by MARY M. COX
As costs continue to increase at landfill sites, the choice to first process materials to a smaller size continues to be more worthwhile.
Manufacturer List
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Primary reduction equipment is available for many materials and involving many industries.
The Dual-Shaft Shredder series offered by Granutech Saturn® Systems (GSS) is ideal for primary reduction on site, as it’s available in a mobile configuration. The shredder is a fully integrated mobile solution complete with trailer, diesel engine, in-feed and discharge conveyors, a hydraulic system and controls. This provides customers with a self-contained, portable shredding solution that can travel to individual sites as needed.
“Application trends lean more and more toward mobilizing recycling equipment to the raw material source site and this mobile industrial shredder provides a perfect solution. In many cases, recycling yards have multiple clients and cannot justify the expense of moving the raw material in a partially loaded truck to a yard. Providing a mobile solution is faster, more cost efficient and better for the client too,” stated Matthew Morris, vice president.
Morris said the shredder series designs include compliance with Tier IV emissions regulations – an EPA mandated requirement for diesel driven stationary or mobile equipment.
“Future trends will certainly include ‘hybrid’ drive mechanisms, due to the evolution of the common hydraulic and electric drives being used by a variety of manufacturers. We’ll be at the leading edge of that development and we plan to introduce a new product later this year. The marriage of electronics control technologies with compact high efficiency hydraulic systems will ensure maximum productivity with minimum operating cost. Our system will exceed current capabilities in the market for those objectives,” Morris added.
GSS has designed and delivered mobile industrial shredder systems for the last 20 years for customers in municipal solid waste, waste to energy, construction and demolition (C&D) and government (including repeat sales to the Defense Logistics Agency).
The SSI Shredding Systems Pri-Max® line of primary reducers has expanded SSI’s reach beyond dedicated shredding lines, into mainstream material recovery facilities.
Terri Ward, market manager, said, “The combination of bi-directional cutting shafts rotating through a fixed grid or cutting table allows material to be sized large or small – which is actually easier said than done. Output as small as 6” to 8” minus is possible, as well as 18” to 24” nominal. While most shredders are simply destructive, Pri-Max has the unique ability to prepare material by opening, liberating, homogenizing and presenting it in a more optimal fashion for downstream sorting and recovery, without over-processing or destroying individual components.”
In addition to being used at the front end of municipal solid waste-to-refuse derived fuel facilities or C&D sorting systems, Pri-Max units are also used as primary reducers, bag breakers and liberators in single-stream material recovery facilities (MRF) and commercial waste MRFs. They’re also used as bale breakers, processing everything from commingled recyclables and mixed plastics to used beverage containers and paper. These processing lines range from a relatively small scale 10 tons per hour to over 100 tons per hour.
With 4 models ranging from 200 to 500 hp (electric), each Pri-Max has 2 independent shafts driven by a unique, high-efficiency hydraulic power unit that responds to actual operating conditions by increasing pressure when maximum torque is required. In any case, shafts run up to 60 rpm to deliver maximum capacity. Large hoppers to 20 cu. yds. or more allow direct loading of heavy and bulky objects in true dump and run fashion.
SSI low speed, high-torque shredders have been used in primary reduction applications for over 30 years. “High shear forces, long wear cycles and tramp-metal tolerance have always made low-speed shredders good candidates for primary shredding of a wide variety of unsorted, commingled materials,” Ward commented.
Weima recognizes that requirements vary for each recycling operation. “We will recommend a shredder that will work best for the specific needs of our client. For processing a high volume of waste, we generally recommend the Weima PowerLine. This machine is large, making it possible to shred a wide range of materials. The rotor is robust in its design and can handle abrasive and inconsistent material flow, including ‘uncrushable’ items,” Madison Burt, vice president, sales, stated. The PowerLine is available with a compact or hydraulic drive as add-on options. These features make it possible to maintain high production rates when material streams vary. The machine also comes with hydraulic access to the rotor and bed knives for preventative maintenance and routine cleaning.
Burt also noted, “Weima has been in the shredding and size reduction industry for more than 25 years, and we have been a part of the waste-to-energy sector for at least 15 of those years. We serve many other industries as well – paper, plastic, wood and more.”
In their VVZ and VNZ product series, Vecoplan offers a wide range of primary reduction shredders for a broad spectrum of applications. Both product lines feature models with dual cutting rotors, engineered to process large volumes of bulky waste, constructed for durability under extreme application conditions, and designed for quick and easy maintenance.
Six models are available in the VVZ series of Hurricane primary reduction shredders and the smallest, VVZ 210, has a 67” x 83” infeed opening, and features dual 28” diameter cutting rotors. Each rotor is embedded with up to 20 cutting teeth and is driven by a 200 to 250 hp motor. The largest shredder, VVZ 310T, has a 67” x 122” in feed opening, and also features dual 28” cutting rotors. Each rotor is embedded with up to 22 cutting teeth and driven by a Vecoplan HiTorc 300 hp motor.
Vecoplan offers five models in the VNZ series of primary reduction shredders. These range from the VNZ 210 (L) to the VNZ 300. The VNZ 210 (L) has a 49” x 83” infeed opening, twin 20” diameter cutting rotors with up to 64 cutters per rotor, and a 180 to 200 hp motor driving each rotor. The VNZ 300 has a 49” x 117” infeed opening, dual 20” diameter cutting rotors with up to 92 cutters per rotor, and a 150 to 180 hp drive motor driving each rotor. The VNZ shredders utilize two patented “U” rotors with bolt on replaceable cutters and feature the exclusive Vecoplan Airspring Counter Knife. Positioned in between the dual rotors and mounted on air springs, the serrated edges of the counter knife mesh precisely with the cutting teeth on both rotors.
“This knife delivers three unique advantages over traditional shredder designs. First, it provides a smaller, much more consistent particle size. Second, it can be quickly and easily replaced when worn, eliminating costly, time consuming resurfacing. Third, the air springs impact absorption to minimize damage from foreign objects. Proximity switches on the springs shut down the machine to eliminate any further damage until the foreign object is removed,” explained Kim James, marketing/communications director.
Vecoplan was founded in 1969 as a manufacturer of innovative, high quality wood chippers. The company has a global array of agencies and there are over 10,000 Vecoplan machines and systems in operation throughout the world.
Published in the April 2014 Edition of American Recycler News
