Farrel Pomini Bets on Sustainable Development Through Continuous Innovation

Sustainable development is not a grand proclamation for Farrel Pomini, but a continuous process.

This U.S.-based company is renowned for its continuous mixing technology, and its exhibition at K 2025 will revolve around the theme of "Achieving Sustainability Through Innovation."

The Farrel Continuous Mixer (FCM) is a mixer that feeds into an extruder, operating on the principle of two counter-rotating, non-intermeshing rotors and a large free volume mixing chamber. First introduced in 1963, the machine is increasingly adapting to the growing demand for recycled plastics and biopolymers.

In terms of composites, Farrel Pomini emphasized efforts to reduce energy consumption and achieve more sustainable products made from biopolymers.

"Our machines are very suitable for processing biopolymers, and we have done a lot of work for PLA and PHA production," said Farrel Pomini President Paul Lloyd. "We are working with many customers to incorporate these materials into their product portfolios."

The company's machines are designed to process bio-based plastics with minimal adjustments. Lloyd explained that stainless steel and other corrosion-resistant materials can be added to prevent the acidity of biopolymers.

Farrel Pomini continuously improves its technology in recycling to meet the unique requirements of raw materials with irregular shapes and a large number of additives and fillers.

Since the two companies signed the agreement last year, FCM has been part of Lummus' global pyrolysis equipment technology licensing. It melts and homogenizes plastic waste under specific temperature and pressure parameters before entering the pyrolysis stage.

Farrel Pomini is also working with its partial owner WF Recycle Tech on pyrolysis technology for the recycling of scrap tires.

"We also collaborate with WF Recycle Tech for tire recycling, and we use FCM to prepare crumb material for the pyrolysis process," Lloyd explained.

The company's president admitted that the plastic recycling crisis has led to a slowdown in orders for 2025, and the uncertainty regarding U.S. tariffs has also negatively impacted sales.

"We hope things will stabilize, and people can understand the tariff environment and then make decisions accordingly. Once we reach that stage, I believe the market will rebound. What we don't know is how long the uncertainty will last."

Mother particle and color normalization

Farrel Pomini also collaborated with Ampacet Corporation to develop color normalization technology. At K 2025, they highlighted their collaboration on the Spectra 6 inline color correction feeding system. This system uses real-time optical analysis to adjust color in the production of masterbatch, and the technology is being applied to post-consumer recycled (PCR) materials.

"Customers are very interested in the color normalization of PCR materials," Lloyd said. "With the increased use of recycled materials, variability is much greater, so color consistency becomes a challenge."

The system addresses this challenge by adjusting the color in real-time during the production process of recycled materials.

Augmented Reality Experience

Farrel Pomini's booth also offers visitors an immersive way to engage with its technology. The CP Series II compact processor is being showcased using augmented reality (AR) — the Apple Vision Pro headset allows users to walk inside the machine and explore its various components in 3D.

"We have people lined up trying augmented reality," Lloyd said. "It's a very popular experience, and we've even set up a screen for those outside the goggles to watch the virtual demonstration."

AR demonstrations allow visitors to examine the rotor, feed hopper, and mixing chamber of the mixer in a way that static displays cannot provide.

Visualization technology made its debut at NPE in 2018. With the advancement of AR technology, visualization has taken a step forward, significantly improving and providing potential customers with a more realistic and engaging experience.