Equipment Spotlight | NOV 2022 Primary Reduction

by MARY M. THORNTON

Due to a variety of resulting benefits, America and much of the world continues their efforts in waste reduction. Some benefits, such as reduced landfill costs, are more quickly realized than others – such as reduced toxicity in our environment. For many years, manufacturers have offered equipment that is useful in decreasing waste levels.

HogZilla Grinders are used in the biomass industry and for waste reduction, recycling, storm recovery, land clearing, C&D debris, tire refuse or any tough grinding application. The company has built grinders for over 40 years, and staff members strive to advance the firm’s “best grinder” status through added efficiency, torque, proven production, reliability, visible quality, durability, solid value and an emphasis on customer service.

“Regarding our product for industrial wood grinding, we started from the ground up with a specific goal to take on the toughest applications. We knew this would drive us to manufacture the most reliable, highest capacity tub and horizontal grinder on the market, and we did it with the creation of HogZilla,” Tim Wenger, vice president and HogZilla sales manager, explained. CW now offers over twenty HogZilla grinder models, ranging from mid-sized to massive, self propelled track driven and self loading units, which can be powered by either diesel or electric power.

Wenger added, “As the cost of diesel fuel has risen, electric powered grinders have increasingly become the grinder of choice. If your operation involves a centralized location, you certainly owe it to yourself to research an electric powered HogZilla. Of course, a stationary machine isn’t possible in some situations. We offer portable wheeled machines, along with track mounted HogZilla grinders, with numerous options for customizing to your needs. A portable wheeled machine moves easily around a job-site. Our HogZilla on tracks is unparalleled in production and mobility and offers many advantages over a stationary product – such as grinding in wet weather or soft terrain. Tracks eliminate the need for an extra truck to move the grinder from pile to pile at a job-site, which saves time and increases production. A HogZilla track machine also allows for one man operation and helps with cleanup around and under the grinder, further reducing maintenance.”

CW is always looking for new ways to improve work processes for their customers so they can provide the exact machine needed for an operation. “We know our clients require a reliable machine with increased efficiency, reduced maintenance, heavy duty construction, and simplicity. Our customer service and parts support exemplifies that, and our customers can attest to it,” Wenger concluded.

The latest and most cutting edge high torque shredder unit, Doppstadt’s Inventhor 9, is a primary reduction shredder used to break down challenging materials, such as tires, C&D waste, green waste, wood waste, mattresses, industrial waste and more. One of the largest shredders in the world, the Inventhor 9 features a 525 hp, tier 5 MTU engine,” said Nick Cobos, sales manager at Ecoverse, the North American representative for Doppstadt.

With a patented VarioDirect drive system, the Inventhor 9 can automatically increase shaft torque when needed, reverse the shaft, or start under load. The single shaft design with breakaway comb “makes the shredding chamber incredibly forgiving of material that would damage other equipment.

“Operation is simple and easy, with a dynamic CANbus control system and a full multichannel remote control. Engineered with the technician in mind, the machine’s large doors allow for open access to the entire engine compartment, making for easy maintenance.

“The fold-out comb door provides total access to the shredding chamber, allowing for simple checks and changes of wear parts and shredding chamber. For example, shaft teeth can be changed with just one bolt. No other unit in the marketplace can match the versatility, forgivingness and low owner operator costs.

“For over two decades, Doppstadt machines have been the shredder of choice for many of North America’s largest waste processing companies,” Cobos noted.

Doppstadt’s Inventhor can easily handle contaminated feedstocks, protecting downstream equipment, and separate metals with a rare-earth Neodymium magnet. Setup requires only minutes, and the unit is capable of throughputs exceeding 100 tons per hour, depending on operator and material conditions. With U.S. and Canadian locations, the Ecoverse family of brands includes Backhus Windrow Turners, Backers Star Screens, Tiger Depackaging Systems, EcoSift Density Separators, EcoScreen Double Trommels, EcoStack Conveyors and CK International Balers.

Bengal Machine, through subsidiaries, CM Shredders and Schutte Hammermill, designs and manufactures both slow and high speed primary waste reduction equipment. Those machines are intended for applications such as e-waste and data destruction. Bengal offers slow speed, high torque shredders, high speed rotary crushers and dual, high speed hammermills, suitable for primary reduction of both bulky and flowable e-waste, from pilot scale through production rates exceeding 50 tons per hour. Bengal equipment provides primary reduction solutions for products ranging from large lithium ion batteries to singular SSD reduction to sub 2mm nominal sized particles.

Schutte has been in business since 1928 and offers size reduction solutions such as the RC Crusher, which offers heavy, cast carbide, or cast manganese hammers. The RC also includes a large feed opening and adjustable speed, from 700 RPM and up – for 24” to 60” widths at high production rates. Schutte’s WA Series is the company’s most versatile machine, ranging from 6” lab scale up to 60” production scale. Built for heavy duty use, mills feature removable wear plates made from abrasive resistant steel, various options for hammer styles and finishes—along with heavy duty grates that can be up to 2” thick, for heavy product that is abrasive. The RA Series mills involve two stacking WA mills that work in tandem. This combination creates an efficient, fine grinding mill without disrupting material transfer from stage to stage. A compact design allows users to install the machine into portable systems, or use in smaller spaces via vertical installation. These mills operate at various speeds up to 3,600 RPM to produce controlled, uniform particle size distribution.

“We supply these products to all types of clients who work with material such as e-waste, recycled asphalt, shingles, data destruction, battery materials and recycled batteries, auto catalyst, tungsten ore, glass cullet production, auto shredder residue, medical waste and more,” commented Bill Castine, general manager. He added, “Lack of homogeneity in primary waste streams, including e-waste, requires the most effective equipment to be designed and manufactured to be both durable and productive at true production speed. Among both small and large scale battery recycling and production clients, we see a strong forecast for our product offering. More emphasis is placed on circular economy principles as manufacturers add waste recovery as part of their process. The energy push toward developing new and sustainable battery materials is also significant. The lifespan of these products is relatively short so it only makes sense to recover and refine core and/or limited materials when manufacturing new products.”

Published in the November 2022 Edition of American Recycler News