In the Market for a New Shredder or Grinder?

Here’s a look at North America’s top manufacturers of plant-based shredders for documents & product destruction

(Please note that companies are listed in alphabetical order)

By Kim Fernandez

   For document and product destruction companies choosing a paper shredder or grinder is no easy task. One has to consider shaft designs, capacity, speed, screen sizes, etc. E-waste has complicated matters even further. Increasingly, recyclers are calling upon shredder manufacturers to design machines that can shred not only paper, but computer hard drives and other electronic equipment as well. In this article we’re turning the spotlight on several of the top shredder manufacturers; manufacturers that recycling companies turn to when they need equipment to get the job done. Each of the companies in this feature has distinguished itself by providing quality, reliable products and service that meet today’s industry needs.

Allegheny Shredders
   Allegheny Shredders has manufactured high-capacity shredders and cross-shredding systems; hard drive shredders and a number of different grinders and e-scrap shredders for more than 40 years. Allegheny claims to have built the first shredder in the U.S. over 7.5 horsepower. More than four decades later they’re building shredders with up to 300 hp that are capable of handling virtually every imaginable product.
   All of Allegheny’s customized systems are built at its 125,000-square foot facility in Delmont, Pennsylvania. Sales Manager Evelyn Jefferson says, “We start with the steel and from there we manufacture our own conveyors, balers, hydraulic tippers, shredders, etc., using our own state-of-the-art equipment. We do as much in-house as possible, which gives us complete control over our products.” Allegheny takes pride in its customer service; people who call the company talk to real people, not computers, and are assured that their specific system needs can and will be met and fit into the space they have available. “Some time ago,” says Jefferson, “we had a customer who wanted a shredder that could handle cardboard cores. So we designed a system to crush the cores and shred them, and that developed into a great line for us. We do a lot of shoeboxing. If they have a facility and they don’t think our equipment will fit, we promise them we’ll make it fit.”
   Allegheny employs about 50 people, and none of their manufacturing, installation or service is farmed out to other companies. Allegheny customers always deal directly with the company itself. Jefferson says that’s been true throughout the company’s history. Jefferson also mentioned that they have experienced tremendous growth over the past 40 years. “The year before Watergate, we sold 70 shredders,” she says. “The year after, we sold 400. Watergate really put shredding on the map, and things have only escalated since then.”
   Allegheny’s Cross-Shredding™ System offers advanced shredding capability. This innovative technology developed by Allegheny provides secure destruction for high volume applications. Utilizing a two-stage shredding process, cross-shredding involves positioning two shredders at a 90 degree angle to one another. The output from the first shredder is fed into a second shredder, resulting in a much smaller shred size. The result? A highly secure output of cross-shredded pieces.
   Allegheny recently introduced a rugged, high-capacity hard drive shredder to meet the growing need for destruction of computer hard drives, optical media and other electronic devices (cell phones, handheld devices, etc.). The Allegheny Hard Drive Shredder offers reliable, cost-effective destruction of obsolete electronic storage devices that pose a threat to data security. With its 7½ hp motor and high-torque drive train, the Allegheny Hard Drive Shredder can thoroughly destroy more than 25 to 35 hard drives per minute with virtually no noise or vibration.

Cresswood Recycling Systems
   Jack Cress started Cresswood Recycling Systems with his father in 1979, as a subsidiary of Dun-Rite Tool & Machine Company. The company began building shredders in 1990, and while the elder Cress has since passed away, Jack says the company remains a family business that’s committed to quality. “We manufacture a single-shaft shredder that’s different than those made by other companies,” says Cress. “It puts out a very uniform product and the customer is able to change the screens to different particle sizes depending on what their needs are.” Changing screens is simple and quick, he says, and the single-shaft design gives customers the flexibility to shred a variety of materials, from simple paper and folders to clothing, medical records and product packaging. Cresswood machines come in a variety of sizes. Cress says the company is careful to provide customers with entire systems, so they won’t need to go somewhere else for bits and pieces they need.
   Cresswood shredders feature the same kinds of conveyor systems as other companies’ machines, but they also offer dust collection at thee different pick points: one where the dust discharges into the hopper, one where it dumps into a covered conveyor and one where it discharges into the baler. All Cresswood shredders are manufactured at the company’s 55,000-square foot plant in Chicago, where about 35 people work. “We offer complete installation and maintenance,” says Cress. “We have integrators across the country which helps us keep our response time very quick.” Parts are also manufactured and distributed from the Chicago plant, and all systems are customized to meet specific customer needs.
   Cresswood Recycling Systems’(CRS) HF-5340LR, HF6850LR and HF7860LR Hopper Feed Shredders, known as the “Destroyer” models, are heavy-duty top feed shredders equipped with 40 to 60-inch rotor length, a 16-inch diameter V-rotor cutterhead, and innovative ram and control technology to maximize through-put and to accommodate and destroy small, medium and large-sized materials. These rugged machines are built to solve the size reduction needs for the paper recycling, printing paper waste and secure information destruction industries.
   CRS’s HF-7870 XR Hopper Feed Shredder, or “Mega Destroyer,” is the largest one-pass top feed shredder in the company’s product line, weighing in at 23,000 pounds. The 7870 is equipped with a 70-inch long, 20-inch diameter XR V-rotor cutterhead, innovative ram and control technology to maximize throughput, and an expanded cutting chamber to accommodate and destroy large volume and/or large sized materials. This 15-foot long “Mega Destroyer” powerhouse is built to solve the larger size reduction needs for the paper recycling, printing paper waste and secure information destruction industries.

