Since 2017, YS Reclamation has invested heavily in new equipment to enhance the quality of their final plastic product. However, issues with the originally supplied primary shredder were restricting productivity and quality.
YS Reclamation process an input of 27 tonnes per day of post-consumer LDPE plastic film. Through a bespoke process, the recycler produces up to 25 tonnes per day of high-quality plastic pellets for use in the manufacture of a wide range of plastic products. Five grades of pellet are produced and the waste ‘fines’ are sent to an energy-from-waste plant, resulting in zero waste process.
The received plastic waste is initially assessed and graded at a separately located warehouse facility. To ensure the correct grade of pellets is produced, further grading occurs at the Warrington plant prior to the material entering the process.
The baled plastic film passes through a guillotine press and onto a manual sorting line to remove any visible contamination such as baling wire or metal. The unbaled material then passes up an incline conveyor into the Vecoplan shredder.
After shredding, the <50mm plastic film passes through a washing plant to clean and remove materials of different densities (e.g., ceramic, glass and metal), before being granulated to <10mm. A hydrocyclone, using density separation, removes material such as PET film and trays, before the material is dried and extruded as plastic ready for reuse in making new PE film.
The shredder installed with the original plant proved unreliable and failed to produce the required quality of shred. During the first 8,000 hours of operation, YS Reclamation had experienced over 1,400 hours of downtime due to mechanical failures and other issues with the original shredder. The severity of the shredder problem led YS Reclamation to contact Vecoplan to assess the installation and identify possible improvements.
Vecoplan recommended the installation of a model VAZ 1700 L6 shredder, which would produce a better yield of product and improve productivity. The single-shaft VAZ model is specifically designed for recycling applications. The robust, powerful and energy-efficient design enables the universal use of the high-performance shredders of the VAZ series for a wide range of applications. By adapting the rotor design, the shredder achieves maximum throughput with a homogeneous output, even with challenging materials.
Due to the urgency of replacing the original poor-functioning shredder, YS Reclamation visited the Vecoplan stand at the K 2022 trade fair for plastics and rubber (Düsseldorf, German) to see the VAZ1700 shredder in action. Following the show, the shredder was shipped to the Warrington plant.
The VAZ 1700 L6 model has a rotor length of 1660mm, diameter of 640m and weighs approximately 20 tonnes. The control is mounted on springs on the side of the shredder for easy installation and access.
Shredded plastic after the Vecoplan shredder
Since the installation, YS Reclamation has seen a significant improvement in productivity and product quality. The design of the Vecoplan shredder produces 40% less fines, which reduces the level of contamination in the extruder process; greatly improving the end product quality. The Vecoplan shredder is capable of shredding 4 tonnes per hour of baled plastic film. Which, when compared with the original shredder, means the Vecoplan shredder only operates for 30% of the time. The energy savings due to the reduced operating time were considerable, especially as the Vecoplan shredder stops when not processing unlike the original shredder.
Once installed and operational, YS Reclamation identified further advantages of the Vecoplan VAZ 1700 shredder, with a significant drop in the level of noise and vibration. Maintenance time was also reduced, with the internal design of the shredder enabling simpler and quicker replacement of worn parts such as blades, which has reduced the downtime for changing knives by 4-hours and the counter knives by 5-hours.
The engineering team at YS Reclamation were also impressed with the service response times from the UK-based service team. The Vecoplan shredder also benefits from having remote internet access allowing for online support and program changes remotely.
We are happy with the overall result on every level. What fascinates us is the combination of reliability and performance. Vecoplan implemented a very stable high-tech solution for us, which has paid off.
From the start, we were able to work with Vecoplan very closely, constructively and in search of the best possible solution. The work and input we provided ourselves were brought together seamlessly thanks to good project management.
As our solution provider, Vecoplan has designed and implemented an optimised and complete system for us down to the very last detail. The shredding concept is a complete success in terms of output quality, performance and efficiency. We are very happy with the Vecoplan RDF processing plant. The system has been continuously reliable. The Vecoplan Live Service offers the best support for all ser-vice and maintenance work.
The chipboard industry needs material that meets strict quality criteria. With the complete solution from Vecoplan, we can reprocess large quantities of wood waste at an excellent quality – fast, reliably and energy efficiently.
Right from the start, our new plant works trouble-free. We are very satisfied with the Vecoplan solutions.
Vecoplan developed individual solutions for fuel feeding and the processing according to customer request. The system runs continuously and generates green energy.
As Engineering Manager, I was convinced that the slow speed re-shredding offered by Vecoplan, was key to minimising fines production. Vecoplan's solution is also incredibly efficient, thanks to their HiTorc-Drive technology. The entire plant is fully automated and can exceed the specified 60 tph.
For us as system operators, it is important that the system runs ... and it runs.
For us, the protection of the environment as well as the reduction of CO₂ emissions are not just empty phrases but determining factors. Due to Vecoplans conveying system the entire transport route of bark and chips could be relocated in lofty heights above the buildings and streets of Södra – and had been executed to our complete satisfaction.
The launch of the TDS V20 from the Terex & Vecoplan partnership is revolutionising the mobile shredding industry. The Vecoplan VNZ 200 XL H chamber offers the unique combination of medium speed shafts, an accurate cutting action, sizing screens and tramp material protection. Our customers are benefiting from one pass production and minimal fines creation, reducing running costs and maximising profits.
The highest priority in this project was to ensure that the specific requirements were met and that the system had a very high level of availability with low power consumption.
Vecoplan projects are always new and always different. Each project brings new challenges, experiences and insights. That's what makes it so exciting.
Vecoplan is one of the most innovative companies in the industry. This requires the will to perform, creativity and personal commitment from the employees every day. My job is to motivate the team to achieve top performance together. Vecoplan offers the best conditions for this, a high degree of appreciation and the necessary freedom to make a difference.
20 % of Vecoplan employees have been with the company for 20 years or more. Add to that young junior staff and colleagues who join us from other companies, and you have a healthy and effective personnel structure with which we can achieve a lot.
Vecoplan operates internationally - this gives us at service unit the opportunity to travel to different countries and meet a wide variety of people.
Application engineers at Vecoplan have to understand customer requirements and convert them into technical solutions - an exciting and demanding task that I enjoy.
The Vecoplan VAZ 1700 installed at YS Reclamation
Plastic film entering the process
Shredded plastic after the Vecoplan shredder
The high-quality plastic pellets
