2 side feeders + liquid feeder |
| 800 to 1,500 | 20% to 50% | KTE-75 | Main loss-in-weight + 2 side feeders + liquid feeder |
| 1,800 and above | 20% to 50% | KTE-95 to KTE-135D | Multi-side feeder, full gravimetric system |
The guiding principle is to size the screw diameter to peak sustainable output, not average output, and to add side feeder capacity for the upper glass fiber range. Under-sizing forces the line to run at maximum torque continuously, raising wear and energy use, while correct sizing leaves headroom for grade changes and future growth. Kerke engineers will refine the L/D, screw element layout, and barrel venting once they see your exact resin and fiber specification.
Service, Support, and Open Factory
Choosing Kerke, a Wanplas factory, means you buy into a support system designed for long production life. Before shipment, each line is inspected and test-run so you receive a commissioned-ready machine. The Wanplas group policy shared across its factories includes USD 500 free parts per year, free replacement of damaged parts within warranty, and a transportation guarantee, so routine wear items such as screw elements and barrel liners are covered under a predictable program. Remote technical support helps you resolve process issues without waiting for an on-site visit, and recipe support assists when you introduce a new glass fiber grade.
The open factory policy welcomes customers to visit the 19,997-plus square meter Kerke base, observe machines running, audit quality practices, and discuss configuration face to face before placing an order. For a first-time factory owner, this visit is valuable because you can see a KTE line running glass fiber compound, confirm the layout ideas from this guide, and build confidence in the supplier. Combined with installation, commissioning, and training, the support package turns a machine purchase into a factory launch partnership.
Frequently Asked Questions
What floor area is needed to start a glass fiber reinforced engineering plastic compounding factory?
A small pilot or sample grade line built around a KTE-35 twin-screw extruder typically needs about 600 to 900 square meters of covered workshop plus silo and packing space. A commercial line rated 500 to 800 kg/h based on a KTE-65 or KTE-75 needs roughly 1,500 to 2,500 square meters. High capacity plants above 1,500 kg/h usually require 3,500 to 6,000 square meters including raw material silos, compounding hall, pelletizing, laboratory, warehouse, and finished goods storage.
Which Kerke twin-screw model should I choose for a given output and glass fiber level?
Match the target output and glass fiber content to the screw diameter. For lab and formula work, KTE-16B to KTE-26 are suitable. For 30 to 120 kg/h pilot output, choose KTE-35. For 150 to 350 kg/h, choose KTE-50. For 400 to 800 kg/h, choose KTE-65. For 800 to 1,500 kg/h, choose KTE-75. For even higher tonnage, KTE-95 to KTE-135D are available. Side feeders are added when glass fiber content reaches 20 percent and above.
Why use a side feeder for glass fiber in twin-screw compounding?
Glass fiber is added downstream through a side feeder so the fibers enter the melt after plasticization is largely complete and at a barrel zone with controlled shear. This protects fiber length, reduces breakage, and improves mechanical strength of the final compound. Adding glass fiber at the main feed throat would expose the fibers to high shear too early and produce short, poorly dispersed fibers.
How much electrical power does a glass fiber compounding line consume?
Power scales with screw diameter and drive torque. A KTE-35 line draws roughly 35 to 60 kW, a KTE-50 line about 90 to 140 kW, a KTE-65 line about 160 to 280 kW, and a KTE-75 line about 250 to 450 kW. These figures cover the extruder main drive, feeders, pelletizing, and auxiliaries but exclude large cooling towers and air compression, which should be budgeted separately.
What quality control tests should a glass fiber compound factory run?
A basic laboratory should measure melt flow rate or melt volume-flow rate, glass fiber content and fiber length distribution, tensile strength, flexural modulus, notched impact strength, moisture content, and pellet appearance such as color uniformity and dust. These tests verify that the compound meets the customer specification before bulk packing.
Can Kerke help with factory layout and commissioning after I buy the line?
Yes. As a Wanplas factory, Kerke provides installation and commissioning, operator training, recipe support, and an open factory policy so customers can visit and audit the production before shipment. The shared Wanplas group policy also includes USD 500 free parts per year and warranty replacement of damaged parts, plus remote technical support after commissioning.
Is a single-screw extruder useful in a glass fiber compounding factory?
A single-screw extruder is not ideal for dispersive mixing of glass fiber and engineering plastics, but the Kerke SE series from 30 to 800 kg/h is valuable for recycling off-grade material, regrinding rejected parts, and producing lower-demand recycled compounds. It complements the twin-screw main line and improves material yield.
Conclusion
Starting a glass fiber reinforced engineering plastic twin screw compound factory is a structured, achievable project when you plan around the process rather than around a single machine. The market for glass fiber reinforced PA, PP, PBT, and ABS compounds is anchored by the automotive, electrical and electronic, and appliance industries, and a correctly configured co-rotating twin-screw line produces the fiber-protected, specification-stable pellets these customers require. Your roadmap should move from a clear product plan, through site and utility design, to a continuous flow of metering, twin-screw compounding with downstream glass fiber side feeding, pelletizing, cooling, screening, and packing, supported by a quality laboratory and a trained team.
For the core line, the Kerke KTE series from KTE-16B to KTE-135D gives you a model for every scale, with the KTE-35 for pilots, KTE-65 as the standard commercial workhorse, and KTE-75 and above for high output, all supported by side feeders, loss-in-weight feeders, the SE single-screw recycler, and a full auxiliary package. Cost should be planned in relative tiers, Low through Premium, with physical quantities such as floor area, power, headcount, and output driving the real spend and an index of 100 at the KTE-65 baseline keeping comparisons honest. As a Wanplas factory, Kerke backs the line with USD 500 free parts per year, warranty replacement, remote support, commissioning, training, and an open factory you are welcome to visit before you commit. If you are ready to plan your glass fiber compounding factory, share your target resins, glass fiber levels, and desired output with our engineering team, and we will prepare a tailored configuration, layout proposal, and invitation to see a running line at our factory.
