Vecoplan-Glossary

Recyclable materials cycle

The recyclable materials cycle describes the process of collecting, processing, recycling and reusing recyclable materials to create a closed loop. This approach aims to minimise waste, conserve natural resources and reduce environmental impact. A functioning recyclables cycle helps promote a sustainable economy by reducing dependence on finite raw materials while curbing pollution. By providing state-of-the-art machinery and equipment for the collection, processing and recycling of recyclables, a company helps to reduce waste and minimise environmental impact.

Air separator

An air separator separates the material flow into heavy and light fractions. This is an important step to increase the RDF quality in terms of 3D material content as well as inert and chlorine content.

Assembly

The setting up, assembling and connecting of a machine or system, or the assembly of individual prefabricated parts into a functional machine.

Bioenergy

Bioenergy is a form of energy that can be obtained from biomass by converting it into electrical energy, heat or fuel. The basis here consists of biogenic fuels, i.e. fuels of biological-organic origin.

Biogenic fuels

These are fuels with a biological-organic origin, so they can of plant origin, a product of fermentation or of the decomposition of organic material.

Biomass

A mass of biogenic solids from which electrical energy and additional heat can be generated. To ensure that the combustion process runs smoothly, the biomass must be mechanically processed in advance to obtain a homogeneous unit that is free of impurities.

Biomass CHP plants (combined heat & power plants)

Biomass CHP plants, also known as biomass cogeneration plants, generate electrical energy from biogenic solids, plus a great amount of additional heat that can be used efficiently.

Certified security level (DIN 66399)

The German standard (DIN) 66399 specifies three protection classes according to which data media should be classified in terms of their need for protection.

Circular Economy

The Circular Economy is a concept that aims to transform the traditional linear economic process (extraction, production, use, disposal). Instead of a "take-use-throw-away" approach, the Circular Economy strives to create a closed loop in which products, materials and resources are continuously reused, repaired, recycled and upgraded. The Circular Economy process is at the heart of this effort and is a pioneering approach to optimising resource use and minimising environmental impact.

Cleaning plastic waste

The cleaning of plastic waste is an essential step in the process of the plastic recycling industry. Plastic waste can contain a variety of contaminants, including dirt, dust, labels, adhesive residues and organic residues. These contaminants can significantly affect the quality of the recycled plastic. Therefore, cleaning is an essential step to obtain high-quality recycled plastics that meet industry requirements.

Commissioning

According to the Machinery Directive, this is the first intended use of a machine.

Communication interface

Part of a system that serves communication.

Construction site and project management

The responsibilities of a site and project manager include preparing work for the entire team, estimating costs, developing handover plans as a strategic plan for the construction team, following up on the project when certain tasks have to be done or supervised and even thoroughly analysing the project to ensure that everything is going according to plan.

Conveying technology

Coordinated conveying solutions for recycling and processing plants. These are tailored to the individual processes, conveying routes, required conveying capacities and conditions. Our offer includes: drag chain conveyors, conveyor belts, screw conveyors, chain belt conveyors, vibratory conveyors and pipe belt conveyors.

Conveyor belts

The flat and troughed belts have a modular design. They can be easily assembled as required and modified and adapted at a later date. Even with poor accessibility, the belts can be assembled on the spot in a confined space.

Cost-benefit analysis

A cost-benefit analysis examines and evaluates the economic viability of a project before it is launched. The result serves as a basis for decision making.

Cross Laminated Timber - CLT

Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) is a sustainable timber construction material consisting of cross-laminated layers of sawn timber. Due to the special arrangement of the layers, CLT panels are very stable, resilient and fire-resistant. CLT has a wide range of applications in the modern construction industry, as it enables efficient, environmentally friendly and faster construction methods for residential buildings, offices, educational facilities and other building projects.

Due to the strength of the material, processing it for material or thermal recycling of production waste is very demanding, especially in the field of shredding technology.

Customer guidance

The support of a professional in solving a problem with the aim of working out a solution together with the client.

Customer service

The goal here is customer satisfaction. Extremely important criteria are the performance, availability and process stability of the machines and systems.

