TECHNOLOGY | SHREDDERS


Left: The new VRZ shredder from Vecoplan features a new rotor design


in an industrial waste processing facility that dispenses with conventional cutting, instead opting for sickle-shaped ripping teeth to safely break up and shred bulky materials. Its new VRZ shredder provides a highly


efficient means of reducing inhomogene- ous waste into sortable shapes and sizes, in which 90% of the output material is smaller than 300mm. Vecoplan development specialists placed emphasis on a robust, reliable, and low-maintenance unit that performs safe pre-shredding of materials laden with extraneous items. The sickle-shaped ripper teeth design is impervious to extraneous materials, says Cathrine Rekett, Head of Application Technology in the Recycling/Waste division at Vecoplan. Unlike more conventional cutting tips, the ripper teeth are armoured. “Re-armouring the ripper teeth when they are worn is more time-consuming than changing cutting tips and counter knives, but their running times are much longer,” which significantly reduces downtimes, says Rekett. Each rotor shaft has a dimension of 860 mm by


2,515 mm, and is designed with seven cutters, with each cutter incorporating sickle-shaped ripping teeth. (Nine cutters per rotor is optional). Veco- plan’s proven HiTorc synchronous direct-drive motor operates without mechanical components such as belts, gear wheels, flywheels or clutches for equipment robustness and energy efficiency. The direct-drive design also means less mass needs to be propelled, which brings energy efficiency. The HiTorc motor design delivers problem-free


Q&A: Untha responds to shredding challenges of plastics waste streams


Marcus Brew, Managing Director of Untha UK, responds to industry and innovation questions about shred- ders for Plastics Recycling World.


PRW: What does the push for circularity and sustainability mean for the effectiveness of shredder technology? MB: In simple terms, it is no longer enough for a shredder to simply break down materials. Even if the goal of a machine is ‘volume reduction’ it must do this more efficiently than ever before. That means easier operating mechanisms, greater throughput, less downtime, and less energy consump- tion, to name just a few key criteria. With the global spotlight on the


reduction of waste and the transforma- tion of materials –including ultra complex material – into something new so that they can be reused, recycled, and sent for energy recovery,


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shredder manufacturers are being driven to innovate when it comes to the variety of input materials that can be processed — often using only one machine. Shredders must be able to respect the environment too, in terms of energy consumption, long service lifecycles, low wear, ease of use, and homogenous output quality.


PRW: Is contaminated waste being captured in greater volumes for processing into recycled feed- stocks? MB: We are seeing several sub-topics cropping up when it comes to ‘contaminated waste.’ There are products manufactured from multi- faceted material types. For instance, WEEE and other small and large domestic appliances often contain multiple metals — including precious alloys — as well as an abundance of plastics.


PLASTICS RECYCLING WORLD | May/June 2023


For too long, the resource value in WEEE has been lost because such waste — among others — is considered too big a headache. The market has started paying greater attention to these applications, because the knowledge now exists to shred such products and liberate the many materials that would otherwise be ‘locked’ inside, for optimal down- stream sorting and segregation. Innovation is advancing quickly, and companies are pushing boundaries when it comes to the compliant yet progressive handling of hazardous plastics such as POPs (Persistent Organic Pollutants) too. Soft or flexible plastics are also


getting a lot of attention. In the UK, it was said to represent 22% of all consumer plastic packaging in 2020, but only 8% was recycled because it is so problematic to deal with. Local authorities are taking action with new


www.plasticsrecyclingworld.com


IMAGE: VECOPLAN


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