Category Archives: Biomass

EDGE VS420 Waste Shredder: Turning Challenging Waste into Opportunities

Biomass, Case Study, Compost, Latest News, Mulch, , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Using an EDGE VS420 low-speed shredder in combination with a high-speed grinder results in major benefits. In today’s waste processing industry, companies are constantly looking for ways to maximize efficiency, protect equipment, and reduce operational costs. One effective approach to achieve these goals is by integrating a low-speed, high-torque shredder like the ever-popular EDGE VS420 as a processing step before feeding material into a high-speed grinder.

We saw this combination in operation when we recently travelled to California to meet the bosses of one of the largest family-owned companies on the West coast who operate a number of EDGE Innovate machines, including an EDGE VS420 shredder and multiple EDGE TRT622 trommels, all supplied by Greenrock Equipment, exclusive distributors for EDGE Innovate products in California and Hawaii.

For any company investing in an EDGE shredder like the VS420 (now available in Electric Hybrid), it will prove to be money well spent, as the shredder provides substantial long-term operational savings.

The major benefit witnessed at this operation was the ability of the VS420 to process feedstocks that contain tough contaminants, such as metal, rocks, or other hard objects. These high torque, low speed shredders excel at breaking down or removing those hurtful contaminants and metals before reaching the grinder. This added layer of protection has transformed the operation making their grinding process much more reliable and repeatable with a significate reduction in forced downtime.

Another major advantage of the low-speed shredder is its ability to break down large, bulky items into smaller, more manageable pieces. This preliminary size reduction creates a consistent material flow that high-speed grinders can handle with greater ease and efficiency. By avoiding clogs and jams, this setup not only increases throughput but also maximizes the quality of the grinder’s output, and it significantly reduces wear and tear on the grinder, extending its lifespan and reducing the need for costly repairs, replacements, and downtime.

By reducing the load on the high-speed grinder, the shredder enables it to operate at a steady pace, increasing the volume of material processed per hour while consuming less energy. This energy-efficient workflow is essential in today’s industry, where minimizing costs and maximizing throughput are top priorities. For example, the EDGE VS420 has an average fuel consumption of just 25 litres/hr (6.6USG/HR).

 Operational flexibility with a Low Speed Shredder

 All of EDGE Innovate’s range of shredders can handle a wide variety of materials that might have been turned away in the past – from highly contaminated organic feedstocks, industrial waste and construction debris to tires and mixed municipal waste.

TAP INTO NEW REVENUE STREAMS

The EDGE waste shredder here brings operational flexibility to the forefront making it possible for the business to confidently say “Yes” to a wider range of materials, diversify their offerings and allow them to enter new market segments, such as composting, recycling, and biomass fuel production. With the added flexibility to take on new applications and serve a wider client base, companies can tap into new revenue streams and improve their competitive standing. An additional key benefit of EDGE Innovate’s low-speed shredders is their ability to reduce dust. The shredders’ lower operating speeds and controlled shredding action significantly minimize the formation of fine particles, which has multiple advantages. Reduced dust production enhances health and safety by improving air quality, lowering the need for costly dust control measures.

Additionally, less dust accumulation on equipment and workspaces means lower maintenance and clean-up costs but the major benefit from this is a much cleaner, in spec final product, which is especially beneficial for applications like biomass fuel and mulch.

 

EDGE Innovate: A Trusted Brand

As a trusted manufacturer in the field, EDGE Innovate is committed to helping waste processing companies enhance efficiency, protect their equipment, and broaden their service capabilities with their advanced low-speed shredders. All EDGE Innovate shredders encompass a highly robust and durable design and being engineered to run at a lower rotor RPM but with high torque enables the shredders to process the most difficult of materials. In addition, all the waste shredders utilise EDGE’s Intelligent Self-Protecting control system with tramp metal cycles to prevents against asset damage and downtime, while multiple chamber configurations, screen options and cutting tools allow operators to customise their EDGE shredders to provide the right tonnage at the desired piece size.