Data carrier

If a shredder is suitable for destroying electronic data carriers such as chip cards, this information must be marked on the device in question.

(Also see Certified security level (DIN 66399))

Delivery times

The period of time usually agreed in the terms of delivery, also called the delivery period or deadline, by which the supplier must have made his delivery at the latest.

Digitalisation concept

The VSC (Vecoplan Smart Center) strategy enables the digital networking of the machines with their manufacturer. Vecoplan’s specialists can access the controller or the control panel and identify, analyse and eliminate errors in real time. All relevant data and documents are available online and all service measures are listed.

Domestic and commercial waste

Domestic waste is a mixture of waste that is usually put into bins or bags and collected by the public or privately organised waste collection services. In Germany, domestic waste is defined as “solid waste from private households that is collected and emptied by the waste management authorities themselves or by third parties commissioned by them in standardised emptying containers prescribed in the disposal area.” Commercial waste is waste from crafts, service industries, trade and public institutions. It is similar to domestic waste in terms of its nature or composition.

Dry cleaning

Dry cleaning is a modern cleaning process that does not require water or liquid cleaning agents. Dry cleaning is based on the principle of mechanical removal of soiling without resorting to moisture. This process is particularly effective for cleaning sensitive surfaces or materials that could be damaged by water. Instead of water, special cleaning media such as brushes, foams or microfibre cloths are used in combination with air currents to remove dirt, dust and impurities.

Dry separator

Dry separator represents an umbrella term for a versatile class of cleaning components. These components are used to remove solids or contaminants from various material streams without relying on liquid media such as water or other solvents. Dry separators are used in a wide range of industries to clean, sort or process raw materials, products or waste.

Duration

The actual useful life of a machine or system in a company – i.e. the period between commissioning and the time that the object ceases to be of use.

Feeding

The input material is fed into the machine to prepare it for processing. This can be done via a feed chute, for instance.

Ferrous and non-ferrous metals

Ferrous metals consist either entirely of iron or of a high proportion of alloys (over 50%). Non-ferrous metals refer to all metals that are not iron or metal alloys in which iron is the main element (iron content does not exceed 50%).

Flipper technology

Mounted in shredders. Here, several compressed air springs hold the counter knife crossbar in the working position, and laterally mounted adjusting elements ensure the precise seating of the crossbar for years to come. The small gap between the cutting tools remains constant.

Fractions

Defined group of wastes with similar properties.

Friction separator

The friction separator, as an essential part of the , is a key element for the efficient separation of impurities from different material streams. The friction separator is a technological tool that aims to separate material streams based on their physical properties. This is done by exploiting the differences in frictional forces between particles composed of different materials. By selectively introducing motion and kinetic energy into the material stream, a separation is achieved in which the materials are separated from each other based on their different frictional properties.

Fuels

Chemical substances whose stored energy can be converted into usable energy through combustion.

Hard disks

Simply deleting data is not enough to securely destroy data on a hard disk. Only mechanical shredding guarantees destruction in accordance with standards.

(Also see Certified security level (DIN 66399))

HiTorc direct drive

The HiTorc is an energy-efficient and powerful direct drive developed by Vecoplan, which is used in shredding technology and was developed in 2003 together with the experts at Oswald Elektromotoren GmbH. With the combination of synchronous electric motor and frequency inverter, Vecoplan offers a unique solution on the market.

Homogeneous

A material mixture is homogeneous after processing if it has a uniform grain structure thanks to the shredding processes.

Input

Domestic, commercial and bulky waste, used tyres and rubber, natural rubber, plastic residues and waste wood. All of these substances are usually contaminated with impurities and must be processed for thermal use or as a raw material.

Inspected quality

Safety checks carried out by inspection organisations that are required by government laws or orders.

Light and heavy fractions

Shredding produces light and heavy fractions. Both of these require a coordinated process technology in order to obtain the recyclable materials they contain. An air separator separates the material flow into these two fractions. During the process, the light substances are transported into the expansion chamber by means of air flow. In the chamber, the air velocity is reduced to such an extent that the light substances end up on a discharge belt. Among other items, stones, non-ferrous parts and larger pieces of wood are separated by the heavy fraction. The heavy materials fall downwards onto a discharge belt in front of the rotary drum in the air separator.

