In the face of evolving environmental pressures, clients naturally create new ongoing challenges for the firms appointed to handle their ‘waste’. But when installing shredding systems to ensure the effective processing of such materials, operators can often also expand the commercial potential of their business…
There was a time when shredding was considered a functional process which could simply transform an input material into another more manageable output fraction. But with innovation comes increased potential, and as the years have passed, engineering developments mean shredders can now help to produce valuable resources too.
The resulting benefits of grinding and shredding are therefore multifaceted. The volume reduction of bulky wood wastes results in neater, safer sites, for instance. Fiscal advantages are even achievable if the end ‘product’ can yield a revenue stream. And, the creation of sustainable biomass-specification fuels supports a nation’s energy agenda, whilst strengthening the eco-credentials of the producer concerned.
A push for carbon neutral
Passionate about environmentally friendly waste treatment methods, Kuchl-headquartered Struber Entsortgung, in Austria, is no stranger to the resource industry, for example. With a heritage spanning more than 50 years, the medium-sized family business specialises in waste management and disposal, recycling, street cleaning, demolition and earthworks.
But when the company prepared to expand its waste handling capabilities, it began the search for a flexible shredder that could tackle the growing array of materials being handled.
Industrial waste, scrap wood, green waste and root stump were just some of the input products that the machinery would need to process. Cutting robustness, ease of equipment configuration, and flexible particle sizing typically top the list of technical criteria for diverse projects such as this, particularly when the resulting fraction is to be subjected to further thermal treatment as an alternative fuel.
But this Austrian business also had a deep-rooted commitment to carbon neutral waste management. An extensive trial of the best-fit shredder – the UNTHA XR mobil-e – was therefore completed, before the decision was made to invest.
The energy efficiency of the power unit on this electric-drive machine – plus the shredder’s ease of mobility around the site – impressed Struber’s managing director.
Commenting on the investment, Johann Struber said: “We have the first UNTHA XR mobil-e in operation in Austria. In contrast to conventional diesel-powered shredders – which create a high level of noise emission and result in disproportionately high pollutant emissions – this machine runs purely on electricity. As the electricity comes from 100% renewable energy sources, it is almost carbon neutral. This means we have taken another important step towards reducing carbon dioxide emissions.”
Capacity criteria
This is not to say that, in the hunt for environmentally conscious machinery, operators need to compromise on performance.
With 60 years of waste management experience under its belt, German organisation Breitsamer sought a shredder that would sit at the heart of its dedicated waste wood line.
Breitsamer had an annual wood recycling target of 40,000 tonnes to hit, which meant that capacity was extremely important. The machine would need to achieve throughputs of 35 tonnes of ‘waste’ per hour, plus a homogenous particle size of <120mm. Securing this volume and quality of fraction in a single pass – in other words, with only one machine – would also limit the capital investment required and accelerate the payback period for the line.
Once again, the technical performance of the shredder had to extend wider than capacity alone. Passionate about its ecological stance, Breitsamer was keen to limit the net environmental impact of its new plant. The machine therefore also had to incorporate an electric-drive, which would consume dramatically less energy than traditional diesel-driven alternatives and minimise pollution levels.
With a 1.4MW photovoltaic system installed on the Breitsamer site, the business case for an electric-drive shredder was even stronger. The team knew that using only 60% of the system’s energy generation, they could power the entire waste plant, including the shredder. Avoiding the purchase of additional, unnecessary fuel would therefore boost the commercial viability of the investment.
Market research also brought this European operator to UNTHA. With in-built discharge conveyor, ferrous magnet and auxiliary power pack – plus the ability to achieve a refined particle size as low as 30mm – the XR mobil-e appeared to offer the single-step solution Breitsamer sought for its waste wood.
By the end of the first year in operation, the 40,000 tonne waste wood target has not posed an issue. Breitsamer can also change the shredder’s perforated screens in less than 30 minutes, enabling the team to quickly and easily recycle different wood grades to varying grain specifications.
With several diverse customers throughout the thermal and materials recycling industry, this flexibility is essential. Output material is segregated according to waste wood classes 1 to 4, and recovered metals are sold for re-insertion back into the steel industry.
UNTHA UK’s managing director Marcus Brew concludes: “Waste management firms are increasingly being pressured to handle more materials, not least in the wood recycling and biomass sector where the market can fluctuate and the need to maintain margins is paramount. However, thanks to technological innovation, it is possible to push for performance improvements, without compromising the quality or environmental impact of the process.”
The capabilities of the XR Mobil-e will be demonstrated at IFAT – the leading trade fair for environmental technologies – from 14-18 May 2018.
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