“Integrating one of our shredders allows businesses to confidently accept a wider array of materials and applications, equipping them to enter new markets and meet evolving customer demands. While every operation has unique requirements, we believe that companies processing varied, bulky, or potentially contaminated waste streams will see clear benefits from our low-speed shredders, including increased throughput, operational flexibility, and superior product quality,” commented Greenrock Equipment’s John Connolly.

OPERATIONAL SAVINGS

Although slow-speed shredders represent an initial large investment, EDGE Innovate’s shredders provide substantial long-term operational savings. Reduced wear on grinders, lower energy consumption, minimized dust control needs, and decreased maintenance costs all contribute to significant cost efficiencies. In addition to expanding the range of materials a company can process, a low-speed shredder offers a pathway to greater revenue, helping to offset equipment costs.

Ultimately, a low-speed shredder transforms a waste processing company into a more versatile and resilient operation that is prepared to meet the demands of modern waste management. With an EDGE Innovate slow-speed shredder paired with a high-speed grinder, your waste processing system becomes a powerful, efficient, and robust solution, primed for growth and adaptability in a dynamic market.

The EDGE VS420 Shredder: Now Available with Electric Hybrid

The new VS420E Hybrid from EDGE Innovate is a breakthrough in eco-friendly shredding technology, delivering top-tier performance with a significantly reduced environmental impact. By dramatically lowering CO2 emissions, this hybrid model not only cuts your carbon footprint but also reduces operating costs and maintenance requirements. It combines the mobility of a diesel-driven unit with the environmental and operational advantages of a stationary electric shredder—all in one innovative, self-contained package. Experience minimal environmental impact without compromising on power.

About EDGE Innovate:

EDGE Innovate develops, manufactures, and markets sophisticated technologies for shredding, stacking, screening, and sorting of primary and secondary raw materials in production processes and recycling. The company’s material handling and recycling range comprises reliable, durable, and cost-saving products, including mobile stockpilers, tracked stackers, tracked and mobile feeders, trommels, slow-speed waste shredders, picking stations, material classifiers, roll-sizers, and truck off-loaders. With a commitment to innovation and sustainability, EDGE Innovate empowers its customers to shred, screen, separate, stockpile, and size a vast array of materials.

Keep up to date with EDGE’s news and events by following us on social media:

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For media inquiries, please contact:

Adrian Donnelly – EDGE Innovate Marketing Manager

E: Adrian.donnelly@edgeinnovate.com

EDGE VS420 Wood Shredder

New Waste Shredder & Trommel Screen Gives a UK Waste Recycler the “EDGE”

Biomass, Case Study, Compost, Latest News, , , , , , , ,

Bloomfield Composting was established about 15 years ago and takes in green waste and wood and forestry waste from a number of sources to produce not only PAS 100 compost and BS3882 multipurpose topsoil, but also biofuel and pellets used in power stations and for other applications. Nigel Gill became Managing Director of Bloomfield Composting just over a year ago, having a wealth of experience in the waste recycling and demolition sectors, working for some 30 years alongside David Humphries of the Humphries Holding Group of companies. Today, as an independent, privately owned and managed company, Bloomfield Composting’s facilities are considered to be among the best in the country, taking in general green waste from local authority civic amenity sites, wood waste from demolition sites and forestry waste from tree surgeons and arboriculturalists.

EDGE Innovate supplied the UK company with an EDGE VS420 slow speed shredder and an EDGE TRT620R tracked trommel which have been earning their keep for some months now without any hitches.

Featuring an intelligent operating system which incorporates tramp metal protection that provides the ultimate protection from contaminants and prevents asset damage, the fuel efficient EDGE VS420 is a high capacity, high torque, twin shaft waste shredder that is ideal for the processing of a large array of materials including green waste, MSW, C&D waste, biomass and end of life tyres. Its versatility can be attributed to the fact that a number of shredding programmes and chamber configurations are available. At its heart are twin synchronised, high torque shredder shafts which can be customised to suit a customer’s exact application and desired product piece size. EDGE’s twin shaft design provides exceptional material intake, ensures less wear, promotes self-cleaning and prevents material wrapping even in the toughest of applications, as Bloomfield Composting quickly discovered.

