Apparatus for producing pellet and method for producing pellet

A method for producing pellets, comprising the steps of conveying a plurality of strands on a conveyor belt, the plurality of strands being formed by melting a composition containing a thermoplastic resin and an additive and then ejecting the molten composition from a feeder;

• spraying a liquid toward the plurality of strands on the conveyor belt;
• blowing a gas toward the plurality of strands on the conveyor belt;
• cutting the plurality of strands conveyed by the conveyor belt into pellets;
• measuring a surface temperature of the plurality of strands at measurement areas set on the conveyor belt at a position before cutting the plurality of strands;
• providing a measurement device which comprises both:
• a plurality of a first measurement area set in a width direction of the conveyor belt and capable of individually measuring the surface temperature for each strand of the plurality of strands when the first measurement area is set as the measurement area on the conveyor belt, and
• a second measurement area set in the width direction of the conveyor belt and capable of collectively measuring the surface temperature in an area which contains all of the plurality of strands when the second measurement area is set as the measurement area on the conveyor belt,
• measuring the surface temperature of the plurality of strands at both the first and second measurement areas set as the measurement area on the conveyor belt;
• determining a maximum strand temperature from a group consisting of:
• (a) a highest temperature value of maximum surface temperatures of respective strands of the plurality of strands and (b) a lowest temperature value of maximum surface temperatures of respective strands of the plurality of strands;
• and
• adjusting at least one of spraying the liquid and blowing the gas on a basis of a measurement result of the measured maximum strand temperature of the plurality of strands measured at both the first and the second measurement areas set as the measurement area on the conveyor belt.