Author: Nicety Machinery | April 21, 2026
Image Source: nicety machinery co., ltd
Overview: A Record-Breaking Edition
The 38th International Exhibition on Plastics and Rubber Industries (CHINAPLAS 2026) officially opened today (April 21) at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (NECC) in Shanghai and will run until April 24. This year’s exhibition area exceeds 390,000 square meters, bringing together over 5,000 exhibitors from 40 countries and regions, with an expected 320,000 professional visitors, setting a new record in scale.
Themed "Innovation, Collaboration, and a Sustainable Future," the show features over 15 specialized zones covering recycled plastics, additives, bio-based plastics, molds, rubber machinery, innovative products, etc. It also offers multiple themed tour routes focusing on the circular economy, sustainable supply chains, intelligent injection molding, and digital transformation. For the plastics compounding industry, this exhibition represents the most significant global opportunity for concentrated technology presentations since K 2025.
Compounding & Extrusion: Three Key Technological Directions
This CHINAPLAS edition showcases three clear technological trends in compounding and extrusion:
High-torque twin screws raise throughput limits. Coperion is demonstrating a fully operational ZSK 58 Mc18 twin-screw extruder at CHINAPLAS for the first time. This model achieves a specific torque of 18 Nm/cm³ and a maximum throughput of up to 2500 kg/h while operating with low energy consumption. A transparent barrel design allows visitors to directly observe material mixing and dispersion behavior inside the screw. This represents another breakthrough in global compounding throughput ceilings.
Micro-compounding extends towards precise laboratory-scale capabilities. Cowin Extrusion launched the CHT16D micro twin-screw extruder at this exhibition, featuring a torque rating of 14 N·m/cm³ and a throughput range covering 500 g/h to 10 kg/h. The entire machine is only about 2 meters long, weighs 250 kg, and can be placed on a laboratory benchtop. A single formulation test requires only 100 to 200 grams of valuable polymer, significantly reducing R&D validation costs for high-end engineering plastics.
Integrated compounding lines are moving towards standardization. Domestic equipment manufacturers like Boyu are introducing all-in-one SPC flooring extrusion lines (SZJZ-110) with a daily output of 30 tons. These lines utilize conical twin-screw extruders, incorporate green formulation and energy-saving designs, are CE-certified, and ready for immediate use, targeting the rapid capacity replication needs of small and medium-sized compounders.
Reclaim Compounding: Coperion Presents Full-Process PET Solution
One of the most noteworthy technology releases at this exhibition is Coperion’s new standardized PET recycling and compounding system, launched in collaboration with its subsidiary Herbold Meckesheim.
This system covers a throughput range of 500 kg/h to 10 t/h and supports various application paths including bottle-to-bottle, bottle-to-sheet, bottle-to-fiber, and tray recycling, allowing flexible switching as needed. When used in conjunction with a Solid-State Polycondensation (SSP) reactor, it can produce PET recyclates that meet EFSA or FDA certification for direct food contact, directly solving the most technically challenging PCR certification requirement for food contact packaging under the EU’s PPWR compliance.
Additionally, Coperion is showcasing the upgraded STS 96 Mc PLUS twin-screw extruder, which offers a 20% increase in throughput compared to previous configurations. The high-precision K-Tron K-ML-D5-KT35 twin-screw feeder on this machine is equipped with ActiFlow™ active flow technology, specifically designed for poorly flowing additive powders, ensuring stable, bridge-free feeding of minor components – a critical control point most prone to batch fluctuation in recyclate formulations.
New Energy & High-Performance Materials: BASF, Covestro in Attendance
The materials side is also a core highlight of this exhibition:
- BASF is showcasing plastic materials specifically for solid-state battery packs, applied in new energy vehicle lightweighting and thermal management system optimization. This contrasts sharply with the previously reported price increases for PA engineering plastics – performance upgrades continue apace despite rising prices.
- Covestro is presenting polycarbonate solutions for joint components in humanoid robots, requiring flexibility and impact resistance during complex physical interactions.
- Avient is introducing bio-based Thermoplastic Elastomers (TPE) that maintain a wide application range while reducing the carbon footprint – a key material direction under the dual pressures of EU PPWR compliance and green supply chains.
- TOMRA is demonstrating its AUTOSORT™ intelligent sorter equipped with patented AI technology, capable of quickly and accurately sorting mixed plastic waste by material type and color properties, directly serving upstream quality control for reclaim compounding.
Smart Manufacturing & Cost Reduction: AI Integrated into Production Lines
Facing raw material price volatility and supply chain instability, this exhibition has designated "cost reduction and efficiency enhancement" as a core theme. Solutions presented by exhibitors cover:
- Modular equipment design, enhancing production line switching flexibility and reducing changeover costs for high-mix, low-volume compounding.
- AI-driven online quality control, reducing manual inspection steps and decreasing scrap rates.
- Automated auxiliary equipment integration, including interlocked control of automatic feeding, pneumatic conveying, and online screening to reduce manual intervention points.
The concurrent events include Tech Talk sessions, the Plastics Circular Economy Conference & Showcase, the Sustainable Plastics Packaging Forum, and an "Automotive & Electronics Business Matching Meeting," providing high-density networking opportunities for equipment buyers and material suppliers.
Direct Implications for Auxiliary Equipment Procurement
CHINAPLAS has always been a significant bellwether for compounding line investment decisions in the Asia-Pacific region. This edition delivers several clear signals:
High-torque equipment is becoming standard. Whether it’s Coperion’s flagship model at 18 Nm/cm³ or Cowin’s micro equipment at 14 N·m/cm³, high specific torque has become a core indicator in compounding equipment selection, directly determining the processing capability for difficult formulations like glass fiber-reinforced or highly filled materials.
Auxiliary equipment precision requirements are rising in tandem with main machinery. The feeding accuracy requirement for high-performance twin-screw extruders is within ±0.1%. Any material fluctuation from upstream auxiliary equipment directly impacts the final compound’s batch-to-batch stability. Precise mixing and pretreatment are the starting points for quality on the entire compounding line.
Nicety’s High-Speed Mixer, Vertical Silo Mixer, and Horizontal Mixer serve as reliable upstream pre-blending equipment for twin-screw extruders, meeting the stringent feeding stability requirements of high-torque main machines. Screw Conveyors Vibrating Spiral Elevator and Vibrating Screeners further ensure precise conveying and online classification of recycled pellets and multi-component mixtures.
CHINAPLAS 2026 runs until April 24 at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (NECC), Shanghai (Hongqiao).
Sources
- CHINAPLAS 2026 Official Website – chinaplasonline.com
- CHINAPLAS 2026 Pre-Show Overview – EINPresswire / National Law Review (April 19, 2026)
- Coperion – CHINAPLAS 2026 Exhibit News (March 2026)
- Cowin Extrusion – CHT16D Micro Twin-Screw Extruder Launch (April 2026)
- Boyu Machinery – CHINAPLAS 2026 All-in-One Solutions (April 20, 2026)
- CHINAPLAS 2026 – RecyclingInside Report
- Nicety Machinery – Engineering Plastics Processing Industry News
