Zerma Machinery & Recycling Technology

What Zerma Machinery & Recycling Technology does

ZERMA Machinery & Recycling Technology is a privately held industrial machinery manufacturer specializing in size reduction equipment for plastics and adjacent waste streams. The company's product portfolio spans three in-house manufactured machine families — granulators (GSL, GSE, GSC, GST, GSH, GSP series), single-shaft shredders (ZBS, ZSS/ZPS/ZIS, ZHS, ZXS, ZRS series), and pulverizers (PM series) — supplemented by special machines such as the ZCS shredder/granulator combination, ZHM hammer mills for contaminated materials, and ZTTS fine shredders for tires and MSW. Notable proprietary technologies include the ZRS pipe shredder, the only single-shaft shredder able to handle large-diameter pipes up to 1200-2200mm without pre-cutting, and the GSL slow-speed granulator with a staggered rotor and Quick Snap System.

The company generates revenue through direct sale of machinery, spare parts (blades, knives, screens, pulverizer tools), and accessories (conveyors, blowers, force feeders, metal detectors, screening machines). Distribution is global, delivered through wholly-owned subsidiaries in Germany, the UK, the US (two locations), Latin America, Thailand, Australia, South Africa, and the UAE, complemented by a network of local agencies in 70+ countries. ZERMA manufactures at two sites: a main production facility in Songjiang, Shanghai (founded 1999, 30,000 m² across three workshops, ~300 employees), and a second plant in Rayong, Thailand, opened in January 2019 to serve Southeast Asia, India and the Middle East. The company produces approximately 5,000 machines per year and ships roughly 50 containers per month.

ZERMA serves four broad end-market segments: plastic manufacturers performing in-house recycling (injection, blow, extrusion), recycling contractors and independent recyclers handling post-consumer and post-industrial scrap, energy recovery and RDF operators processing MSW, tires and biomass, and e-waste/construction waste recyclers. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. The company holds DIN EN ISO 9001:2015 certification and reports 70+ years of brand heritage dating back to its 1943 founding in Radebeul, Germany, with the global center of operations having shifted to Shanghai since 1999.

Name

Zerma Machinery & Recycling Technology

Legal name

ZERMA Machinery & Recycling Technology (Shanghai)

Website

https://zerma.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1943

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

ZERMA Machinery & Recycling Technology is a privately held industrial OEM that designs and manufactures granulators, single-shaft shredders, pulverizers and accessories for plastics, MSW, tire and e-waste recyclers worldwide, selling through its own subsidiaries and dealers in 70+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Size Reduction Machinery

NAICS

Commercial and Service Industry Machinery Manufacturing (333310)

akta.pro primary industry

Plastic Recycling Equipment & Technology Providers (Sorting, Washing, Extrusion) (EUAIAKAM)

Keywords

• Size reduction machinery
• Plastic granulators
• Industrial shredders
• Recycling technology
• Plastic pulverizers

Headquarters

HQ city

Shanghai

HQ country

China

HQ region

Asia

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Industrial Machinery Sales: ZERMA generates revenue through the sale of size reduction machinery including granulators, single shaft shredders, pulverizers, special machines (ZCS, ZHM, ZTTS), accessories (conveyors, blowers, metal detectors, screening machines), and spare parts (blades, screens, standard parts). Machines are sold directly through subsidiaries and via agency network globally. The company also provides spare parts and wear parts as a recurring revenue stream.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

ZERMA manufactures and sells industrial size reduction machinery for plastics recycling, organized into three main machine families: granulators, single-shaft shredders, and pulverizers. The product portfolio is complemented by special machines, accessories (conveyors, blowers, metal detectors, screening machines), and spare parts (blades, screens, knives). ZERMA also offers complete recycling systems for inline production scrap, post-consumer waste, and waste-to-energy applications, sold globally through wholly-owned subsidiaries and local agencies.