Schutte-Buffalo Hammermill, LLC
   Schutte-Buffalo Hammermill was formed in 2001, when Schutte Pulverizer (founded In 1931) and Buffalo Hammermill Corporation (founded in 1928) merged. Today, company President Tom Warne says the company manufactures equipment for hundreds of industries, including the industrial paper shredding and document destruction industries. Schutte-Buffalo Hammermill prides itself on offering “customized products without the customized price tag.”
   “One of the machines we make is a ram-fed unit,” says Warne. “A hydraulic ram pushes material against a revolving grinding rotor which features triangular teeth. The teeth rake the material through an anvil at very close tolerance, cutting the material like scissors would.” These machines feature perforated metal screens whose holes can be made any size for different applications. The material cannot escape the mill until it is small enough to fit through the holes.
   “There’s also a lot of interaction between the electronics and hydraulic, so the machines can sense overloads allowing the ram to retract and begin another stroke if necessary. They are very thoughtful machines,” says Warne.
   Warne adds that Schutte-Buffalo Hammermill shredders are simple to care for. “The day-to-day maintenance is done by the maintenance staff using common hand tools. When necessary, we can dispatch someone from our site to fly to the customer and handle more involved maintenance issues. In an emergency we could have someone there the next day.” Customers facing major rebuilds are often encouraged to return their machines to the factory so that specialized tools and equipment can be used to quickly complete the repairs and return the unit to service. Beyond pride in its shredders, Schutte-Buffalo Hammermill takes pride in its employees and staff. Warne says, “We have five or six guys who have been here 20 or 25 years each, or longer. They take a lot of pride in the machines they build.”
   The E-Cycler is a Schutte-Buffalo Hammermill-designed shredder specifically made for complete deconstruction of a wide variety of non-paper media. Applications include: hard drives, printed circuit boards, cellular phones, CDs and DVDS, floppy disks, video tape and x-rays, just to name a few. Unlike the cutting and tearing action of a shredder, the E-Cycler pulverizes. Upon entering the grinding chamber, material is repeatedly struck by steel hammers. The result is media completely scoured of data while simultaneously liberating components for easy separation. Processed material is gravity discharged through a heavy duty steel screen, insuring complete quality control over the finished particle size.
   The company’s MP Series Industrial Paper Shredder is designed for the secure destruciton of paper , books and other printed media. Ruggedly constructed from ¾-inch A-36 plate steel, the MP Shredder is a slow speed ram fed grinder. Ideal for “drop and go” loading, the MP’s hydraulic ram pushes material to a rotor featuring four-way reversible tool-steel cutting teeth. The desired finish size is achieved by selection from a variety of heavy duty grate or perforated screen options.

SSI Shredding Systems, Inc.
   SSI Shredding Inc. (SSI), based in Wilsonville, Oregon, employs more than 130 people and has been manufacturing shredders for more than 25 years. SSI currently manufactures three different types of paper shredders ranging in capacity from small to large. They include entry-level machines to machines that can shred up to five tons an hour with mechanisms that can shred several different kinds of materials. All of the company’s shredders come with start-up training and supervision. Complete systems, including conveyors, are also available.
   “We have a low-speed Dual-Shear^TMshredder that’s often used in trucks,” says SSI Sales Manager Dave Wilson. “We also have a single-rotor shredder, called a Uni-Shear^TM, that has a screen on it. The advantage of this is you get a really precise particle size, so that you can use different screens on it for different needs.” This line also features entry level to large capacity machines. SSI’s Quad^TM shredder, a low-speed, high-torque, four-shaft shredder that can be used for paper, electronic scrap, tires and reduction of contaminated materials. This also has a screen that can be swapped out for different materials.
   “We provide service from the start. Our systems are all pre-tested and operated here at the factory,” says Wilson. Once a local electrician hooks up the wiring, SSI representatives visit the site to train employees on operation, maintenance, safety, and servicing. SSI has a 24/7 help/service, and machines are accessible via modem, so they can be evaluated and changed remotely.
   SSI’s Uni-Shear is a screen based shredder designed for high volume processing of paper for secure destruction. The system has an 80-inch infeed opening for holding a large volume of paper. The heart of the system is a solid steel cutting rotor precision-machined at SSI’s Wilsonville, Oregon facility. A unique feature of the rotor is that the cutter holder (not just the cutter) is bolt-on. With this design, the holder can be replaced when damaged without cutting and welding.
   The Dual Shear shredder is a low speed high torqe shredder that is available in a wide range of sizes depending on the processing rate required. The advantage of the Dual Shear shredder are many. They produce far less noise and dust than most other types of shredders and utilize lower horsepower. Entry systems are 25 hp and high volume systems use only 125 hp.

