Equipment Spotlight | DEC 2022 Shredders

by MARY M. THORNTON

At least one recent source projected that the steel scrap market will reach 748.2 million metric tons by 2026, worldwide. Those who offer machines for processing that material offer an array of equipment options.

For specialty shredding, Danieli offers their Grinder Mill as a solution to provide balled up densified scrap or coolant scrap. Also the company’s inverter package allows users to control peak demand as well as maximize motor utilization and torque. “The inverter package is a game changer because it provides maximum shredder production as well as total control of power use and torque. Our patented Danieli Inverter VSD Drive allows you to run at a lower cost, with less maintenance, and the lower cost and lower maintenance AC Squirrel Cage motor is more reactive to auto pilot use. An existing Wound Rotor Motor can also be utilized, so operators no longer need to use a liquid rheostat,” noted Jim Stepanek, North American sales director. The small Danieli Shredder (1000 HP) can process 2,000 tons per month and the largest (10,000 HP) Danieli Shredder can process 60,000 tons per month, depending on material, shifts of operation and days per week of production.

Stepanek commented, “EAF steel mills are looking for more shredded scrap. Once you have selected the best shredder solution you will need a properly sized property with good access. Then permits, electrical and civil works are needed for approval. Once this is accomplished, it can take up to a year to receive the shredder system equipment and conduct installation. A proper crew will be needed to run the operation as well as maintenance personnel. Another product that can enhance production is a pre-shredder—for processing autos, bales and logs, ahead of an automobile metal shredder, to help mitigate explosions and find catastrophic unshredables. Other concerns such as explosions, emissions and sound can be regulated city by city and state by state. Danieli offers a solution that helps to mitigate such regulations.

“Electrical issues such as power demand and dirty power can be solved with a Danieli Inverter VSD System. Pollution, explosions and noise regulations have become more of an issue for many metal shredding plants, depending on their location. A reliable, reputable, knowledgeable supplier is key to shredder installation success. Latest design and automation are also important to the success of any shredding plant. Local and experienced service and engineering support is also important. Danieli is a supplier that can provide a complete line of products to meet your needs. There are over 170 of our metal shredders in place, worldwide, we’ve manufactured shredders for over 30 years and boast the largest installed base of pre-shredders, globally.”

Granutech shredders are best suited for processing light ferrous and mostly nonferrous metals such as copper and aluminum. The company is also heavily involved in tire recycling and about 20 percent of that consists of scrap tire metal. Granutech’s partner company, 3TEK, makes portable hammermills and can provide most types of ferrous processing. Greg Wright, vice president, said, “We have shredders for materials such as radiators, copper bales, aluminum extrusions, used beverage cans and more. Shredding is usually done to separate out base metals such as the copper and aluminum in radiators, but processing may also be needed to prep material, so that it is a size suitable for feeding into a smelter.” He continued on, regarding the market for metal processing equipment, “The market is directly correlated to the price of scrap metals processed. Scrap metals had a large run-up but prices have been dropping for about the last 6 months.”

Granutech-Saturn Systems has a 50 year history, which started with the introduction of the MAC Auto Flattener. For many years, the firm has also made shredders for several materials in addition to metal and rubber—including paper, plastics, foam, e-scrap, and waste-to-energy applications.

According to Edgar Root, North American sales manager, the Zato Blue Devil is quickly becoming a favored piece of machinery in American scrap yards. With 60 blades on twin counter rotating shafts, the Blue Devil easily processes mixed grade, steel plate, whole autos with engines and even rebar and steel coils. The machine will process up to 30 tons of scrap per hour and no expensive foundations or dedicated operator is required. Virtually no maintenance is necessary for the extremely robust Blue Devil blades and they only need changing on average, after every 25,000 tons of scrap processed. This product can be used as a stand-alone shredder to densify and add value to your scrap volume or as a pre-shredder for a hammermill.

As a pre-shredder, the Blue Devil will neutralize any potentially explosive items and filter out unshredables before they have a chance to potentially damage the hammer mill. By pre-shredding scrap with a Blue Devil, hammer mill operators can increase tons per hour output by around 40 percent. Because machines are manufactured continually, Zato can provide very low lead times for delivery—around 3 months, from order date. Installation and set-up take less than a week and with no need for expensive foundations.

Root stated, “As scrap has become generally lighter but bulkier and transport costs continue to rise, it is imperative for scrap yards to densify their volume. This saves yard space, increases loads per truck or container and reduces melt times at the steel mill. The Blue Devil excels in densifying scrap with no need for an operator. Until recently, many small to medium sized scrap yards have relied on less efficient mobile shears attached to excavators, each with a dedicated operator and only processing 3 – 4 tons per hour. Even medium sized shear balers will not process much more than 10 – 12 tons per hour and also need an operator to work efficiently. The Blue Devil costs around the same as a medium sized shear, needs no operator and will process up to 30 tons per hour, and will process around 85 percent of most scrap delivered to scrap yards.”

Zato is one of Italy’s leading manufacturers of twin shaft shredders, hammer mills and mobile shears. The corporate office is based in Italy and the firm has manufactured shredders for over 20 years and has sold 180 of them around the globe – including 10 Blue Devil twin shaft rotary shears located in the U.S. A wide variety of spares is stocked at a Zato U.S. office and warehouse location in Georgia. An expert, U.S.-based, service team is also available, to make sure the shredder is always running at optimal levels.

Published in the December 2022 Edition of American Recycler News