TDP-10 Rebonded Foam Making Line Turns Waste Sponge into 3 Blocks per Hour

Rebonded Foam Machine and Rebonded Foam Making Line with 2100x1800x1000 mm Mould, 3 Blocks per Hour Output and 15 m³ Stirring Volume

The TDP-10 rebonded foam making line converts crushed PU sponge scrap into dense, uniform rebonded blocks. Waste foam is shredded, blended with binder in a 15 m³ stirring chamber, pressed into a 2100×1800×1000 mm mould and cured by steam or by natural air drying.

Each cycle produces a block that can be peeled, split, laminated or profiled into mats, underlay, cushioning and flooring products. Scrap that was previously sold by weight or sent to landfill becomes raw material for a finished product, which is where the commercial case for the line sits.

Output is 3 blocks per hour with a 33 kW drive package and a total machine weight of 8000 kg. The frame is a welded structure of 4000×4000×5400 mm, built to hold mould alignment through repeated pressing cycles.

Because both steam curing and natural drying are supported, the same line fits a workshop that already runs a boiler and a plant that prefers a low-energy air-dry process. One operator manages the stirring, filling and curing sequence from the control panel.

A production cycle runs in six stages, from bale of scrap to cured block.

1. Shredding. Waste PU sponge, trim scrap and off-cuts are reduced to a controlled chip size in a shredder or foam crusher.
2. Binder mixing. Chips enter the 15 m³ stirring chamber running at 40 r/min, where binder is sprayed and distributed through the batch.
3. Mould filling. The mixed material is loaded into the 2100×1800×1000 mm mould and pressed to the target density.
4. Curing. Steam is injected for a fast cycle, or the filled mould is set aside for natural air drying where steam is not available.
5. Demoulding. The cured block is released from the mould and stacked for the next process.
6. Cutting. The block is peeled, split or profile-cut on a vertical or horizontal foam cutting machine to become saleable sheet, mat or profile.

Steps one and six decide the quality of the whole line. Chip size controls binder consumption and block strength, and cutting capacity decides how much of the cured block turns into sellable product rather than off-cut.

Rebonding is a mechanical and chemical process rather than a melting process. The foam chips keep their cell structure; the binder coats the chip surfaces and bonds them at the contact points under pressure. The result is a block with open voids between chips, which is why rebonded foam is denser and firmer than the original soft foam and why it works well for flooring and support layers.

Three variables decide the block:

• Chip size and shape: smaller, more uniform chips pack more evenly and give a denser, stronger block. Oversized chips leave voids that show as soft spots after cutting.
• Binder ratio: too little binder gives a crumbly block that fails at the edges, too much gives a stiff block and wasted adhesive. The ratio is set against chip size and target density.
• Press ratio: the fill weight against the mould volume sets the density. The same scrap stream can be run to a light block for underlay or a heavy block for gym flooring.

The 15 m³ chamber at 40 r/min is what makes the second variable repeatable: a large batch is blended long enough for the binder to reach every chip, so density does not vary from one corner of the block to another.

• Stirring chamber: 15 m³ working volume with a shaft running at 40 r/min, sized for a full mould batch with even binder distribution.
• Binder spray system: meters adhesive into the chamber while the batch is turning, so the ratio is set by the control rather than by the operator's eye.
• Mould: 2100×1800×1000 mm, with guides that keep the pressing faces aligned through repeated cycles.
• Pressing unit: compacts the batch to the target density and holds it while the binder sets.
• Steam injection or air-dry circuit: either route can be specified, and the choice is confirmed at order stage against the site's steam availability.
• Control panel: one operator runs the mixing time, fill, press and curing sequence from a single station.
• Welded main frame: 8000 kg structure of 4000×4000×5400 mm, carrying the chamber, mould and press without losing alignment.

The frame weight is not decoration. A rebonded block is pressed to density inside the mould, and any flex in the structure shows up as a density gradient between the upper and lower part of the block. A block with a density gradient cuts unevenly, and the unevenness only appears after the block has been peeled into sheets.

Short cycle, higher daily output. Requires a boiler and a steam line, which the line can be specified to accept.

No boiler and lower energy cost, but each mould stands longer, so more moulds and floor space are needed.

The curing method is chosen at order stage against the site, so a plant can start on air drying and add steam later.

The choice is a capacity decision rather than a technical one. Steam shortens the time a mould is occupied, which raises the number of blocks per shift for a given number of moulds. Air drying removes the boiler from the investment and the running cost, but the same output needs a larger mould fleet and a larger curing area.

In practice, plants with an existing boiler normally choose steam and plants starting from an empty workshop often begin with air drying and a larger mould set.

The 3 blocks per hour figure is based on the 2100×1800×1000 mm mould. Block volume and target density decide the batch weight, so the same cycle time produces a different tonnage according to the product being made.

The line processes crushed flexible PU foam, memory foam scrap, mattress trim, packaging foam off-cuts and mixed sponge waste. The material does not have to be one grade: a mixed stream can be run, provided the chips are consistent and clean.

Two input rules protect the output:

• Chips must be dry. Moisture interferes with the binder and produces soft patches that appear after cutting.
• Chips must be clear of metal, wood, fabric and hard plastic. Hard inclusions become weak points and can damage the cutting machine downstream.

Density is controlled by press ratio and binder content, not by the input foam alone. That is the useful commercial point: the same scrap stream can supply a light block for cushioning and underlay and a heavy block for gym mats, carpet backing and load-bearing padding, without changing the raw material supply.