UNTHA-America
   Based in Massachusetts, UNTHA-America is a wholly-owned subsidiary of UNTHA shredding technology Austria. The Massachusetts facility handles sales and customer support for the US and Canada. All of the company’s shredders are manufactured in Austria and delivered to the US for installation by trained UNTHA technicians.
   “We truly have a very comprehensive line of shredders,” says UNTHA-America CEO Bernhard Mueggler. “We use either single-shaft, dual-shaft or four-shaft technology based on our customer’s requirements and the desired particle size of the material. We take care of application engineering and configure the proper machines for the requested applications.” Mueggler says most spare parts for the machines are in stock in Massachusetts and can be shipped within 24 hours of a customer’s call.
   UNTHA introduced its patented four-shaft shredding technology in 1981, and opened its North American office in 2007. Its shredders can handle a wide array of materials. Mueggler says the company is seeing a growing amount of requests for electronic equipment recycling and in particular electronic data destruction. “Companies are increasingly concerned about data security stored on hard drives and are starting to discard some of their old tapes. The time has elapsed for when they needed to keep those, and they’re looking for an efficient and secure way to get rid of them.” UNTHA’s four-shaft machines, Mueggler adds, are flexible and powerful enough to take care of materials like hard drive, backup tapes and paper along with all kinds of electronic components found in IT equipment. The company works with a team of American salespeople and trained domestic technicians to keep its machines humming along perfectly. “They’re really rugged and reliable,” says Mueggler. “They’re built to last a long time.”
   UNTHA’s reliable and robust RS30 and RS40 shredders have been meeting client requirements for decades and were developed for a broad spectrum of purposes. Like all UNTHA shredders, the machines can be used as stand-alone solutions or be integrated in more complex plants. They stand out with their high throughput rates, low maintenance/energy costs and homogenous shredded material and ensure high economic efficiency. Homogenously shredded end products can be processed with great efficiency ensuring a highly economic recycling process.
   The company’s prime product in four-shaft technology is the RS100 for larger recycling applications. The RS100 is the largest of UNTHA’s four-shaft shredder series. UNTHA’s extensive experience has been incorporated into the design of what is currently the largest four-shaft shredder available from UNTHA. The RS100 machines are also equipped with the patented UNTHA four-shaft system with perforated screen.With a cutter clearance width of 1.5 m and height of 1 m, the machines are capable of shredding up to 10,000 kg of material per hour with a driving force of up to 160 hp. Available features ensure that a wide range of materials can be shredded.

