by MARY M. COX
Manufacturer List
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As e-waste levels continue to rise at a rapid rate, recovery and recycling of the commodities they contain are likely to follow the same path.
All of the shredders BCA Industries designs and builds are capable of electronics destruction. “We specialize in building separation and conveyance systems as well. The shredding is relatively simple, especially with our patented single pass technology, which reduces material to a specified size without screening or multiple shredders. Separation and downstream systems get just as specialized with our air handling systems, magnetic, eddy current and density separation systems. Conveyance can include barrel or box dumpers, enclosed belt, chain link, auger or air systems,” stated John Neuens, marketing and sales director.
“We’ve designed and built various battery recycling systems from nickel cadmium to lithium ion – including the largest processor in the U.S., which handles 20 tons per hour. These projects require us to deal with the VOC gases, fire suppression needs and electrolyte treatments needed to meet permit and OSHA standards. New material uses enter these technologies often and systems must include comprehensive design factors, not merely reduction capabilities,” Neuens said.
He believes that excellent separation generally can only be successful when shredding .5” to .0125” sizes. Neuens added, “We’re able to design machines to those specifications, while also going lean on the processes and equipment involved. We build 4 major size classes of shredders, each with dozens of variables, processing 1 to 20 tons per hour.
“Designs involve criteria such as type of feedstock, the nature of the most valuable recoverables, tons per hour required, feed and outfeed needs that are in sync with recyclables received and ship final commodities involved. We offer specific systems for copper wire and copper recovery processors as well. Export restrictions and new opportunities to resell in North America are a couple of the challenges we now face in this industry. So they can remain profitable, our customers now often require us to build a more complete process separation than was needed prior to these market changes.”
Processing electronic scrap (e-scrap or WEEE) presents special challenges not only because recyclable material must be extracted but also, for some items, to ensure the security and complete
destruction of the product. For items such as hard drives or other data storage devices, separation and recovery are critical. Greg Wright, sales director, explained how Granutech Saturn shredders provide the precise size reduction required for this type of e-waste. “Fully integrated separators allow for efficient sorting and reclamation of marketable materials. Whether you’re processing consumer electronics, commercial e-scrap or prototypes, our shredders are designed to produce the size reduction you require while seamlessly integrating material separation and recovery for marketable materials.”
Wright reports that Saturn’s products are low to mid-range speed, high-torque shredders designed for high volume processing. Integrated separation systems can provide primary and secondary separation and size reduction to prepare materials for sale or disposal. Granutech machines can process up to 100 tons per hour and provide a wide array of volume reduction requirements. Additionally, grinders are available to handle variable requirements and multi-stage systems. Primary shredders include the Saturn Single, Dual, or Quad-Shaft models (with standard or hybrid drive) and the multi-stage shredder is the Saturn Grizzly M80 or Saturn Grizzly Super 80. Shredder features include: cutter options for size, shape, quantity and material, providing custom shredding for high security applications; custom blades; drives from 50 hp to 1,250 hp; screens or magnets can be used to separate materials after shredding; grinders and granulators can be integrated if further sizing is needed and ancillary equipment, such as infeed and discharge conveyors, vibration, or rotary screen classifiers and other separation equipment, can be integrated into system design.
According to Jason Silvey, U.S. sales manager, “Sicon’s EcoShred Vertec, a versatile shredder with a wide range of applications, is the ‘big boy’ in e-scrap processing. Either as a stand-alone machine or included with a processing system, the Vertec fully liberates metals from electric motors, meatballs and e-scrap.” By using hammers in a vertical configuration, the Vertec liberates individual components and significantly reduces the need for hand separation within the e-scrap line. In contrast to similar machinery on the market, the Vertec uses hammers instead of rings, yielding a much better liberation of contained metals than conventional shredders that tend to crush and ball the material. First, the breakers in the upper chamber smash material until it is small enough to enter the gap between the hammers and chamber liners. Second, material is impacted by the hammers, fully liberating individual metals. Last, as the liberated material is compacted into a dense fraction, it passes down the chamber.
Due to variation in materials that may need processing, the Vertec is designed with multi-point adjustability – including rotor speed, stator lines and hammer distances. Reversible rotor direction, oversized bearings including advanced seal protection – and wear resistant chamber liners help to keep maintenance to a bare minimum. The two-piece annealed and CNC bored chamber allows quick access for routine maintenance. “As an ‘all-rounder’ the Vertec can handle larger pre-sized material, as with material from a rotorshear, which makes it a smart capital investment,” Silvey stated. The Sicon e-scrap line also includes: the MagSpin series, with permanent magnets for ferrous removal; the EddyPro series eddy currents, for complete nonferrous recovery; WetFloat separators, to remove plastic particles; and the Varisort series sensor sorters for insulated copper wire (ICW) and PC board recovery. De-dusting options can be added to any Vertec machine to comply with local regulations. Available in different sizes and drive power options, Sicon’s Vertec can accommodate throughput ranging from 1 to 10 tph, depending on infeed material type, volume and density.
SwissRTec’s core focus is the shredding, delamination and separation of valuable raw materials from waste compound materials such as electronic scrap, cables, printed circuit boards, mixed scrap metal, aluminum composites and other items. “Our mighty Kubota Vertical Shredder has been an industry leader for decades. It breaks down and grinds up e-waste and materials of all kinds, down to one inch or less in size in a single pass. The shredder also processes large and small appliances, metal scrap and other bulky items,” Bernhard Mueggler, president and chief executive officer, said. He added, “The technology available with this shredder meets the operating needs of today’s companies. It provides optimal flexibility for serving various industries, which allows companies to process waste more efficiently. When you recycle, you cannot control your intake – you have to deal with the materials that come your way. Our shredder allows you to better adapt to what comes in, so processing is more productive and economical. This shredder can also be used as a stand-alone unit, or in combination with other
processing technology.”
Published in the November 2018 Edition