A Waste shredder that is robust, operator friendly, versatile and fuel efficient

“After discussing our specific requirements with the team at EDGE Innovate, we took delivery of the VS420 waste shredder early last year and added the TRT620R track trommel screen several months later,” says Nigel Gill. “We needed a shredder that was robust, operator friendly, versatile and efficient to process a variety of wood waste, a lot of which contained metal such as nails, hinges and door handles. It also needed to break down other difficult waste like tree stumps and roots before putting the material through the high speed shredder, and the VS420 fits the bill perfectly with its different programme options and settings.

“The operator likes the VS420 because its design is not overly complicated, and it can be controlled remotely from the cab of his excavator, so it is essentially a one man operation; he actually runs two shredders and a screener all from the remote. By putting the shredder into reverse after so many turns, it helps keep the rotors clean and if they are kept clean, you will be cutting back on power and using less fuel, so it is very efficient.”

He added that with easy access to the engine compartment and ground level access to all the filters, routine daily maintenance checks can be carried out quickly, resulting in minimal downtime.

Complementing the VS420 high torque shredder is the EDGE TRT620R track trommel. With its heavy-duty construction design and high manoeuvrability, it has proven to be perfect for Bloomfield Composting as it is well suited to handling biomass, soil and compost, as well as construction and demolition waste.

“EDGE Innovate were very accommodating when we asked for some modifications to the trommel,” says Nigel. “We don’t tend to shred the kerbside collected green waste when it comes into our facility, it goes straight into windrows, but there tends to be quite a lot of oversize now and again and it was catching on the chute, so we had changes to the system to compensate and it is performing brilliantly.”

EDGE Trommel Provides the ability to Track, Screen and Stack material simultaneously

The EDGE TRT620R has a unique feature of a remote operated, 180° radial fines conveyor which has been combined with the ability to track, screen and stack material simultaneously. This functionality allows for enhanced production capacities, reduced material handling and the ability to create large radial or windrow stockpiles.

The positioning of the radial fines conveyor whether at 0° or 180° allows the TRT620R to have the same small footprint of a side conveyor trommel format but with a much superior product separation and reduced material contamination.

Another notable bonus is that it can accept several other trommel manufacturers’ drums, enabling operators to take full advantage of their existing drum stock. A quick and simple drum exchange procedure is facilitated via an innovative sliding feeder design and double sided 180° swinging drum doors allowing the screening drum to be exchanged in a matter of minutes.

“We hadn’t dealt with EDGE Innovate before acquiring these two machines, but they’ve been very supportive, although to be honest we haven’t had any issues since putting the shredder and trommel to work; they’ve been reliable and have been performing very well,” says Nigel.

ABOUT EDGE INNOVATE

EDGE Innovate develops, manufacturers and markets sophisticated technologies for shredding, stacking, screening and sorting of primary and secondary raw materials in production processes and recycling. Our Material handling and recycling range is made up of reliable, durable and cost saving products with a wide range of mobile stockpilers, tracked stackers, tracked and mobile feeders, trommels, slow-speed waste shredders, picking stations, material classifiers, roll-sizers and truck off-loaders. Our product range allows our customers; to shred, screen, separate, stockpile and size a vast array of materials

Keep up to date with EDGE’s news and events by following us on social media:

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preshredding biomass

Preshredding Biomass with the Slayer XL

Biomass, Case Study

Preshredding biomass

McKinstry Skip Hire Ltd, a family owned and operated company with over seventy years’ experience providing excellence in waste management services to both public and private sector customers throughout Northern Ireland have seen real operational benefits when they opted to incorporate an EDGE Slow speed shredder into their biomass production process.