Lye scrubber

A caustic scrubber is a specialised cleaning component used in industrial applications to remove harmful emissions from gas streams. The process uses an alkaline solution (caustic) to absorb and neutralise certain pollutants such as acid gases, particulates and volatile compounds from the exhaust gases.

Magnetic tapes

If a shredder is suitable for destroying electronic data carriers such as chip cards, this information must be marked on the device in question.

(also see Certified security level (DIN 66399))

Material flow

Also known as the mass. In compliance with VDI 2411 (Association of German Engineers), the material flow encompasses all processes and their interlinking during the extraction, processing and distribution of material goods within specific, defined production areas.

Materials cycle

Recyclable materials from waste are kept in an economic cycle for as long as possible through high-quality recycling.

Mechanical drying

Mechanical drying, refers to a drying process in which moisture is gently and efficiently removed from various materials, such as biomass or plastics, using a combination of thermal energy, mechanical action and optimised air flows. This process is characterised by its gentle treatment of the material structure, energy efficiency and diverse application possibilities.

Metal separator

Pulls iron from the material flow during processing.

(see Material flow)

Modular systems

With a modular design, the user can assemble his system from modules, also called components or assemblies, based on a platform that is optimally tailored to his tasks. These systems work together via relevant interfaces.

New material quality

Used material or process waste in the form of purgings or rejects are processed into high-quality granulate, which has almost the same quality as new material.

Online commissioning

Thanks to online commissioning, the Vecoplan specialists can access the system remotely. The customer benefits from savings on travel costs as well as speedy implementation.

Optical storage media

Optical data carriers are removable mass storage devices that are read or written by optical scanning (usually by laser). Although they are used less and less nowadays, secure destruction by mechanical shredding is subject to certain guidelines and standards.

(Also see Certified security level (DIN 66399))

Original spare parts

Spare and wear parts from the manufacturer of the machines and plants. Vecoplan has developed each part in an elaborate, in-house engineering process, so the company knows all the specifications and development stages of a reliable original spare part.

Output

Prepared material that has the properties required by the user.

Overall economic efficiency

It measures the return of the overall solution in relation to the effort or investment. In this way, it shows how efficiently the customer can work with the delivered system.

Overall process

The overall process is the sum of all sub-processes from the receipt of the material to the processing of the required output. In all sub-processes there is an exchange of information that is important for the efficiency of the overall process.

Performance

The required prerequisite or the ability of a machine or plant to perform over a long period of time.

Planning

The process of defining goals and establishing methods, strategies and procedures to achieve them.

Plastics processing

The manufacture of plastic products: This is usually done by manufacturing moulded parts, semi-finished products, fibres or films from plastics, which are usually supplied by the chemical industry as granulate (master batch), powder, films or sheets.

Plastics washing systems

With this processing technology, shredded, heavily soiled and different feed materials such as films, stretch films, rigid plastics, packaging and technical plastics can be cleaned by high friction and a strongly circulating flow of water. The result: pure output particles that are free of cellulose and adhesive materials – they can then be fed directly as regrind materials into downstream processes.

Post-shredding

The process step after pre-shredding to minimise excess material lengths. This increases the material quality.

Pre-shredding

Pre-shredding is a central process in the waste and recycling industry. This phase of material management plays a crucial role in the overall process of waste processing and treatment. It involves bringing the incoming waste stream into a manageable and homogeneous form before it is fed to further processing steps. The process begins with the material feed, where the waste stream to be processed is fed into the plant. This can include a variety of materials, such as plastics, wood, biomass or metals. In this phase, the material is shredded into smaller pieces or particles using shredders, granulators or hammer mills. The shredded materials are homogenised in this phase to achieve a uniform texture. This is crucial to ensure the efficiency and quality of the subsequent processing steps. Any foreign bodies or impurities that may be present are separated out by specific
separation processes. This ensures the purity of the end product and prevents damage to downstream machinery or equipment.

