Designing the Pelletiser: creating the technology that makes circular manufacturing possible for Autex Acoustics®

19 September 2024

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Designing a world-first technology is not an easy or straightforward process. There are many ups and downs, dead-ends and re-routes. But once complete, the result is a satisfying reminder that the challenges are worth it.

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For Autex Acoustics, the proud innovators of the world’s first Pelletiser, the design journey was exactly this: a very long process with a lot of dead ends.

“The Pelletiser project started as a search for existing technology, we searched the world and couldn’t find a simple effective process. So, we had a go at making one,” says Jonathan Mountfort, Autex Acoustics’ Creative Director.

“The thought behind the project was, ‘If this textile has come from a solid material, then a truly circular product should be able to return to a solid material’. There ended up being seven reworks, and now that it’s running I can see more opportunities for development. It will only get better.”

One of the key challenges the team faced was figuring out how to homogenise the material output, as different material densities create different outputs.

“We took twice as long as we set out to, and nearly doubled the cost — as you would expect when designing an industry first technology,” Mountfort quips.

The development of this machine gives Autex Acoustics a real, tangible way to manufacture their products in a circular way. Collecting used products or material off-cuts is one thing, but transforming them into a useful product extends the material lifecycle and actively reduces waste in landfill.

“Because the product entering the Pelletiser is made of our material, the SpinFix adhesive-free mounting kits or Frontier End Caps (accessories made from pelletised PET) can be recycled with our products or through the standard curbside recycling schemes globally.”

The development and implementation of the Pelletiser as a core part of the Autex Acoustics manufacturing process is just the first step.

“Our aim is to make this process widely available,” Mountfort says. “While this is an important and pioneering achievement for our business, it is just another step in our continual effort to reduce our impact on our natural environment. Now that we have rolled this technology out to each of the countries that we operate in, we want to ensure that we continue to improve, increase, and partner with other businesses in the industry to scale the capacity. Eventually we can build out an industry solely fueled by reclaimed materials that are re-manufactured into high-value long-lasting products.”