SHREDDERS | TECHNOLOGY


machine start-up even with a full machine and offers the highest possible torque at low speed. The frequency controlled HiTorc drive motor has a variably adjustable speed range, is designed with foreign object detection, and is dynamic, allowing for fast reversing and restarting operation. The rotors can operate at speeds from 25 to 65 rpm, using up to 2 x 138 kW. The unit has a throughput capacity up to 80 tonnes/hr. The VRZ shredder, currently only in a 2500


model, introduces waste to the unit via a 2,525 x 2,050 mm infeed opening. Other features include wear-resistant and replaceable sealing elements at the rotor and side wall to prevent materials from becoming lodged between the front surface of the rotor and the machine housing. The machine design is optimised so that the cutting frame and rotors can be replaced quickly, allowing for time-consuming maintenance work to be per- formed outside the machine. Several options are available to configure the VRZ 2500 to a specific particle size or usage scenario, including various cutting units like cutting tables and rotors. Conair Group has introduced an entry-level


proposed collection practices, but MRFs will need to adapt to tackle these notoriously tricky items which can easily become tangled within other material streams and processing equipment.


PRW: If shredding is a critical first step, what specific technologies from Untha help to manage these more challenging types of materials? MB: When it comes to shredding plastics, we do not ever propose a one-size-fits-all solution: everything depends on the operator’s exact situation. That is why we ask detailed questions about the material itself, including its make-up, size, and volume, as well as target particle sizing, throughputs, and available space within a facility. The Untha LRK model, for example,


offers the ultimate in ease of opera- tion. This is a compact yet high- throughput single shaft plastic shredder, known to have operated for 20 years or more. It has a ‘pusher’ system for continuous feed, and guarantees maximum uptime, particle


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shredder for plastics processors who need to reduce hard scrap that is too large for a granulator but who don’t need the high throughput or cost of a larger shredding machine. Its new General Purpose (GP) series is designed as a compact, cost-effective but powerful shredder for small to moderate throughput of purgings, pipe and profile scrap or sheet scrap. The model combines “dura- ble, reliable performance with low-maintenance features that have, until now, only been available on our much larger shredding equipment,” says Dave Miller, General Manager in Conair’s size reduction business. The GP series is comprised of two models: a GP 924 unit that features a 24-inch cutting chamber; and a larger GP 935 model designed with a 35-inch cutting chamber. The standard models offer a large, open-top infeed hopper, capable of accepting gaylord-sized batch feeds. A horizontal, hydraulic ram at the bottom of the hopper drives scrap into the cutting chamber. The ram feed is configured to be low maintenance, with a top and side scraper that cleans and shields the ram face and prevents shredded material from entering and


Marcus Brew, Managing Director of Untha UK


machine with inbuilt foreign object protection, and it is available in a compact RS30 model to an ultra- heavy-duty RS150 model — a giant of a shredder. Then there is the smallest machine in our entire range, the Untha S25, which is supplied as a plug-and-go CE-certified system which is common- ly used for light-volume packaging waste and PET bottles.


IMAGE: UNTHA


precision, and an all-round cost-effec- tive shred. We also have the RS four shaft


range, which shreds and re-shreds in a single pass, making this a globally- renowned recycling machine for 15-100mm. Everything about this shredder is configurable, from the cutting system and perforated screen to its torque, speed, loading aperture and sealant. Even when faced with ‘unshreddables,’ this is a robust


PRW: What are the emerging trends in the market for shredders? MB: It is unsurprising given the economic climate, that the cost of shredding technology is coming under greater scrutiny. Shredders are high-value capital assets. But experi- enced operators are becoming more sophisticated in their procurement, looking way beyond the initial ‘price tag’ for a machine, and delving into data such as the expected useful life of the technology, typical wear rates, uptime stats that could otherwise cause operational disruption, service and maintenance costs, spare parts availability, and more.


May/June 2023 | PLASTICS RECYCLING WORLD 45


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