Plastic processing machines can be grouped by what they do to the material: prepare it, melt and shape it, form finished products, recycle waste, or support the main production process.

A plastic pelletization machine converts prepared plastic waste into reusable granules. The material is fed into an extruder, conveyed and melted by a rotating screw, filtered and pushed through a die, then cooled and cut into pellets.

A budget plastic pelletizer may be suitable for simple, stable materials and lower output, while a premium plastic pelletizing machine is normally configured for tighter pellet consistency, difficult polymers, longer production hours, and more precise process control.