The company founded in 1970 by Mr Albert McKinstry, is currently managed by his sons Darren and Mark McKinstry, has grown to now employ an eighty strong workforce at their state of the art Material Recovery Facility (MRF) in Northern Ireland, just a few miles from the Belfast International Airport. In 2016 McKinstry Skip hire will supply over 50,000 tonnes of P63 grade woodchip to help power the largest renewable energy project in Northern Ireland. Lisahally Combined Heat and Power Station operated by Evermore Renewable Energy is based in County Derry and generates an impressive 15.8 MWe, the equivalent of enough energy to power 25,000 homes.

THE OLD PROCESS

McKinstry’s Skip Hire extract wood mainly from council operated sites around Northern Ireland along with an additional source from Southern Ireland to ensure material supply in periods of any downtime in the industry. Supplying 1,000 tonnes per week minimum to Lisahally Power Station to a P63 grade, the wood waste when it arrives to the Crumlin site undergoes a quick manual pick through to remove as much contaminates as possible. The high grab then puts the wood waste into a high speed shredder. The shredded product goes through a series of overband magnets, twin deck horizontal screeners and eddy currents to remove ferrous and non-ferrous metals, dust and oversize product.

THE NEW PROCESS

In an effort to improve operational efficiency, reduce running costs and improve product quality, McKinstrys Skip Hire turned to the EDGE manufactured slow speed shredder, the Slayer XL.  The new production process sees material go from trailer to the EDGE pre-shredder with minimal pre-sorting to create a uniform piece size product and to remove any non-shreddable contaminants. The material is then feed into a high speed secondary shredder with the finer material passing the series of separation stages.

BENEFITS OF PRE-SHREDDING WITH A SLOW SPEED SHREDDER

With its robust design and massive 80,000Nm of torque combined with intelligent self-protecting operating system, the EDGE Slayer XL provides enhanced protection to their high speed shredder when deploying it as a pre-shredder in front of the high-speed shredder. McKinstrys have found that the EDGE Slayer XL’s ability to withstand non-shreddables such a steel bracketry etc. with minimal wear makes the Slayer XL the ideal partner to their high speed grinder by vastly reducing the wear and tear of the high speed shredder tools and cutting down significant downtime associated to non-shreddables reaching the high-speed shredder chamber.

With the non-shreddable products being removed either by the EDGE shredder’s chamber detection system or via its overband magnet, McKinstry’s operators have found higher percentage uptime and improved dependable performance from their secondary shredder.  A constant flow of uniformed piece size material provided by the EDGE Slayer has also allowed the high speed grinder to process material much easier; again improving the lifespan of shredder tools and reducing the levels of fuel consumed being recorded.

SUPERIOR PRODUCT AND ENHANCE OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCY

Helping to reduce fuel and maintenance costs associated with their high speed grinder is only half the story of the improvements the EDGE Slow speed shredder has brought to the table. Howard Wilson, McKinstry’s Biomass Quality Control Manager explains that the end product is superior to that of material that is simple passed through a high speed grinder. By adding a pre-shred and secondary shred to the production process McKinstry’s Biomass Quality Control Manager has found via a particle size analysis of mandatory samples taken twice a day to contain a “…significant reduction in oversize particles, samples have fallen well within the 10% limit and the dust level is well under 2%”.

The low level of dust creation can be accredited to a control feed of near size material entering he high speed grinder, with surges of material being eliminated and by the fact that the EDGE Slayer XL has been engineered to run at a lower rotor RPM combined with high torque. It this feature that helps the EDGE manufactured slow speed shredder to produce a final material product with much lower dust percentage. Howard has also seen an improvement in the production efficiency by incorporating the primary shred into the production process.  “We have benefit by a large reduction in oversize, which means we have less to re-shred again, by falling within the 10% ratio, there is only a minimum amount of additional shredding on the oversize that saves us man hours, fuel and it saves us maintenance costs on the machinery”

With tight restriction placed on suppliers of biomass; reliability, quality and sustainability of material supply are always major concerns. By incorporating the EDGE Slayer XL slow speed shredder; biomass producers can be assured of improved operation efficiency, higher quality end product with reduce dust and oversize creation combine with a reduction in downtime and maintenance.