Broadway has significantly expanded its production capabilities with the launch of a cutting-edge USEON compounding line, featuring the advanced SAT–65 twin screw extruder and UWP500 underwater pelletiser.
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The new production line can offer a throughput of over 500kg per hour. This investment enhances Broadway’s ability to efficiently produce larger lots of high-performance plastic compounds. It substantially increases total manufacturing capacity and broadens the range of polymers that Broadway can process. The ISO-certified UK materials specialist is already supporting various customers with their large lot compound requirements.
Advanced compounding with underwater pelletising
Broadway’s latest expansion responds to growing demand for high-concentration formulations and hard-to-strand polymers requiring underwater pelletising. The newly integrated underwater pelletiser enhances Broadway’s compounding capabilities by enabling faster, more precise production and the capability to process materials that are difficult to strand.
Traditional strand pelletisers require extended cooling and handling. In contrast, the underwater pelletiser cuts material directly at the die face while submerged, eliminating the need to form strands before cutting. This streamlines production and expands the range of materials Broadway can efficiently process.
Key advantages of Broadway’s new compounding line
Processing challenging polymers
Broadway can now process an even wider range of materials. Soft polymers such as thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), polylactic acid (PLA), and ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) which tend to stretch, are difficult to cool and cut consistently with a strand pelletiser. Conversely, rigid materials such as polycarbonate and glass-filled nylon become brittle when cooled in a water bath, making strand pelletising challenging. The ability to efficiently process both soft and rigid polymers opens new possibilities. It enables Broadway to support its existing polymer base, as well as new novel materials with high or low viscosity.
Complex formulations and process efficiency
The new line supports the production of technical compounds with high-concentration colours and additives. Multiple performance additives such as laser markers, processing aids and UV protection, can all be incorporated within a single, custom formulation – tailored to meet specific requirements. Equipped with four bulk bin pumps, a network of pipes conveys the separate materials to the feeder system. This setup ensures precise handling and integration of several constituents, enabling complex formulations to be produced with consistency and repeatability.
A melt pump improves processing stability by ensuring a consistent pressure and volume of output. This reduces material inconsistencies, beneficial for high-precision formulations. Underwater pelletising maximises efficiency by preventing strand breakage, leading to higher yields, reduced material waste, and lower dust levels in production. It also ensures uniform pellet shape, guaranteeing consistently high-quality material supply. The addition of this line has increased Broadway’s total production capacity by a potential 2,000 tonnes per year.
Integration of in-house colour masterbatch
By integrating our in-house pelletised masterbatches directly into the compounding process, we achieve precise, consistent dosing and distribution of colour throughout every batch. With almost 30 years of colour masterbatch expertise, we can deliver highly colour-accurate compounds quickly and reliably. Having complete colour control in house means there’s no reliance on external colour houses in our colour compounding process. This results in direct accountability for colouring, alongside shorter lead times and consistent results for our customers.
Development and manufacture of biomaterials
Biopolymers – Broadway is collaborating with leading material innovators, assisting in developing and refining biomaterial formulations for commercial scale material production. One seaweed-based, plastic-free biopolymer manufactured by Broadway is home-compostable and designed to work seamlessly with existing injection moulding infrastructure. Such materials are advantageous for single use or hard-to-recycle components. Being 100% biobased and compostable, they leave no trace of microplastics when breaking down. The addition of the USEON compound line opens greater capacity to support such partners with toll compounding services.
Bio-fillers – Broadway also offers a variety of bio-filled compounds, reducing reliance on traditional plastics by incorporating natural fillers. The underwater pelletiser enables higher filler loadings, decreasing dependence on oil-derived plastics. Broadway’s selection of bio-sourced fillers includes harvest waste, crushed eggshells, hemp, and bio-marine waste – by-products of other industries that would otherwise go to waste. These bio-filled compounds offer environmental benefits and can provide a natural aesthetic appeal too, a feature increasingly popular with brand owners and eco-conscious consumers.