Product overview

ZERMA Machinery & Recycling Technology offers a complete spectrum of size reduction equipment for plastics recycling, comprising three main machine types: granulators (GSL, GSE, GSC, GST, GSH, and GSP series), single shaft shredders (ZBS, ZSS/ZPS/ZIS, ZHS, ZXS, and ZRS series), and pulverizers (PM series). The product portfolio is complemented by special machines including the ZCS shredder-granulator combination, ZHM hammer mills for contaminated materials, and ZTTS fine shredders for rubber and MSW. ZERMA provides comprehensive recycling solutions across inline recycling, recycling processing, and post-consumer recycling applications. The company also offers accessories (blower systems, conveyors, force feeders, metal detectors, screening machines) and spare parts (granulator blades, pulverizer tools, screens, shredder knives) to support their machinery range.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• GSL Series Granulators Slow speed granulators placed beside injection and blow molding machines to grind runners, sprues, and rejected products. Feature gear motor or V-belt drive with unique knife design and staggered rotor that eliminates adjustment after resharpening, plus Quick Snap System for easy maintenance.
• GSE Series Granulators Economical compact granulators without soundproofing, used as smaller central granulators with rotor widths from 300 to 1400mm and 300mm rotor diameter. Suited for general plastic processing applications.
• GSC Series Granulators Soundproofed compact granulators with complete soundproof enclosure and V-type rotor design, available with widths from 300 to 1400mm and 300mm rotor diameter.
• GST Series Granulators Soundproofed granulators with tangential infeed designed for large volume parts from blow molding, featuring curved backwall cutting chamber and rotor diameters of 250 and 400mm.
• GSH Series Heavy Duty Granulators Heavy duty granulators available in 350/500, 600/700, and 800/1100 configurations for central granulation or post-shredder processing with high throughput requirements. Feature standard V-cut rotor design for high-quality regrind with low percentage of fines.
• GSP Series Pipe and Profile Granulators Pipe and profile granulators with rotor widths up to 1400mm and rotor diameters from 560 to 700mm. Feature hydraulically opened hopper and V-cut technology for processing long plastic profiles and pipes.
• ZBS Series Single Shaft Shredders Affordable single shaft shredders with tangential infeed for lumps and purgings. Feature 310mm diameter E rotors in 600 or 850mm widths, operating at 60 rpm for entry-level size reduction.
• ZSS/ZPS/ZIS Series Single Shaft Shredders Dependable allround single shaft shredders with dual speed hydraulic system, oversized bearings, and PLC controls. ZPS variant has a larger ram for heavy applications; ZIS has an internal ram for large hollow products.
• ZHS Series Horizontal Single Shaft Shredders Horizontal single shaft shredders with angled hydraulic ram suitable for a wide range of material shapes and sizes. Feature 600mm diameter E-style rotors.
• ZXS Series Heavy Duty Single Shaft Shredders Heavy duty single shaft shredders with two-speed swing ram design. Feature 750mm diameter rotors in 1500 to 3000mm widths, operating at 45 rpm for high torque in demanding applications.
• ZRS Series Pipe Shredders World's first single shaft pipe shredders for large diameter pipes up to 1200mm (and now up to 2200mm), featuring big diameter rotors up to 1500mm. Eliminates pre-cutting requirement with more than 100 installations worldwide.
• ZCS Series Shredder/Granulator Combination Space-saving shredder/granulator combination integrating a single-shaft shredder with 400mm E rotor and a granulator with 3-blade rotor based on GST series. Designed for in-house recycling applications.
• PM Series Disc Pulverizers High-speed precision disc pulverizers for fine grinding of PVC from pipes and profiles. Available with disc diameters from 300 to 800mm, used for medium hard and friable materials.
• ZHM Series Hammer Mills Hammer mills designed for brittle materials containing high contamination, including construction waste and e-waste. Feature rotors with 600-800mm diameter and 800-1200mm width.
• ZTTS Series Fine Shredders Fine shredders with gravity feeding for rubber chips or MSW streams. Feature 750mm diameter rotor and twin rows of stator knives enabling output sizes down to 20mm with optimal separation of rubber and steel fractions.
• Blower Systems Suction systems to discharge material from machines, including blowers, piping, cyclones, and bag filling stations with optional wear-resistant steel components.
• Conveyors Conveyor belts for feeding shredders and granulators or as discharge belts. Available with corrugated side walls and metal/magnetic free zones for detector installation.
• Force Feeders Force feeding systems for GSH granulators to increase throughput with loose materials, available in screw and paddle type designs.
• Metal Detectors Metal detection and separation equipment including magnets for ferrous metals and all-metal detectors and separators for comprehensive contamination removal.
• Screening Machines Screening solutions including rotary screening machines for PM Pulverizer setups and horizontal screening machines for higher throughput and material classification.
• Granulator Blades Precision-engineered blades for granulators, designed for sharpness retention and optimal cutting performance.
• Pulverizer Tools Grinding discs and segments for PM series pulverizers, available in one-piece or segmented designs that can be resharpened.
• Screens Screen sizes for granulators and shredders, available in wear-resistant materials or stainless steel with most standard sizes in stock.
• Shredder Knives Shredder knives with four usable edges that can be turned for extended lifetime, manufactured from wear-resistant steel.

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Shred-Tech (Shred-Tech Corp.): Canadian manufacturer of shredders and reduction systems for plastics, tires, electronic waste, and secure destruction. Direct competitor with overlapping product architecture and end-market exposure.
• Erdwich GmbH: German manufacturer of single-shaft and twin-shaft shredders for industrial waste, plastics, and confidential data destruction. Niche but direct competitor in shredder technology with similar European customer base.
• SSI Shredding Systems: US-based manufacturer of industrial shredders and size-reduction equipment for plastics, tires, e-waste, and MSW. Direct peer competing in the same tire, e-waste, and RDF segments ZERMA serves through its ZTTS and ZHM product lines.
• Vecoplan AG: German manufacturer of industrial shredders and granulators for plastic, wood, and waste recycling. Direct competitor to ZERMA across shredder and size-reduction product lines, serving similar plastics and recycling customers globally.
• Lindner-Recyclingtech GmbH: Austrian/German maker of shredders, granulators, and complete recycling systems for plastics, RDF, and bulky waste. Direct competitor with comparable product portfolio and customer overlap in plastic recycling contractors and waste-to-energy operators.
• WEIMA Maschinenbau GmbH: German manufacturer of single-shaft shredders, granulators, and briquette presses for plastics, wood, and waste. Direct competitor with comparable product breadth and global sales network similar to ZERMA's subsidiary structure.
• Herbold Meckesheim GmbH: German specialist in granulators, shredders, and washing lines for plastics recycling. Direct peer with strong overlap in post-consumer PET, PE film, and rigid plastics reprocessing — a key segment for ZERMA's recycler customers.
• Rotogran International Inc. Canadian manufacturer of granulators, shredders, and pulverizers for plastics and recycling applications. Direct peer with product line, customer base, and technology comparable to ZERMA's mid-range granulator portfolio.

Broad incumbents

• Cumberland (ACS Group): US-based granulator and shredder brand owned by ACS Group, serving plastics processors with size-reduction equipment. Broad incumbent with overlap in granulator product category serving injection/blow molding customers — a core ZERMA segment.

Emerging players

• Bano Recycling S.r.l. Italian maker of shredders, granulators, and separation equipment for plastics and metal recycling. Emerging peer with comparable product range but smaller scale and regional (Southern European) primary footprint versus ZERMA's global presence.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Zerma Machinery & Recycling Technology