Industrial Shredders for Waste Reduction, Recycling, and Transportation
Otherwise known as a commercial shredder, industrial shredders are designed to reduce components for easier storage and transportation, or as a necessary step for manufacturing. Though the exact design may vary, most industrial shredders use a conveyor belt to carry solid materials to a central shredding compartment composed of heavy blades which rotate at varying speeds depending on what they were designed to shred. Industrial shredders are used across many different industries to destroy steel, rubber, pallets, plastics, construction waste, tires, and storage containers.
Whether you are shredding a single tire or an entire car, you'll find shredders that can handle a wide range of materials with speed and precision. Get the right shredder for your given industry on MyLittleSalesman.com.
How to Choose the Right Commercial Shredder
Shredders are rarely universal, meaning they are designed to shred a specific range of objects. A single shaft shredder can handle smaller items like pallets and rubber rolls, for example, but a dual shaft shredder is required for heavier, denser objects and materials like containers, construction waste, glass and tires.
If you will be handling any wet materials (like cardboard that’s been in the rain, for example), you need a commercial shredder that has been rated for liquids as well as solids. Selecting the wrong shredder means you will not be able to shred the desired material quickly enough, if at all, without causing damage.
Make sure you pick a commercial shredder with the right output rate, which is typically referred to as “pounds per hour”. Since running a shredder at full capacity is a surefire way to cause excessive wear-and-tear within a short period of time, the trick is to pick a capacity that is a little more than needed. At the same time, an oversized shredder will cost too much power to run and take up too much space.
Shredders are either fed manually or automatically. Manual shredders cost less to purchase, but they usually require a forklift or a piece of heavy equipment to load, which takes more labor and time. Automatic shredders are generally more efficient because they provide a consistent output with less supervision.
What to Check for When Buying a Used Commercial Shredder
- Check the service history to make sure the cutters have been regularly sharpened and replaced when necessary.
- Check the outward appearance for any dents, cracks or welds (a sign of overloading).
- If possible, ask to see the shredder reduce material that is as close as possible to what you will be reducing.
- Listen for strange noises when the equipment is running with and without materials.
- Check the shredded product to make sure it has been sufficiently separated into components that are as large or small as you need (anywhere from 1-2 inches is the average size of a shredded component).
- If possible, let the machine run for an hour to make sure its output meets your requirements.