OmniSource Looks to Install Top Feed Shredder

OmniSource Corp.’s Fort Wayne, Ind., facility is seeking approval by the Fort Wayne Board of Zoning Appeals to have a variance to the zoning to allow it to install a top-feed shredder at that site.

The facility is a heavy media facility, which has been in operation for a number of years. The facility itself is in an industrial zone, although with the addition of the shredder there will be some air emissions generated, as well as the need to move some material outside, which requires a variance.

Ben Eisbart, VP of Human Resources for OmniSource, said the company received an air permit approval from the City of Fort Wayne Aug. 7, and is scheduled for a hearing on variance request on Aug. 28. At that time the BZA will decide whether to grant the variance for the equipment.

The equipment that is slated to be installed is an American Pulverizer top feed shredder. With the system, Eisbart says, the yard will be able to reduce the size of the material, making it easier to manage. Material to be run through the system would come from the remnants of crushed cars that would be handled at other locations.

According to one published report, with the equipment OmniSource would be able to extract an additional 5-7 percent of the nonferrous metal from the fluff.

Skip Anthony with American Pulverizer, notes that the shredder is ideal system to handle fluff and zorba. "The idea is that when you process material with this type of shredder you get to a consistent size and get maximum recovery of nonferrous metals from the system. It also will clean up the fluff material."

The system already is ready to be installed, and the equipment will likely be in operation by the end of this year.