Pre-shredding

Pre-shredding is a central process in the waste and recycling industry. This phase of material management plays a crucial role in the overall process of waste processing and treatment. It involves bringing the incoming waste stream into a manageable and homogeneous form before it is fed to further processing steps. The process begins with the material feed, where the waste stream to be processed is fed into the plant. This can include a variety of materials, such as plastics, wood, biomass or metals. In this phase, the material is shredded into smaller pieces or particles using shredders, granulators or hammer mills. The shredded materials are homogenised in this phase to achieve a uniform texture. This is crucial to ensure the efficiency and quality of the subsequent processing steps. Any foreign bodies or impurities that may be present are separated out by specific
separation processes. This ensures the purity of the end product and prevents damage to downstream machinery or equipment.

Predictive maintenance

The aim of predictive maintenance is to be able to plan maintenance as precisely as possible in advance – this avoids unexpected failures of plants and machines and also makes it easier to plan resources such as spare parts or manpower. Plant availability can also be increased by converting unplanned stops into planned stops.

Primary raw materials

Primary raw materials are natural resources. They are unprocessed – apart from the steps needed to extract them.

Processing (chemical)

Not all plastic waste can be recycled mechanically. Gases or oils can be produced from these waste materials using thermochemical processes. The high-quality, recycled raw materials produced in this way are fed back into production.

Processing (mechanical)

Mixed or pre-sorted industrial and commercial waste contains raw materials that are made available again via mechanical processing and fed into the materials cycle. In the case of waste wood, ferrous & non-ferrous metals are removed, homogenised for further use and freed from impurities – so the material can then be used e.g. as fuel for combined heat and power plants (CHP).

Processing plant

This includes shredders, plus solutions and system technology for conveying, screening, separating, storing and dosing. These technologies are designed and coordinated in detail to ensure a continuous flow of material.

Processing strategies

Materials all have different compositions and customers want different outputs – so the right machine technology is required in each case.

Production cycle

Used plastic or production rejects are collected, cleaned, recycled and returned to production. They then have the same quality as new materials.

Production rejects

Purgings and rejects in plastics processing plants. This material can be fed back into the production cycle (also see Production cycle). It has the same quality as new materials.

Project management

Initiating, planning, controlling, monitoring and completing projects.

Pure granulate

In recycling, this is plastic material that has been processed into regrind materials by means of several crushing and separating stages. It has also been freed of all foreign matter.

Raw materials

Unprocessed basic materials obtained from nature through primary production. They are either immediately used or industrially processed.

Raw materials cycle

Plastics that have already been used are processed into high-quality recyclate in order to return them to the production cycle.

Receiving station

Systems in the material receiving area are extremely adaptable. They are suitable for tipper trucks, trailers with push rod dischargers or wheel loaders – depending of course on the local conditions, the input material and the desired conveying capacity.

Recyclate

Recycled plastics that have been disposed of at least once after use as part of domestic or commercial waste.

Recycling

The return of residual and waste materials to the production cycle.

Refuse-derived fuel production

The processing of the material begins with the pre-sorting of the waste. The quality requirements are geared to the needs of the individual customers. The more homogeneous the end product is, the higher will be the quality of the RDF.

Refuse-derived fuels (RDF)

Refuse-derived fuels are fuels obtained from waste. They are also known as secondary fuels (SF). They can be solid, liquid or gaseous materials, which are processed at different depths for their individual usage scenarios.

Regranulate

Obtained from regrind materials by means of a melting process. Regranulate has a uniform grain size and no dust content, so it is easy to process.

Remote service

If an error occurs in a system or in an important component on the customer’s premises, Vecoplan specialists can access the relevant data remotely and provide fast and targeted support. This reduces downtimes and production can be resumed quickly.

Resource management

This encompasses different forms of the economic management of resources.

Screw press

The screw press, also known as a screw centrifuge, is an advanced technological device used in industrial processes to separate solids and liquids. This purification component is based on the principle of centrifugal force and screw technology to achieve efficient and reliable separation of materials.