Supporting Broadway’s growth strategy and market presence
The addition of Broadway’s newest and largest compounding line represents a significant step forward in production capability. It allows the company to service new requirements while strengthening its commitment to performance and sustainability in plastic manufacturing. This investment supports Broadway’s long-term growth strategy. It enables the efficient production of advanced compounds for key industries, including automotive, construction, consumer goods and sustainable packaging. Large lot orders can be processed cost-effectively, with consistency, efficiency and minimal downtime. This enables short lead times to be maintained, even for high-volume production runs of specialised polymer formulations.
Advanced compound processing – ongoing projects
Broadway’s newly commissioned compounding line is already in operation, fulfilling a range of advanced formulation requirements across multiple sectors and end-use applications.
High-performance, cross-linked thermoplastic
Due to its unique rheology and flow characteristics, this material is incompatible with conventional strand pelletising. This challenge was addressed effectively through Broadway’s newly installed underwater pelletising system, enabling consistent pellet formation and high-throughput processing. The formulation exhibits excellent thermal resistance and is used in composites and lamination processes across a variety of applications. Full-scale production is scheduled, with annual demand standing at approximately 60 tonnes.
Multi-component polypropylene colour compound
A manufacturer in the garden products sector required a tailored polypropylene-based compound incorporating multiple functional additives. The specification included a custom colour masterbatch, a UV protection package, two polymers (including one post-consumer recycled (PCR) grade), and an odour neutralising additive. Broadway’s advanced feed system enables precise and consistent dosing of complex multi-component materials, such as this formulation. Underwater pelletising is particularly effective for high-volume, high-concentration compounds, producing uniform, dust-free pellets with low static. This compound is supplied at volumes of four tonnes per month.
Graphene-enhanced polyamide for automotive engineering
A primary example of the new line’s capability is a high-volume partnership with a Tier 1 automotive supplier, producing a bespoke, graphene-enhanced structural compound for engine bay components. By integrating graphene-enhanced masterbatches directly into a fully formulated polyamide, Broadway has achieved a 20% weight reduction while providing superior thermal dissipation to protect sensitive parts from heat soak. This specialised formulation also incorporates high-concentration laser marking additives, enabling permanent, high-contrast serial numbering to be etched directly onto the component surface during assembly.
This one-pellet solution provides significant operational advantages, as the customer no longer needs to manage complex on-site dosing of multiple additives. Our automated four-pump bulk feeding system ensures that even at an annual scale of 480 tonnes, the distribution of graphene and functional additives remains homogenous. This allows Broadway to provide a ready-to-run material that guarantees absolute batch-to-batch repeatability and simplified manufacturing for the end user.
Expert technical supportCustom material development
Broadway works closely with customers from initial enquiry through development of customised materials, testing, integration into production and post-production support. Their experienced technical team utilises deep expertise in polymer innovation and processing to deliver practical, high-performance solutions, tailored to your application.
Regulatory assurance
Broadway’s dedicated regulatory division closely tracks the regulatory status of all raw materials to ensure their formulations offer full compliance with customer-specified standards. They actively monitor regulatory changes to maintain compliance in the face of evolving legislation – providing compliance statements as required.
Material testing services
Broadway’s on-site mechanical testing facility offers thorough analysis and validation of your materials. Their suite of in-house testing equipment covers impact, tensile and density testing. Broadway also provides accelerated weathering test studies to validate the performance of UV packages and pigments used in outdoor applications. An in-house laser marker also enables the testing of laser marking additive packages, so these can be optimised for performance and cost. Broadway’s academic partnerships provide access to specialist testing services – facilitating detailed material analyses and precise, tailored results to support your development needs.
Dr Stephen Rayner, Technical Director said: “As we continue to grow, the addition of our latest compounding line represents a major advancement in our manufacturing capabilities. It increases our production capacity and, most importantly, broadens the scope of polymers we can run. Combined with our in-house technical expertise, this line opens the door to new markets and allows us to experiment with novel materials. We can further expand our already extensive portfolio into areas that have previously not been possible. We’re not just meeting current demands but positioning ourselves for future growth and innovation – keeping us at the forefront of plastic material development and manufacture in the UK.”