Used Coperion Equipment Sold by Meadoworks

Coperion traces its origins to 1879, when Paul Pfleiderer and Hermann Werner founded the company in Stuttgart, Germany, initially producing kneading equipment. The pivotal moment in the company's modern identity came in 1953, when Werner & Pfleiderer acquired an exclusive license from Bayer to develop the co-rotating twin screw extruder, and in 1957 delivered the world's first production-ready ZSK machine. Over subsequent decades the business evolved through the Werner & Pfleiderer name before becoming Coperion, and today operates as part of Hillenbrand's Advanced Process Solutions segment with roughly 5,000 employees across 50 locations worldwide.

The ZSK series is Coperion's flagship twin screw extruder platform and the benchmark for high-performance compounding. Available in screw diameters from 18 mm to 420 mm, the ZSK Mc18 generation delivers a specific torque of 18 Nm/cm³ and is optimized for demanding applications such as engineering plastics and masterbatch, while the ZSK Mv14 targets high-volume processes in the chemical and food industries. The STS series offers proven Coperion compounding technology at an optimized cost-performance ratio, with the STS Mc11 generation featuring a specific torque of 11.3 Nm/cm³ and screw speeds up to 900 rpm, making it a popular choice for masterbatch and standard compounding production. Both series are routinely paired with underwater or strand pelletizing systems to form complete compounding and pelletizing lines.

Coperion twin screw extruders and compounding lines serve a broad range of end markets. Plastics compounders rely on ZSK and STS machines to produce engineering plastics, polyolefins, PVC compounds, and masterbatches. Chemical producers use them for reactive extrusion and specialty chemical manufacturing, while pharmaceutical manufacturers depend on ZSK pharma extruders for continuous hot-melt extrusion of active ingredients. Food and pet food processors, battery material producers, and plastics recyclers round out the customer base, with Coperion equipment found in petrochemical plants, automotive supply chains, and packaging operations globally.

Buyers seeking used Coperion twin screw extruders and pelletizing lines are drawn first by the machines' exceptional build quality and long service life — ZSK compounders from the 1990s and 2000s remain productive assets decades after manufacture. The modular, standardized design of the ZSK and STS process sections means wear parts such as screw elements, barrel liners, and gearbox components are widely available and interchangeable across generations. The brand's global installed base of more than 15,000 machines supports a robust aftermarket, and the strong name recognition of the ZSK platform helps used equipment hold its value well on the secondary market.

Meadoworks is your trusted source for used Coperion equipment. As third-generation industrial equipment dealers and AMEA-certified appraisers with over 50 years of experience, we offer quality-inspected Coperion machines at competitive prices. Most of our Coperion inventory sells before we can list it online — call 800-323-0307 for equipment not yet listed.

Every machine includes detailed specifications and high-resolution photos, and inspection visits are available for most equipment. We ship worldwide with experienced rigging partners and offer financing for qualified buyers. Have Coperion equipment to sell? Get a free valuation or contact our team.