Abstract: A method for processing polycondensates, wherein the material in the form of granules or recyclate is processed to form a melt, the method including the following steps: a) feeding the material into a vacuum lock where the material is held below atmospheric pressure; b) conveying the material from the vacuum lock into a first extruder having a filling region and a feed zone that are held below atmospheric pressure, wherein the material is at least partially melted in the first extruder; c) conveying the melted material from the first extruder into a second, twin-screw extruder with two screws that turn in the opposite direction. The second extruder has at least one degassing zone and a metering zone that follows in the conveying direction. The melted material is degassed in the degassing zone and the melted material is pressurized in the metering zone and is output out of the second extruder.