Process Improvements Introduced

While the fundamentals of wire chopping have not changed over the last several years, new equipment can be introduced that facilitates increased production and is more maintenance friendly to the owner.

A shredder made by MTB, Trept, France, has drawn interest from the wire chopping industry.

Richard Zampiello, senior vice president operations, Schilberg Integrated Metals, East Hartford, Conn., says the Model BDR 2400 Shredder by MTB can improve production for the right sized wire processor. "The changes have been refinements of the basic standard operating procedures with few exceptions," he says. "This is the exasperation that exists with the business—essentially you have to granulate and liberate the bale and then separate it as a secondary aspect, and you can’t do it much differently in terms of technique."

The type of shredder a facility uses still depends on the basics of the business, such as production capacity and utility costs.

As a pre-granulator, Zampiello says, the MTB "is admittedly a cost-effective machine. It uses perhaps the same basic technique, but due to design and operating ability, has most probably reduced the cost on the front end, but not changed the technique."

The MTB can reduce costs for a processor, but savings are relative to the size of the processing line and the amount of materials being produced. Like any other piece of equipment, the BDR 2400 must be matched to the needs of a wire chopper to be efficient and effective. "In terms of cost reduction," Zampiello says, "the cost effectiveness would be directly proportional to the size of the line. This machine would not be as cost-effective on an average line as it might be on a line that had the inherent capacity to fully utilize the ability of this pre-granulator to out-produce its predecessors."

For a processor who operates large volume lines, the MTB BDR 2400 can increase production and handle a wider range of materials than other machinery available on the market, the shredder’s advocates say. But whether the machine is efficient for a chopping line is very dependent on that specific chopping line.

The delicate balance of the wire processor’s production demands and the cost-effectiveness of a machine are two points that must be taken into consideration, Zampiello advises. "On one hand we can take advantage of matching up machinery, and on the other hand we must keep in mind the balance of the overall process, utility cost, manpower cost and byproduct beneficial reuse. We’re in a business with a very narrow range of income potential."

Part of what makes the MTB shredder different from many other shredders on the market is that it can handle all grades of scrap and process it into one-inch to three-inch size pieces. "It takes the whole gamut of different types of wire—including figure eight, heavy steel support strand, and it also can process ACSR," says John Groscurth, of Wire Recycling Services Inc, Evergreen, Colo.

In addition to accepting a wide range of materials, the shredder allows processors to produce a very controlled product with pieces ranging from one half inch to two inches. "You can very evenly feed your chopping line," Groscurth says. "Since the material is already cut small, much of the chopping line work has already been done and it is more efficient."

The ability to handle all grades of scrap is one advantage the BRD 2400 has over many other machines it is competing with. This helps reduce the risk of damage to the machine if tramp iron or other materials enter the shredder. "Other styles of shredders that tried to cut things small risked severe damage. The BDR style of machine has design features that it doesn’t ‘eat itself’ when tramp comes in," Groscurth says.

APPLAUSE FROM PROCESSORS

One of the first companies to install an MTB shredder in the United States was Shine Brothers Inc., Spencer, Iowa. Toby Shine, president of Shine Brothers Inc., says the company is very pleased with the equipment. The company currently runs two MTB shredders, he says. "It’s a good piece of equipment and does a fine job," he says. Shine says he sees the machine as a positive addition to the business.

Ease of maintenance and a machine that meets the needs of its users are two reasons commonly cited by wire processors for choosing the BDR 2400 Shredder. Michael Rosen, secretary/treasurer of Atlas Metal and Iron, says the BDR meets the needs of his company because it was designed by a company in the wire chopping business. "We’re really pleased with what it has done for our business," Rosen says, "and really pleased that the company [MTB] also does wire chopping, because they have a feel for the industry."

The increased efficiency that the MTB can provide also gives processors the potential to increase capacity while also doing a better job of separating metallics from tailings. Groscurth says he has noticed that the wire chopping industry seems to be taking a much stronger interest in the final recovery of metallics that would otherwise remain in the insulation wastes. The most effective method of removing the metallics seems to be using wet separation, he notes.

OTHER TRENDS

Another innovation in the wire processing field is the ability to process jelly filled cable, or insulated telecommunication wire, using a wet system. The jelly that was injected into the cable is removed so that the copper can still be recovered, says Michael Lockman, president of Scanrec Inc., Waco, Texas.

Scanrec’s recently acquired sister company, Eldan Recycling A/S, Denmark, and Scandinavian Recycling AB, Malmo, Sweden, a member of the Scanrec AB group, offer equipment to process jelly filled cable.

Using a method similar to that used to process jelly filled cable, strides have also been made in the processing of grease-filled telecommunication cable. Some processors of grease-filled cable first prepare the material using the MTB Shredder and then all of the remaining processes, including reduction and separation, are conducted under a flood of hot water, says Groscurth.

Even as some new technology emerges in the field of wire chopping, essentially, wire is processed much as it was at the beginning of the decade, with some slight modifications and improvements.

The MTB Shredder may give some processors an advantage to compete in today’s markets. Zampiello says the machine does add another component to the industry and can be the right choice for the right size of operation. "The machine has many admirable traits. It is one of the many ingredients in the continuing process of evaluating the cost of granulating in relationship to the competitiveness in the market place."

The author is assistant editor of Recycling Today.