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What kind of shredding equipment is usually used for recycling?
These machines have to handle a wide variety of materials, some of which are extremely resilient. Because of this, this technology needs to combine power and speed into a single package. Around the size of a small cargo truck, these machines consist of one or two pairs of heavy duty, toothed rotors, high power motor and a set of operator controls that allow for a precise oversight over the device.
What materials can be processed with industrial shredding equipment?
Rubber, wood, glass, metal, plastic, paper and even organic waste can be processed using this technology. They can be used to deal with loads of presorted material or items that contain multiple material types. For example, this technology can process entire pieces of furniture, large kitchen appliances or even vehicles. By reducing everything to a uniform size, sorting and handling is made much easier.
Why is shredding equipment important for recycling?
When material meant for repurposing arrives at the facility, it is usually baled or delivered in the form of briquettes. While this makes them easy to store and transport, they have to be reduced in size even further to improve processing efficiency. This technology can reduce the material to a manageable size, greatly improving furnace feeding and the remelting process. Size reduction is particularly important with metals and plastics, as paint and decals are typically adhered to the material. Recycling facilities have to reverse the lacquering process with heat to remove these. By reducing the material in size and increasing its surface area, removing the lacquer is much easier and can be done more efficiently.
Removing contamination from sorted materials is also important, as bits of foreign material like glass or plastic can reduce the integrity of reformed metals. Recycling facilities place a major emphasis on contamination removal and product purity, as this is how they are judged by product buyers. Fortunately, reducing the material to a finite size will help “unlock” contamination trapped inside and make it possible to separate it out with magnets, air pressure or other methods.
These devices can also make it easier for workers at the plant to handle the material. Reduced iron or steel, for example, is easier to pick up with lift magnets, and this will increase production at the facility.
How easy is it to maintain this machinery?
These devices are usually easy to adopt into an existing production line as they don’t require a large footprint. They have automatic failsafe’s that kick in if dangerous material is fed into the machine. The failsafe will shut the device off immediately, protecting it from mechanical failure. In general, the only regular maintenance that will be needed is changing out worn shredding edges and bearings. Frequent inspections will ensure problems are spotted before they can cause damage.
This technology is an essential addition to any recycling plant and can improve the efficiency of all other processes at the facility.
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