plastic processing : Metran upgrades to UNTHA to get the best out of rigid plastics compounds
Metran focuses on the material recycling of industrial metals such as aluminium, zinc, copper and stainless steel as well as high-grade plastics, all from waste materials. It is part of the Müller-Guttenbrunn Group, which has 600 employees worldwide. Metran has been studying material compounds and how to break them down in order to recover precious raw materials for quite some time.
The shredding of plastic parts was a particular challenge, which the recycling specialist sought to solve by utilising the most innovative and efficient solutions on the market. “During our research, we came across UNTHA and were able to test the XR directly on our premises with the materials we are looking to process – rigid plastic parts that are collected by the municipality. We realised that the unit is exactly what we had been looking for and that it delivers the cut we require to obtain a two-dimensional output sized 5 cm or smaller for further processing,” explains Gunther Panowitz, Managing Director at Metran.
A stationary version of the new XR3000C has been in operation in Kematen since July 2020. Experience has shown that the UNTHA shredder is also ideal for other material flows, for instance for breaking down more complex copper compounds. “Our people are curious. Every day, we try something new to see what works and what doesn’t,” says Gunther Panowitz.
The particular challenge that Metran had to face was the single-phase shredding of rigid plastics that are bonded with iron and metals. With the XR3000C and its competence when it comes to single-phase shredding, Metran has found the perfect shredder for precisely this sort of application.
The company is particularly impressed with the compatibility of the blade blocks, the rotor and the stator with the iron and metal parts that are attached to the plastic components, and with the geo- metry of the shredded parts. Other benefits for Metran are the low electricity consumption, straightforward maintenance and high throughputs of up to 10 tonnes per hour. “The machine is expensive, but it absolutely does what it says on the tin,” is how Gunther Panowitz sums up the experience.