Secondary raw materials

Raw materials obtained by recycling from materials that have already been disposed of.

Separation of iron and impurities

Vecoplan offers various separating machines and systems to reliably separate impurities, foreign matter and fractions of other materials. For iron separation: A conveyor belt with a magnetic head drum, permanent magnet drum, permanent pipe magnet and an overbelt magnet. For non-ferrous separation: a non-ferrous metal separator. For metal detection: Flat coils, tunnel coils. Air separators separate light and heavy fractions.

Service products

This includes planning, consulting, holistic project management, comprehensive service, installation, commissioning and maintenance.

Single machine

Machines with their own control system and separate command device.

Single stage shredding

Single-stage shredding is a process used by the waste and recycling industry to reduce the volume of materials, make them more manageable and recover valuable raw materials for the recycling loop. Single-stage shredding is a mechanical method of reducing large materials into smaller pieces or particles. This process is ideal for materials such as plastics, wood, biomass, paper and other waste materials commonly found in the waste management and recycling industry. The aim is to reduce the size of the materials to make them easier to handle, store and proces

Single-shaft shredder

A single-shaft shredder is a highly specialised machine used in recycling and waste management to shred a wide variety of materials into smaller, manageable pieces. Single-shaft shredders are a crucial component in modern waste and recycling processes. They enable the sustainable use of resources, reduce waste volumes and thus help to protect the environment.

Spare parts

Components that are intended to ensure the longest possible service life of the machine wear out. Vecoplan offers original spare parts that are developed in-house in an elaborate engineering process.

Storage capacity

Spatial capacity to store bulk materials such as shavings, wood chips, shredded waste wood, bark, RDF, maize, grass, pellets and plastic flakes.

Storage system

Systems through which bulk materials such as shavings, wood chips, shredded waste wood, bark, RDF, maize, grass, pellets and flakes can be stored and made available for further transport and processing steps.

Throughput

The quantity processed within a specified time period by a predefined limit.

Turbo dryer

The turbo dryer, an innovative cleaning component, is a key aspect in the wide range. This term refers to an advanced device used in industrial processes to clean materials. The turbo dryer is characterised by its efficiency, versatility and environmentally friendly design, making it an indispensable addition to companies that strive for high-quality material preparation and processing.

Two-shaft shredder

The two-shaft or twin-shaft shredder is used for the efficient shredding of large-volume materials and plays a central role in high-throughput recycling processes. A twin-shaft shredder, also known as a double-shaft shredder, is a type of shredder that consists of two shafts arranged in parallel and rotating in opposite directions. Attached to these shafts are cutting tools that break down the material to be shredded into smaller particles or pieces by cutting, tearing and shredding. These cutting tools can have different shapes and configurations depending on the specific requirements of the materials to be processed.

Two-stage shredding

Two-stage comminution is a process consisting of two successive comminution stages. First, in the pre-shredding stage, the feedstock is efficiently shredded and prepared for further processing steps, such as sorting and separation. In the secondary shredding, the second shredding step, the now purer material is brought to the necessary final particle size. In the context of waste and raw material processing, two-stage size reduction plays an important role.

Washing technology

Washing technology refers to the process of cleaning, separating and processing materials, especially plastics, through the use of specialized equipment and processes. This technology enables the removal of impurities, foreign substances and residues from the material, which is crucial for the quality and recyclability of the end product.
Since the term "washing technology" implies a process using water, Vecoplan uses the term "cleaning". This also includes dry cleaning processes.

Waste wood

Wood residues from primary production. They occur during the treatment and processing of wood in the wood industry and also in the construction industry.

Wet cleaning

Wet cleaning is a process for separating materials based on their physical properties and density. Water is used as a separation medium to separate unwanted impurities from valuable raw materials. This process takes place in special plants that are designed to ensure efficient separation while taking various factors into account.

Wood chips

Wood chips are also known as wood shavings or natural wood chips. They are shredded wood that serves primarily as a raw material for the wood processing industry and as a biogenic and renewable fuel.

Wood, raw and residual materials cycle

Instead of disposing of waste wood, it is processed so that it can be used thermally or as a raw material.