Application
Routing Powder to Multiple Destinations in Plastics
Answer in brief
A plastics plant routes many grades through few lines, so the diverter is where grades meet.
A pellet left in the junction appears in the next product as a colour speck or a property deviation.
- Pick a junction with no pocket where pellets can rest.
- Protect the pellet from shearing at the moving part.
- Ground the assembly like the rest of the line.
Reviewed October 21, 2026 · Updated October 21, 2026
The problem
Virgin resin, regrind and masterbatch share conveying lines, and a few retained pellets are enough to fail a colour check.
Moving parts at the junction can shear pellets and create fines.
Desired outcome
A junction that sends the full stream to the selected destination, leaves nothing behind for the next one and holds the line pressure while it does so.
Process approach
Flex tube and wye designs are both used; the choice turns on whether the line is under pressure and how often grades change.
Generous radii and matched bore diameters keep pellets from being trapped at the transition.
Position feedback matters because a partially switched diverter sends material to two destinations at once.
- Junction free of pockets where pellets can remain.
- Bore transitions matched to avoid shear points.
- Grounding and bonding across the moving assembly.
Selection factors
- Pellet size and hardness, including regrind.
- Number of grades and the acceptable carryover.
- Line pressure and the leakage allowed across the closed leg.
- Static control and area classification.
- Switching frequency and the actuator duty that follows.
Common failure modes
- Pellets of the previous grade retained in the junction
- Pellet sheared at a mismatched bore transition
- Partially switched valve feeding two destinations
- Static discharge at an ungrounded moving part
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