Vecoplan, LLC
   Vecoplan LLC, a subsidiary of the German company of the same name, manufactures a comprehensive line of low speed, high torque, single-shaft, rotary shredders for plant-based document destruction. Their shredders for this application range in size from the RG32P, which features a 32-inch by 42-inch hopper opening and a 20 hp drive, to the RG98SNF, which features a 98-inch by 98-inch hopper opening and a 300 hp drive. All have interchangeable screens for controlling particle output size.
   “We don’t just supply shredders,” says Chris Hawn, Director of Business Development. “We also supply complete systems for our customers, including all material handling, dust collection and baling.” Hawn says each of company’s machines can be customized to fit their customers’ specific needs. “But regardless of how it’s customized,” he adds, “the same machine someone would use for document destruction can also be used to shred hard-drives, CDs, DVDs, tapes, textiles, wood, plastic, medical waste – you name it.”
   Vecoplan’s shredders are manufactured in Germany. Controls and auxiliary equipment are made in the US. “We bring in a core machine and outfit it with hoppers and bases and screens,” explains Hawn. “We also provide material handling systems, conveyors and sorting platforms, and all of those are made domestically.” Vecoplan has factory-trained technicians in the fifteen largest US markets for their shredders and can visit client sites for installation of new machines. All service calls are handled through the company’s North Carolina office. Vecoplan employs a total of 280 people; 55 of those are in the US. “We offer a lot of flexibility with many different services and many different particle size options,” says Hawn.
   The company’s top seller is the RG52P plant-based security shredder, which is designed specifically for the secure destruction of paper documents, electronic scrap, and unwanted products. It cross shreds in a single pass to deliver consistent particle sizes that are determined by the size of the screen employed on the machine. The RG52P is vertically fed via a hopper bolted on top of the shredding chamber; the hopper holds up to 3.75 cubic yards of material. The RG52P can be equipped with drive motors ranging from 60HP to 150 HP.
   Vecoplan’s RG42P XL delivers cross-cut shredding in one pass. Shred size is adjustable to meet different security level requirements via interchangeable screens. The RG42P XL shreds documents, CDs, DVDs, tapes, film, and hard drives, as well as textiles, plastics and wood. It is perfect for all types of product destruction. The RG42P XL has a 42” x 50” hopper opening, a 3.1 cubic yard hopper volume, a 15” rotor diameter, 54 (40mm x 40mm) cutters, a 60 HP drive motor, and a 2 HP – Two Speed hydraulic feed ram.

Weima-America
   Weima-America is the North American distribution center for the German-built Weima machines. With a 30-year history in Europe, Weima-America is celebrating the ten-year anniversary of its Fort Mill, South Carolina operation. Customers are provided both sales and service support on all of the company’s shredding and briquetting equipment to the paper, plastic, wood, medical waste and recycling industries.
   “Our first step is to meet with our customers to find out the specific characteristics of the commodity they will be shredding,” says Mark Kunz, Weima-America Sales Manager. “A big concern in the paper industry is to reduce the frictional heat, and through our experience in design and engineering we have been able to place machines into the industry eliminating this concern.”
   Kunz says that Weima has protected it’s machines by keeping the rotor RPMs on their WLK shredders within an acceptable range in order to keep dust to a minimum and reduce the risk of fire. In cases where pneumatic discharge is not used, Weima also can provide dust collection ports to further reduce any dust emissions. WEIMA claims to offer one of the largest shredder lines available, with both single-shaft and four-shaft designs. “Weima-America provides a large range of equipment with the ability to handle low to high volume applications.” says Kunz. If Weima does not have a machine in stock to fit a customer’s requirements, he adds, they will generally spec a machine to fit the customer’s specific application.
   Currently employing sixteen people in the US, Weima-America offers a full staff of customer service representatives from telephone support to traveling technicians. “Our customers can call into our service department and they get an immediate response,” he says. “We don’t have a lot of technical problems with our equipment and, in most cases; the issue can be resolved with a conversation over the phone. But when required, we put a technician on a plane and head to our customers’ location to see what the issues are and how we can resolve them.”
   Weima’s WLK 10 shredder, part of the WLK Series, is a mid-sized unit offered to handle medium to high volumes of paper waste for recycling and document destruction. Sheets, rolls, corrugated cores, loose paper, packaging, labels, books and bindings are all examples of materials easily handled in the WLK 10. This machine can be discharged by air or attached to a baler. The WLK 10 also comes with a large hopper designed for easy loading by conveyor or forklift with tilting dumpster. Optional features include a cylinder assisted lift-up door for easy maintenance, serrated ram beds for thin gauge materials, hydraulic heating or cooling, rotor cooling and multiple knife configurations.
   WEIMA’s C150 Briquette Press for Paper Dust has become increasingly popular to compact paper dust and shredded paper. The press has the ability to compact this dust into briquettes, which look similar to hockey pucks. This compacting process uses no glues or adhesives to create this more manageable product. The C150 has a 40-inch by 30-inch hopper, which can be installed directly under a dust collection system. The machine can be equipped with an auto on/off switch and can be linked directly to the cyclone telling it when to release material into the press. The briquettes, which are two inches in diameter, can be easily discharged into a gaylord box using plastic tubing or into a carousal bagging system. The main benefit for the press is the ability to compress loose materials and avoid a messy facility although there are situations where the paper briquettes can be burned and used as a heat source.

Conclusion
   As demand for the shredding and grinding of documents and electronics continues to grow, companies like Allegheny; Cresswood; Schutte-Buffalo; SSI Shredding; Untha; Vecoplan; and WEIMA, stand poised to meet the challenges of both the present and future of the shred industry. By responding to the needs of their customers, developing innovative products and keeping their fingers on the pulse of industry, these companies have found success and helped recyclers do their work more efficiently, effectively and profitably.