Granulating is a mechanical process used to separate copper and aluminium from insulated electrical cable. A granulator machine shreds cable into small fragments, then uses vibrating screens and air separation to sort the heavier metal granules from the lighter plastic insulation. Modern granulators achieve separation purity rates of up to 99.9%, recovering clean copper or aluminium that can go directly to a smelter. This process is critical in the recycling industry because it allows yards to upgrade insulated cable — which would otherwise sell at a discounted “insulated wire” rate — into clean metal commanding a much higher price. In New Zealand, granulating is the standard commercial method for processing cable at scale. At endless metals, granulating is part of our processing capability that allows us to offer competitive rates on both stripped and insulated cable at our Auckland yards.