How Komptech Americas helps Terminate fines at C&D MRFs

When it comes to C&D recycling equipment, high speeds can often equate to high efficiency. But with Komptech’s single-shaft shredder known as the Terminator, the machine’s low-speed performance is actually one of its biggest assets.

That’s because the Terminator, which specializes in pre-shredding applications, is ideal for C&D processing since it generates less fines than its competitors while simultaneously creating a consistent, uniform composition of the input material.

“The Terminator is designed to take down the bulk density of the material. It shreds at 36 RPMs, so it is not like using a high-speed grinder where you end up with much of this material being reduced to fines,” Will Hancock, stationary equipment sales manager for Komptech Americas, explains.

Instead, the Terminator’s robust shredding drum teeth and opposing counter comb allow for coarse pre-crushing to a defined fraction size without pulverizing the material. The result is more consistent and desirable material being fed to the 3D sort line without operators having to spend time pre-munching material or pulling out pieces that would be undesirable on the line.

Additionally, by pre-shredding and adequately preparing this incoming material, the Terminator acts as a dosing drum to the rest of the system by producing a higher tonnage throughput of quality materials. That means operators are able to eliminate “black belt” issues where manual sorters are forced to wait for material to pick.

According to Hancock, this also allows sorters to focus on higher priced commodities since it creates more uniform pieces that are easier to handle.

“When you have to deal with bulkier, unmanageable material that hasn’t been adequately pre-shredded, it takes away from actually getting the valuable commodities that are on the belt,” Hancock says. “So, by taking down the bulk density of the material and making it a manageable size for your sorters, you’re able to not only increase your recovery rates, you’re able to increase productivity while eliminating injuries that may occur when sorters are forced to handle unprocessed pieces of wood, concrete or other items that may have foreign materials like metal protruding from them.”

Hancock says operators can further improve their streams by pairing the Terminator with an Air Magnet separator from Plexus Recycling Technologies. The Air Magnet’s pressure-suction system offers extremely effective removal of light materials from screen overflow. The result is up to a 20 percent reduction in fines by weight.

“By installing an Air Magnet, operators are able to pull out that light fraction material and get a clean aggregate commodity that adds a lot of value instead of being forced to send that to the landfill. Also, by adding the Air Magnet, you’ve taken your fines, which are 30 percent of your material, and drastically reduced their weight. This is especially important for C&D recyclers who are unable to market this material as alternative daily cover (ADC) or other products in their local markets,” Hancock says.

For the company’s C&D customers, introducing Komptech America’s shredding, separation and sorting equipment to their lines has been nothing short of transformational.

For more information, visit komptechamericas.com/3-ways-to-make-cd-waste-processing-more-profitable