Don't Sweat It, Shred It

Brook Raflo

By reducing materials such as tires and documents into small, uniform pieces, shredders create mulch, tire-derived fuel (TDF), compost and more. Here is a sampling of some of the latest systems designed to make molehills out of mountains.

Allegheny Paper Shredders, Delmont, Pa., offers high-volume paper shredders and shredding systems for mobile or centralized operations. These shredders can process from 750 pounds to more than 10 tons of paper per hour, according to the company.

American Pulverizer Co., St. Louis, Mo., manufactures a line of low-speed, high-torque shredders. Models feature feed openings from 14 inches by 20 inches, to 105 inches by 72 inches. Available with either an electric or a hydraulic drive, these shredders range from 10 horsepower (hp) to 800 hp.

Ameri-Shred Corp., Monroeville, Pa., offers a new line of heavy duty industrial paper shredders designed to destroy large documents, including the 125-horsepower (hp) AMS-1250, the 150-hp AMS-1500 and the 200-hp AMS-2000. Ameri-Shred also makes a line of paper shredders, from desk size to industrial models.

Andela Products Ltd., Richfield Springs, N.Y., manufactures shredder systems that separate and process bottles, shingles, demolition debris and other recyclables. Andela shredders also reduce and separate glass from commingled materials, and gypsum from paper.

Columbus McKinnon Corp., Amherst, N.Y., presents the CM Chip Shredder. Designed to integrate with other Columbus Mckinnon shredder systems, the CM Chip Shredder uses reground knives from the 2-inch CM Tire Shredder to process whole passenger tires into uniform chip sizes. The resulting tire chips can be marketed as tire-derived fuel (TDF) or as a feed stock for crumb rubber systems, according to the company.

Extec USA Inc., Essington, Pa., presents the 3600S shredder. Designed to process tires, demolition wastes, municipal solid wastes (MSW) and wood waste, this shredder also can reduce concrete and steel reinforcements up to 22 millimeters in diameter, according to the company. Powered by a Caterpillar 3406TA diesel engine, the 3600S shredder is 40 feet long, 9 feet wide and 13 feet tall.

Salt Lake City-based Garb-Oil & Power Corp. manufactures a line of Garbalizer shredders. Ranging from 200 horsepower (hp) to 1,000 hp, these shredders process automobile and truck tires at rates from 1,000 tires to 5,000 tires per hour, according to the company.

Granutech-Saturn Systems, Grand Prairie, Texas, offers a line of Saturn shredders designed to process recyclable materials including tires, MSW, hazardous waste, plastics and tree waste. Saturn Shredders can stand alone or be integrated into a larger reduction system, according to the company. They are available in sizes from 75 horsepower (hp) to more than 1,000 hp, and in stationary, mobile and portable models.

Harris Waste Management Group Inc., Peachtree City, Ga., manufactures three hammer-swing shredders: the 80-inch-diameter HS80, the 98-inch-diameter HS98 and the 120-inch-diameter HS120. These machines feature engines ranging from 2,000 horsepower (hp) to 7,000 hp, patented reversible deflector domes, back wall castings and interlocked fabrication.

Komar Industries Inc., Groveport, Ohio, introduces the Tiger 4 Quad Shear line of primary and secondary shredders. Available with either an electric or a hydraulic drive, these shredders process medical wastes, passenger tires, plastic, paper and other recyclables. Komar also equips each shredder with a programmable logic control system and steel alloy shafts.

The Primary Shredder from Marathon Equipment, Vernon, Ala., is part of a Medical Waste Reducing System. After medical waste is sterilized, the Primary Shredder processes the waste for disposal in a local landfill. The Reducing System may also incorporate Marathon's Sharps Shredder, designed to destroy sharp objects such as needles, glass vials, IV tubes and containers.

McDonald Services Inc., Charlotte, N.C., manufactures a parallel flow system that features both a slow and a high speed shredder. The Pierce and Rip Slow Speed Shredder shreds long tubes, while the High Speed Hogger Shredder is designed to shred cones.

The 150-horsepower (hp) PS-0040 paper shredder from Miller Manufacturing, Turlock Calif., features a 40-inch-by-27-inch feed opening, two cutting rotors, one swinging hammer rotor and a sizing screen. Processed waste materials discharge from the bottom of the shredder. Miller also offers a 50-hp shredder with a 27-inch-by-27-inch feed opening.

Pacific Shredder Technologies Inc., Portland, Ore., manufactures a line of high torque shear shredders. Featuring hydraulic and electronic drives that range from 5 horsepower (hp) to 800 hp, the high torque shear line includes both mobile and stationary systems. Model sizes range from 20 inches by 18 inches, to 110 inches by 61 inches. Designed for severe duty applications, this product line incorporates automatic torque control, automatic reversing, reduced voltage motor starters and catastrophic event protection.

Precision Husky, Leeds, Ala., presents the ProGrind H-3854 Horizontal Shredder. With a 500-horsepower (hp) or 750-hp diesel engine, this new ProGrind will process up to 100 tons per hour, according to the company. Featuring the new double cut hammermill, ProGrind H3854 is designed to process yard waste and wood waste using several cutting surfaces at varying depths.

The 5424 Mobile Plastic Granulater from Rotochopper, Coon Valley, Wis., is designed to process 30-gallon plastic containers at a rate of 2,000 pounds per hour. The Granulater also can process 2.5-gallon jugs at a rate of 6,000 pounds per hour, according to the company.

Shred-Tech, Cambridge, Ontario, Canada, manufactures the ST-500H shredding system. According to the company, this system can process automobile and truck tires at a rate of 10 tons per hour. The system also can be transported to remote sites to reduce tires, furniture, white goods, industrial waste, municipal solid wastes and demolition debris.

SSI Shredding Systems Inc., Wilsonville, Ore. presents a slow-speed, high-torque shredder for severe duty applications such as scrap processing. The 3000-ESP is available in 200 horsepower (hp) or 250 hp and comes standard with large shafts, a bearing protection system and a cutter treatment designed to extend cutter life, according to the company.

The High Torque Shredder system from West Salem Machinery Co., Salem, Ore., processes wood waste and other recyclable materials, such as plastics and corrugated cardboard. Designed for industrial waste generators, this high torque shredder system features a large feed hopper and sizing screens that allow for single pass processing of materials, according to the company. Shredder models range in size from 12 inches to 72 inches.