SHREDDERS | TECHNOLOGY


Cutting plastics down to size


Shredders play a vital role, both on the production line and in general recycling operations. Mark Holmes looks at recent developments in shredders and heavy-duty granulators meeting a wide range of requirements


Efficient and effective size reduction is essential for any plastics recycling operation. Machinery manufacturers are developing products to meet specific demands, whether for the type of material being processed or size of object being recycled. For example, Vecoplan has launched a robust single-shaft shredder for technical plastics. Based on an enhanced version of the VAZ 1600 XL, the company says that the heavy duty VHD 1600 T processes hard plastics regardless of size and weight. Equipped with the company’s energy-effi- cient HiTorc drive, the machine accelerates rapidly and has high torque, is efficient and can achieve a high throughput. According to Vecoplan, the design is particularly applicable for packaging where increasingly


www.plasticsrecyclingworld.com


processors are using hard plastics, such as polyeth- ylene or polypropylene. In addition, materials such as PA, POM and PET with their good mechanical properties are increasingly used for structural materials, as well as cast polyamide 6 as a universal material for machine construction. While having good properties, they are also difficult to shred. The VHD 1600 T has been designed to process the materials efficiently. Users can feed in the material directly and without metering. In order to ensure durable operation, Vecoplan’s designers have re-engineered almost all compo- nents to be more robust or reinforced. A thick- walled, ribbed machine housing, reinforced side walls and stronger machine base ensure powerful, fault-free operation with maximum service life, the


Main image: Vecoplan’s cutting unit has a large


diameter rotor, which is fitted with hardened, concave tools


May/June 2018 | PLASTICS RECYCLING WORLD 39


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54