You may know that recycled metal is the backbone of many manufacturing industries. But do you know how large quantities of metal are broken down, sorted, and processed, and how improvements to the recycling process can put more money in your pocket while helping the environment?
What is an industrial scrap metal shredding machine?
A scrap metal shredding machine is a large, industrial shredding machine capable of shredding scrap metal into small, uniform pieces. This is a key part of many industrial recycling processes.
Once your scrap has been accepted and sorted, it’s brought through the machine’s hammermill. Here it is shredded and sized before the ferrous and non-ferrous components are split out.
Our scrap metal shredder can process over 100 tons of scrap per hour, allowing us to get metal back into circulation faster, safer, and more efficiently.
Why shred?
Shredding expedites the recycling process by increasing the rate that scrap can be broken down, yielding a smaller, more homogenous product. Our Automotive Shredder Residue (ASR) recycling plant helps purify output by separating fluff and other waste from recyclable scrap.
Shredded materials are much more valuable to recycled metal buyers because they are more predictable and easier to work with. The smaller size of the output is better for the environment too. It can be compacted to a smaller volume, which increases the efficiency of transportation and storage.
Industrial metal shredders provide the capacity for recyclers to handle larger items, including vehicles, in a sustainable and energy-efficient way. Recyclers without access to a metal crusher will have to manually shred their scrap. This adds time to the workflow and the resulting salvage is less consistent and has lower value. Machine-shredding scrap improves recycling at every stage.
Where does shredded scrap go?
The clean salvage from industrial shredder machines goes to steel mills for further processing.
What can and can’t be shredded?
Many categories of metal can be shredded, including both ferrous and non-ferrous metals. One of the benefits of industrial shredders is that they can handle large pieces of scrap such as appliances, cars, or even buses.
To produce uniform salvage, it is important to control what goes into the shredder. While most light-gauge scrap can be shredded easily, end-of-life items such as cars and appliances are not pure metal. These often contain other parts that must be recycled or disposed of separately. Some components not fit for shredding include batteries, heavy forged materials, fuel, and hazardous materials. A full list of unacceptable materials can be found here.
How can I make sure my scrap is primed for shredding?
To get the most value for your scrap, ensure that it is free from contaminants and sorted roughly by material. This will keep the initial weighing as accurate as possible. Separating different components is a critical part of the recycling process, and by doing it in advance you can ensure that the entire process is as smooth as possible.
If you are looking to recycle scrap metal, including junk cars, in Edmonton or need a free quote, reach out to our experts!