Manufacturers of shredding equipment frequently have to deal with very special customer requirements. For this purpose, they modify components like rotors, cutting tips, counter knives and screens to match the given task. These choices and the relevant combinations are critical to the performance and quality of the shredding process. One user might have to process especially tough materials, while another might require electric motors that comply with specific standards in the region. The design effort for such diverse solutions can be considerable, and manufacturers must keep an increasing number of different parts in stock in order to be prepared.
In order to reduce this complexity, Vecoplan has modified its product architecture and established different system platforms depending on the application and size. It has also classified separate modules according to their specific function. The interfaces are standardised and the platforms remain unchanged. Application engineers can put together suitable products according to each customer’s needs, much in the way vehicle manufacturers use a configurator. They select appropriate modules for the screen, the rotor and the drive. Each module is available in different variants and can be combined as needed with other assemblies.
The grid principle
Vecoplan has organised components like cutting tools, counter knives, screens and rotors in a grid with uniform module sizes. The grid allows the shredders to be finely graduated in width from 800 to more than 3,200 millimetres. A wide range of tool sizes and types can be mapped within this grid without the need to change the designs of adjoining components. Vecoplan has also applied the basic idea of the grid to other components such as drives.
A wide range of benefits
Thanks to this grid principle, Vecoplan can design custom solutions within the spectrum – while maintaining a manageable degree of complexity at the same time. There is no need to start from scratch with the design, and no time-consuming special solution is necessary. If the user decides to purchase a new machine which is perfectly adapted to its requirements, Vecoplan can tailor a shredder faster and manufacture it immediately. Customers also benefit from even faster parts availability thanks to much more streamlined warehousing. In addition, the various modules can be retrofitted, allowing the machine’s functionality to be adapted to changing requirements.
Perfect customisation
Vecoplan showcased the first shredder based on the new modular system, its VIZ machine platform, at the K trade fair in Düsseldorf in 2019. Currently, it is extending this principle to its entire range of shredding machines and plans to present several platforms in the months ahead. The company is also planning additions at the module level to make the shredders even more versatile. The modular system will give customers shredders that are perfectly matched to their needs.
A modular approach: The right choice of components is critical to the performance and quality of the shredding process.
