FAQ

Toll processing is a service in which a manufacturer outsources one or more powder processing operations to a specialized processor without transferring ownership of the material. The customer supplies the raw material and specifications. The toll processor provides equipment, facility, labor, and expertise to perform the processing and return the finished material. Toll processing differs from contract manufacturing in one key way: in toll processing, the customer retains full ownership of the material throughout the entire process. In contract manufacturing, the manufacturer typically sources raw materials on the customer's behalf and takes broader responsibility for the production program. Companies that want to protect their formulations and supply chain relationships while outsourcing only the processing step prefer toll processing.

Toll processing is used by industrial chemical producers, polymer additive manufacturers, mineral processors, water treatment chemical suppliers, agrochemical companies, oilfield chemical producers, pharmaceutical excipient manufacturers, and functional food ingredient suppliers. Companies typically turn to toll processors when they need specialized equipment they do not own, when they have production overflow that exceeds their in-house capacity, when they are scaling a new product and need processing support before investing in their own equipment, or when they want to reduce capital expenditures and operational overhead by outsourcing non-core processing steps.

Outsourcing powder processing to a toll processor eliminates the capital investment in specialized equipment such as roller compactors, ribbon blenders, Fitzmills, and screening systems, which can run into hundreds of thousands of dollars per unit. It also removes the ongoing costs of equipment maintenance, operator training, facility compliance, and quality management system overhead. Toll processors bring decades of application experience across a wide range of materials, which reduces development time and processing risk on new products. For manufacturers with seasonal demand or variable production volumes, toll processing provides scalable capacity without the fixed cost burden of owned equipment.

Your material is likely a good candidate for toll processing if it is a powder or granule that needs to be transformed in some way before it reaches its end use, whether that means improving flowability, reducing dust, changing particle size, increasing bulk density, blending with other components, or being repackaged into a different container format. Materials that are particularly well-suited include fine powders with poor flow characteristics, moisture-sensitive or heat-sensitive compounds that cannot tolerate wet processing, polymer additives that need granulation before compounding, and industrial chemicals that need size reduction or classification to meet customer specifications. If you are unsure whether your material is suitable, Toll Compaction can evaluate a sample and recommend the appropriate processing approach.

Toll Compaction offers dry granulation and roller compaction, powder blending, particle size reduction via Fitzmill, hammer mill, and air classifier mill, screening and classification, pelletizing, and repackaging. These services are available for industrial non-hazardous chemicals, polymer additives, minerals, water treatment chemicals, agrochemicals, oilfield chemicals, pharmaceutical excipients, and functional food ingredients. Both the Neptune, New Jersey and Washington, West Virginia facilities are equipped for full production volume programs as well as development-scale trial runs.

Dry granulation converts fine powders into larger granules using only mechanical compaction force, without introducing any liquid, solvent, binder, or heat. The most common dry granulation method is roller compaction. Wet granulation uses liquid binders to agglomerate particles and requires a subsequent drying step to remove the introduced moisture. Dry granulation is preferred for heat-sensitive materials, moisture-sensitive materials, and compounds that are chemically incompatible with the binders used in wet granulation. Because no drying step is required, dry granulation is also faster, more energy-efficient, and gentler on chemically sensitive materials. Toll Compaction specializes exclusively in dry granulation, making it the right partner for materials that cannot tolerate wet processing.

Toll Compaction processes a wide range of non-hazardous powders and granules across industrial and food-grade applications. Industrial materials include specialty chemicals, chemical intermediates, polymer additives such as antioxidants, stabilizers, flame retardants, lubricants, and UV absorbers, as well as minerals, water treatment chemicals, agrochemicals, and oilfield chemical powders. Food-grade materials processed at the FSSC 22000 certified New Jersey facility include pharmaceutical excipients, functional food ingredient powders, dietary supplement ingredients, and nutraceutical botanicals. All materials processed must be non-hazardous. Toll Compaction does not process flammable, reactive, or otherwise hazardous materials.

Yes. Dry granulation and roller compaction are specifically designed for materials that cannot tolerate moisture or heat. Because the process uses only mechanical pressure and no liquids, solvents, binders, or elevated temperatures, the chemistry and physical integrity of moisture-sensitive and heat-sensitive materials are fully preserved throughout processing. Many polymer additives including antioxidants and stabilizers, pharmaceutical excipients, and specialty industrial chemicals are processed by Toll Compaction using dry methods precisely because wet processing would degrade them. If your material is hygroscopic or thermally sensitive, dry granulation is almost always the correct processing approach.