• Sports and fitness: gym mats, exercise flooring, fitness equipment padding and martial arts mats, where density and firmness carry the product.
• Livestock: anti-slip cow mats and barn flooring for dairy farms.
• Furniture and bedding: cushion cores, sofa padding and mattress support layers.
• Footwear: base foam for shoe soles and insoles.
• Automotive and transport: shock-absorbing padding for interiors and cargo protection.
• Construction and decoration: acoustic panels, underlay and floor mats.

These products share a common requirement: a block of predictable density that cuts cleanly into sheet. That is why the stirring, pressing and curing stages matter as much as the output figure in the specification.

The TDP-10 is normally the centre of a small recycling plant rather than a standalone machine. The equipment around it decides the daily output and the product range.

• Foam shredder or sponge crusher: prepares scrap into uniform chips before mixing. Its output size affects binder consumption and block strength more than any other upstream item.
• Binder mixing and spraying unit: meters the adhesive ratio, adjusted by target density and chip size.
• Steam boiler or hot air generator: needed only for the steam curing option; air drying needs no boiler but longer curing time.
• Vertical or horizontal foam cutting machine: splits cured blocks into sheets, mats and profiles. Confirm the cutting machine can take the full mould height.
• Foam laminating machine: bonds fabric, film or non-woven to rebonded sheet for gym flooring, mats and upholstery.
• Foam baler: compacts leftover trim and dust for storage or resale.

A practical build order for a new plant is shredder, then cutting machine, then lamination. Shredding sets the mix quality and cutting converts blocks into sellable product; without those two, the line produces blocks that cannot be turned into a product range.

At 3 blocks per hour, a single shift produces roughly 24 blocks, and a two-shift operation roughly 48. If that figure becomes revenue depends on three checks.

A plant that can press 24 blocks a shift but can only cut a fraction of that volume will build a block inventory rather than a product inventory. The capacity plan should follow the bottleneck, not the headline hourly figure.

• Power: plan 33 kW for the line itself, plus the shredder and, if used, the boiler. Confirm the voltage and frequency for the destination market at order stage.
• Floor: a level concrete floor able to carry the 8000 kg machine plus the batch and the mould. Anchor points are supplied with the layout drawing.
• Footprint: reserve about 4000×4000×5400 mm for the machine, with additional space for moulds, curing and block storage.
• Steam: only for the steam curing option — a boiler and a steam line sized to the cycle time you plan.
• Ventilation: binder vapour and dust should be extracted from the mixing area, and the floor should be kept clear of loose chips.

Curing space is the item buyers underestimate. Air drying costs less to run but is slow, and a mould that is still curing cannot be refilled; the mould fleet, not the machine, then sets the daily output.

The line ships with foundation and layout drawings, wiring diagrams and an operation manual. Installation typically takes a few days with local rigging, followed by commissioning support for mixing ratio, cycle timing and first block quality.

Commissioning is where the line is matched to the customer's own scrap. Chip size, binder ratio and press weight are set against a sample of the actual waste stream, and the first block is cut to check density and surface. A block that looks correct in the mould can still cut badly if the binder ratio is wrong, which is why the trial includes cutting rather than only pressing.

Training covers batch loading, binder dosing, press setting, curing time and demoulding. One operator can run the sequence from the panel after a short introduction, because the stages are interlocked rather than dependent on manual judgement.

The line is controlled from a single panel with interlocks between mixing, filling, pressing and curing. The operator sets the batch weight and binder ratio, starts the cycle, and the sequence runs to the end of the press.

Four rules cover daily safety:

• Do not reach into the chamber while the stirring shaft is turning; the interlock is there for the maintenance case, not for production.
• Keep the area around the press clear so nobody stands in the path of the mould during filling or demoulding.
• Keep loose chips off the floor near the control station, because a slip at the panel is the usual accident route on this kind of line.
• Check the steam line and valves at the start of each shift where steam curing is used.

At the end of a shift the routine is to clear chips from the chamber mouth and the mould guides, confirm that no batch is left in the press, and log the day's block count and binder consumption so the ratio can be checked against density results.

• Daily: stirring shaft and blade inspection, chips cleared from the chamber and guides, control panel cleaning.
• Weekly: mould guide lubrication, press alignment check, steam line and valve inspection where fitted.
• Monthly: binder pump and spray nozzle check, drive belt and coupling inspection, electrical cabinet cleaning.
• Consumables: mixing blades, seals and mould liners, stocked for fast replacement.

A worn mixing blade changes the mixing quality before it fails visibly, and a partly blocked spray nozzle changes the binder distribution in one corner of the batch. Both show up later as a density difference in the block, so the weekly nozzle and blade checks protect product quality rather than machine uptime alone.

Each unit is run and inspected before shipment. The check covers the stirring drive, the press stroke and alignment, the curing circuit and the control sequence, with a trial batch pressed and cut to confirm density and surface quality. The electrical configuration is CE compliant for European and other export markets.

The main frame ships in containers with rust-proof treatment, while the control cabinet, motors and small components are packed in wooden cases and labelled. Packing details are confirmed against the final configuration, because the mould and frame sizes decide the container plan.

Standard delivery is about 45 working days after the down payment is confirmed, shipped from Qingdao port. Payment terms are T/T or L/C, minimum order quantity is one set, and supply ability is three sets per season.