TECHNOLOGY | SIZE REDUCTION
Right: A Raptor shredder from Rapid Granulator
The new facility has an inte-
Below: Rapid Raptor shredders have been improved with a new ‘non-wrapping’ rotor and an extended
pusher system
grated wash plant and shreds, treats, extrudes and pelletises a range of difficult wastes including LDPE film and other plastic packaging from food factories – even if contami- nated with animal by-prod- ucts. This significantly extends Recyk’s complex waste handling capabilities in the area. The operation employs an Untha XR3000C unit with two 132 kW motors and 50mm screen. The company says that the ultra- heavy-duty shredder was chosen for its ability to handle an array of materials including mattresses, carpets, biomass and the wide range of plastics that Meplas will be treating. “It is our mission to take tougher waste streams and turn them into something really exciting,” says Recyk’s Managing Director Rob Andrews. “We can process 200 mattresses per hour for future fuels, for example, manufacture one-pass biomass with minimal fines, or handle AD plastics for either remanufacturing or alternative fuel production. We embarked on a global search for world class waste handling technologies and the result is not just a UK-first plant, but something which I hope will attract the attention of our peers internationally too. It is time that we better used technology to address the mounting environmental pressures we face.” Guo says: “This facility uses the same infrastruc-
ture I have long adopted in China, but we have had to adapt the system to meet UK regulations, of course. It is quite a new approach for this country, but the fact that landfill is the only option for some of these materials, is ludicrous. We are about to change that, for good.”
Swedish size reduction equipment manufacturer Rapid Granulator is observing an increasing demand for in-house recycling shredders. “After many years, customers have realised that even purgings have a significant value if collected and handled correctly,” says Anders Mårtensson, Sales and Marketing Director. “There is also a new trend in the trading of used material. We see more customers buying scrap or used
material and recycling it
in-house. There are certainly some significant benefits for the custom- er in this situation. One is to have control over the material, which is
absolutely mandatory in today’s plastics
industry, and many customers are also asking for a more versatile solution. Old shredder technology with limited application capabilities is no longer accepted. The industry is demanding machines that can recycle a wide range of materials, convert- ing scrap into high quality regrind.” Rapid says that one of the benefits of its shred- ders is that customers can create optimised programmes for each application run. “This is a very popular option for customers who are focused on recycling different materials and need a fast way to optimise the settings for each of them,” Mårtens- son adds. “Customers pay attention to the material quality from the shredders and have realised that the old cutting technology, based on wood shredders, has a negative impact on the material. The amount of material lost due to dust and fines is significant compared to the shredders developed for the plastics industry.” He says that as well as the quality of the material coming out of the shredders, the industry is also looking for easy maintenance and service. “Our customers often compare cleaning the shredder with cleaning the grinder. It is no longer accepted that the operator should spend two hours or more crawling into the machine for cleaning or mainte- nance. Cleaning must be safe, easy and quick. We even have a customer who has specified this in their safety policy, meaning that no operator is allowed to be inside the machine for cleaning and maintenance. We believe that this soon will be the new standard in the market.” The company says that Rapid Raptor shredders have been improved with a new non-wrapping rotor and an extended pusher system. “In shredders
16 PLASTICS RECYCLING WORLD | May/June 2020
www.plasticsrecyclingworld.com
IMAGE: RAPID
IMAGE: RAPID
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