Toll Compaction can achieve a wide range of particle sizes depending on the processing method and material. The air classifier mill produces fine particle size targets in the range of approximately 10 to 150 microns. The Fitzmill handles mid-range particle size targets of approximately 150 to 2000 microns. The Pulva hammer mill is suited for coarser size reduction in the range of approximately 500 to 5000 microns. Granulation via roller compaction produces granules in a range determined by the compaction parameters and post-compaction screening specifications. Contact Toll Compaction to discuss your specific target particle size distribution and confirm the appropriate equipment and process parameters for your material.

Yes. Toll Compaction works with new clients through a structured trial process before scaling to full production volume. Trial runs allow both parties to establish optimal processing parameters for your specific material, verify that the finished product meets your particle size, bulk density, and flowability specifications, and confirm that the process is reproducible before committing to a full production program. Trial quantities vary by material and process type. Contact Toll Compaction to discuss the minimum quantity needed for a development run on your specific application.

Toll Compaction holds ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management System certification at both its New Jersey and West Virginia facilities. The New Jersey facility additionally holds FSSC 22000 food safety management system certification, GMP Facility certification, Kosher certification, and is registered with the FDA for food manufacturing operations. FSSC 22000 is the internationally recognized food safety standard covering ISO 22000:2018 and ISO/TS 22002-1:2009. These certifications reflect Toll Compaction's quality management infrastructure, facility controls, personnel training, and audit history, and are available for review on our Certifications page by prospective customers during vendor qualification.

Toll Compaction's facilities are designed with dedicated processing rooms that prevent cross-contamination between product categories. The West Virginia facility has four independent dry granulation rooms for industrial chemical and polymer additive processing, each with its own separate air supply, ventilation, dust collection, and drainage systems. The New Jersey facility has five granulation rooms, three of which are dedicated exclusively to food, nutritional, and excipient processing and are physically separated from the chemical processing areas. Each product run is followed by a validated cleaning procedure, and all processing is fully documented with batch records and traceability data to meet the requirements of both ISO 9001:2015 and FSSC 22000.

Yes. Toll Compaction provides a certificate of analysis with every batch of processed material. COAs document the key quality attributes of the finished product including particle size distribution data, and confirm that the material meets the agreed-upon specification. Full batch records are maintained for all processed material, providing complete traceability from incoming raw material receipt through finished product shipment. For food-grade and excipient applications processed at the FSSC 22000 certified New Jersey facility, documentation meets the requirements of food safety and quality management standards required by regulated food and pharmaceutical manufacturing environments.

Yes. Toll Compaction's Neptune, New Jersey facility is registered with the FDA for food manufacturing operations and holds FSSC 22000, GMP Facility, ISO 9001:2015, and Kosher certifications for food-grade processing. Three of the five granulation rooms at the NJ facility are dedicated exclusively to food, nutritional supplement, and excipient processing, fully separated from the industrial chemical processing areas of the facility. This infrastructure supports customers who supply into regulated food manufacturing, dietary supplement, and pharmaceutical excipient environments that require certified processing partners.

Toll Compaction operates two facilities in the eastern United States. The New Jersey facility is located at 14 Memorial Drive, Neptune, NJ 07753, and handles both industrial chemical processing and certified food-grade processing. The West Virginia facility is located at 130 Commerce Drive, Washington, WV 26181, and is dedicated to industrial chemical and polymer additive processing. Both facilities are accessible from major East Coast transportation corridors, providing faster turnaround times and lower freight costs for manufacturers in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, and Appalachian regions compared to Midwest or West Coast toll processors.

Toll Compaction handles a wide range of production volumes, from development-scale trial quantities through full truckload production programs. Minimum order quantities vary depending on the specific service, processing equipment, and material involved. Contact Toll Compaction to discuss your volume requirements and confirm whether your program is a good fit for their current capacity. Both short-term single-project runs and ongoing long-term processing partnerships are accommodated.

The fastest way to get a quote is to submit a request through the Get a Quote form on the Toll Compaction website. To receive an accurate quote, it is helpful to provide information about your material including its name and basic physical properties, the processing service you need, your target particle size or bulk density specification if applicable, your estimated volume per run or per year, and your preferred packaging format. If you are unsure about any of these details, Toll Compaction's team can help you define the right scope during an initial consultation at no obligation.

Lead times vary depending on the complexity of the processing program, current facility capacity, and whether a trial run is needed before production. For straightforward repeat-type processing programs, production lead times are discussed and confirmed at the quoting stage. For new materials requiring a development trial, additional time is needed to establish processing parameters and obtain customer approval before scaling to production. Toll Compaction's East Coast facilities in NJ and WV provide a logistical advantage for customers in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, reducing inbound and outbound freight time compared to processors located in the Midwest or Southeast. Contact Toll Compaction for a lead time estimate specific to your project.